Welcome back to the latest edition of Flashback Friday Flop, a weekly feature in which I examine a hip-hop album from years ago that was considered a flop, either critically or commercially or both, when it was released and see if it has gotten better – or worse – over time.Â
This week: Run-DMC’s Back from Hell (1990)
A valid argument could be made that Run-DMC is the most important act in hip-hop history. They influenced so much of the culture, from the sound to the look and, in the process, became one of the first prominent rap artists to be featured on mainstream media, most especially MTV. Their 1986 crossover smash “Walk This Way” with Steven Tyler and Joe Perry not only revitalized Aerosmith, but also became a landmark in hip-hop, becoming the first rap song to reach the top five of the Billboard 100 (peaking at number four).
The Passion of Christopher Pierznik 