Run-DMC's 1986 album Raising Hell was the first rap album to be certified platinum.
Released on May 15, 1986, Raising Hell was the third studio album by the Queens hip hop group Run-DMC. Its success marked a major turning point for rap, proving that a hip hop album could achieve large-scale commercial sales while still sounding rooted in the genre's distinctive DJ-driven style.
The album was produced by Rick Rubin and Russell Simmons, with the group shaping the rhymes, turntable work, and overall musical direction. Its best-known track, "Walk This Way," fused rap with rock by reworking Aerosmith's song and featuring Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. The single became the first rap song to reach the top five of the Billboard Hot 100, helping introduce Run-DMC to a much broader audience.
Raising Hell was first certified platinum by the RIAA on July 15, 1986, and later reached triple-platinum status. It also became the first hip hop album to top Billboard's Top R&B Albums chart and peaked at number three on the Billboard 200. The common confusion is with other pioneering 1980s artists: LL Cool J, the Beastie Boys, and Public Enemy were influential, but Raising Hell belongs to Run-DMC.