1975 Rock Classic Inspired by ‘Young Frankenstein' Became One of Rock's Most Enduring Hits Despite Missing No. 1
For rock fans everywhere, Aerosmith has been one of the biggest groups in rock history ever since they debuted on the scene in the 1970s. While they've had plenty of hit songs over the years, "Walk This Way," which was a track on the group's 1975 album, Toys in the Attic, is one of their most enduring songs and a fan-favorite.
The song was the second single on the album following "Sweet Emotion," and it was one of the last songs that the band completed for the record. Surprisingly, Aerosmith found a spark of inspiration for "Walk This Way" from an unexpected place: Young Frankenstein.
Speaking to The Wall Street Journal in 2014, the band recalled how everything came together to bring "Walk This Way" to life. Joe Perry remembered how they were around halfway through the record and "were stuck" working on the rest of the songs at New York's Record Plant when they decided to take a break.
Steven Tyler, Joey Kramer, Tom Hamilton, Brad Whitford, and producer Jack Douglas went to watch Mel Brooks' film Young Frankenstein in theaters in Times Square to decompress. When everyone returned, it was clear that they'd enjoyed the film, as they were chatting about different lines and moments in the movie.
Perry, who stayed behind, said, "They were laughing about Marty Feldman greeting Gene Wilder at the door of the castle and telling him to follow him. 'Walk this way,' he says, limping, giving his stick to Wilder so he can walk that way, too."
Then came the moment of realization: "While all this was going on, Jack stopped and said, 'Hey, "walk this way" might be a great title for the song.' We agreed. But we still needed lyrics." And the rest was history. While the movie didn't play into the band's lyrics, which were written soon after, it remains the inspiration for the iconic title of one of Aerosmith's best songs.
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With the risqué lyrics, the fast pace and intense instrumentation, and Tyler's fast and gritty singing, "Walk This Way" feels like a surefire hit when you listen to it. But that wasn't the case when the song was first released.
"Walk This Way" first came out in 1975 and didn't make much of an impact, but it finally started getting recognition when it was reissued the next year. It peaked at No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100, and years later, a new version from the hip hop group Run-D.M.C., in collaboration with Aerosmith, would reach No. 4 on the same chart.
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This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 9:41 PM.