"Walk This Way" gets a lot of credit for thrusting rap into the mainstream, but Run-DMC deserves similar credit for "Christmas in Hollis." When A Very Special Christmas came out in the mid-80's, it featured a lot of rock star covers of songs that ranged from "not so bad" to "the only possible reason I can imagine you put that song out is because you are a Satanist who is bent on destroying Christmas." (I'm looking at you Stevie Nicks version of "Silent Night" that goes on for about fifteen minutes just repeating, "Well it was a... si-i-lent night. Yes, it was a... ho-o-ly night.")

But Run-DMC not only did an original song, they also managed to tightrope that line between "keeping it real" and "acceptable to play while Grandma is in the room." The song has endured, and at this point may be the most played of all the rap pioneers' songs considering it gets more play in department stores and on radio stations every December than "Rock Box" or "You Be Illin'" gets in all 12 months combined.