Beastie Boys - Biography, Songs, Albums, Discography & Facts - Top40weekly (original) (raw)

Beastie Boys – Biography, Songs, Albums, Discography & Facts

Beastie Boys 2009. Image source: Maddy Julien, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Beastie Boys were a New York City-based rap group who established in 1981. Michael “Mike D” Diamond (vocals, drums), Adam “MCA” Yauch (vocals, bass), and Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz made up the band (vocals, guitar, programming). The Beastie Boys were created in 1978 by members of the Young Aborigines, an experimental hardcore punk band, featuring Diamond on vocals, Jeremy Shatan on bass guitar, John Berry on guitar, and Kate Schellenbach on drums. When Shatan departed the band in 1981, Yauch took over on bass and the Beastie Boys was born. Berry resigned soon after, and Horovitz took his place.

For the purposes of his short concert film, Beastie, the Beastie Boys played on Philip Pucci’s birthday on November 13, 1982. Pucci performed in the Preston Drama Dance Department Theatre at Bard College. The Beastie Boys made their first on-screen appearance in a feature film with this performance.

“Beastie Revolution ” was sampled for a British Airways commercial after attaining local success with the 1983 comedy hip hop record “Cooky Puss,” which rapidly became a hit in New York underground dance clubs and nightclubs. The Beastie Boys threatened to sue for using the tune. British Airways paid them $40,000 in royalties right away. Schellenbach left when the Beastie Boys completed their move to hip hop. They performed with Madonna in 1985 and released their debut album, Licensed to Ill (1986), a year later, which was the first rap album to reach the top of the Billboard 200 chart. Paul’s Boutique (1989), which was nearly completely constructed of samples, was a commercial failure but earned critical acclaim later. Hello Nasty (1998), To the 5 Boroughs (2004), The Mix-Up (2007), and Hot Sauce Committee Part Two followed in the mainstream success of Check Your Head (1992) and Ill Communication.

Tougher Than Leather, a film directed by Rubin as a star vehicle for Run-D.M.C. and Def Jam Recordings, featured the Beastie Boys in 1988. Beastie Boys quit Def Jam and signed with Capitol Records when Def Jam stopped paying them for work they’d already done and were owed money for.

Paul’s Boutique, the Beastie Boys’ second album, was released on July 25, 1989. It was produced by the Dust Brothers and has been considered as an early work of experimental hip hop due to its varied samples. It didn’t sell as well as Licensed to Ill, peaking at number 14 on the US album charts, but it received critical recognition later on; Rolling Stone named it number 156 on their list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

From 1986 through 2004, the Beastie Boys sold 20 million records in the United States and had seven platinum albums. Since Billboard began tracking record sales in 1991, they have been the most successful rap group. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the third time in 2012. Yauch died of cancer in the same year, and the Beastie Boys split. Since then, the remaining two members have released a book and documentary film describing the group’s history, as well as a career-spanning compilation album.

Beastie Boys Discography

Hot Sauce Committee Part Two AppleYouTubeAmazon
The Mix-Up SpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
To the 5 Boroughs SpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Hello Nasty SpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Ill Communication SpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Check Your Head SpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Paul’s Boutique SpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon
Licensed to Ill SpotifyAppleYouTubeAmazon

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who Was The First Famous Beastie Boys?

The first famous Beastie Boys members were Mike D and Ad-Rock, who are still two of the most popular members of the band. They first gained notoriety in the early 1980s as part of the New York City hardcore punk scene. Their debut album, Licensed to Ill, was released in 1986 and became the best-selling rap album of all time. The Beastie Boys have gone on to release several more successful albums and are considered one of the most influential hip-hop groups of all time.

Who Was The First Singer Of Beastie Boys?

The answer is Mike D (real name Michael Diamond). He was the one who originally came up with the idea for the band, and he recruited Adam Yauch (MCA) and Adam Horovitz (Ad-Rock) to join him. Beastie Boys first album Licensed to Ill was released in 1986. Mike D is still the only original member still in the band; Yauch passed away in 2012 and Horovitz left in 2014.

Who Was A Famous Singer Of Beastie Boys?

Adam Yauch, also known by his stage name MCA, was a famous singer of Beastie Boys. He was born in Brooklyn, New York, on August 5th, 1964, and died on May 4th, 2012. Yauch was a part of Beastie Boys since the group’s formation in 1981. He served as the bassist and co-vocalist of the group. Yauch helped Beastie Boys achieve great success with their albums Licensed to Ill (1986), Paul’s Boutique (1989), Check Your Head (1992), Ill Communication (1994), and Hello Nasty (1998). He was also involved in many other projects outside of Beastie Boys, such as directing films and running his own record label. Yauch’s death was a great loss to the music community. He will always be remembered as a talented musician and a true pioneer in the rap and hip-hop genres.

Who Was The Beastie Boys Lead Singer?

Adam Yauch was the lead singer of Beastie Boys. He was also known as MCA. He passed away in 2012.

Most Searched For Beastie Boys Songs

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