Even ten years after the death of band member Adam “MCA” Yauch on May 4, 2012 and the subsequent dissolution in the same year, the Beastie Boys are still an object of fascination: At the end of 2018, the “Beastie Boys Book” was published, literally a big one Book about the band, followed in spring 2020 by a documentary about the band produced for Apple TV+. It is titled “Beastie Boys Story”; It was directed by none other than Spike Jonze, who himself shot some music videos for the Beastie Boys, including the legendary clip for the song “Sabotage”.
The New York hip-hop pioneers have released eight albums in total: the first was LICENSED TO ILL in 1986 and the last was HOT SAUCE COMMITTEE PART TWO in 2011. Here are the five most successful Beastie Boys albums by official sales in the US Billboard charts, put together for you.
5. PAUL’S BOUTIQUE (1989)
It is probably the monolith in the band’s work: PAUL’S BOUTIQUE, the second album by the Beastie Boys, is not only a child of the so-called “Golden Age” of hip-hop, but also represents a significant further development for the band. PAUL’S BOUTIQUE is literally bubbling up ideas, the sound is innovative, experimental and groovy. The fact that the music is almost based on samples – that was still possible in the late 80s – is probably the only sign of the times, as the album otherwise sounds timeless. After the catchy LICENSED TO ILL, however, many obviously felt overwhelmed by the more progressive PAUL’S BOUTIQUE.
When it was released in 1989, the album only reached number 28 in the German charts and number 14 in the US charts – and was therefore considered a box office flop. However, over the years, PAUL’S BOUTIQUE has been a steady seller, going platinum in 1995 and then going double platinum in the US in 1999, ten years after its original release. That means two million units sold in the US.
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4. CHECK YOUR HEAD (1992)
After the sample madness of PAUL’S BOUTIQUE, the Beastie Boys returned to their punk roots on CHECK YOUR HEAD and recorded most of the instrumentals themselves. The result has been a heavier and stylistically rich album in which the band dabbles in different styles of rock and rap. CHECK YOUR HEAD is probably the band’s most guitar-heavy and certainly rockiest album, particularly audible in the rap-rock song “So What’cha Want”, which the band also released as a single at the time:
While CHECK YOUR HEAD only peaked at number 10 on the US album charts when it was originally released, it has continued to sell consistently well in the years since, earning it double platinum status in 1998, which means more than two million units sold in the US. Overall, CHECK YOUR HEAD stayed on the Billboard charts for 36 weeks.
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3.ILL COMMUNICATION (1994)
It is certainly the band’s most versatile album: ILL COMMUNICATION shows a band at the height of their creative work, is sprawling between noisy rap rock like on “Sabotage”, instrumental jazz interludes like “Sabrosa”, Beastie Boys-typical hip-hop tracks like “Sure Shot” or short punk interludes like “Tough Guy”.
The numerous influences on ILL COMMUNICATION between hip hop, rock, jazz and funk make this album an interesting album, especially for beginners, as it shows the band in their entire musical range. ILL COMMUNICATION reached #1 on the US Billboard charts and holds triple platinum status there, meaning the album has sold at least three million copies. In Germany, ILL COMMUNICATION achieved a respectable eleventh place.
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2. HELLO NASTY (1998)
The only Beastie Boys album that ever made it to number 1 in Germany. HELLO NASTY was one of the mega sellers at the end of the 90s, not only boasting a great overall concept, but also an absolute Übersingle: “Intergalactic” was a worldwide hit, which not least because of its music video shaped the zeitgeist of the late 90s and became part of pop culture is.
But HELLO NASTY didn’t only reach number 1 in Germany: the album also reached number 1 in the US Billboard charts in the US. In the States, HELLO NASTY holds triple platinum status, representing 3 million units sold in the US.
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The follow-up, TO THE 5 BOROUGHS from 2004, also went to number 1 in the US album charts, but only stayed there briefly and only achieved single platinum. In Germany, TO THE 5 BOROUGHS, just like HOT SAUCE COMMITTEE PART TWO from 2011, reached number 3 in the album charts.
1. LICENSED TO ILL (1986)
The debut that made them global stars: With LICENSED TO ILL, the Beastie Boys reached number 1 in the US album charts; in Germany, the album reached number 23. In 2015, LICENSED TO ILL received a very special certification: That same year, the Beastie Boys debut work received diamond status in the USA, what so much means like a tenfold platinum certification, which in turn means that the album has sold more than 10 million units in the US.
LICENSED TO ILL is by far the band’s best-selling album and spent a whopping 152 weeks on the Billboard charts. That’s not surprising, since this record contains hits like “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)” and “No Sleep Till Brooklyn”.
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