With the untimely passing of Adam Yauch (aka MCA) last week, many Beastie Boys fans have been reminiscing about their favorite songs, videos, and moments from the innovative hip hop trio.
As a tribute to Adam, and the Beasties’ impressive body of work, we’ve compiled our favorite videos of the Beastie Boys from the last 25 years.
And fittingly enough, or first selection is the Beastie Boys on American Bandstand performing “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party)” in 1987:
Their classic 1994 video “Sabotage” was directed by Spike Jonze. The video is a tongue-in-cheek homage to 70′s cop shows, and the song itself relies heavily on the Beasties’ hardcore-punk roots. MCA even played bass guitar on the track. Crank this:
“Hello Nasty” is an album that has aged very well, due in large part to awesome songs like “Intergalactic”. The video features the Beastie Boys fighting an atomic squid creature from inside a giant robot. Nerds rejoice:
“Sure Shot” is another classic off of 1994′s “Ill Communication”. The song’s chorus is a thinly veiled tribute to fellow hip hop pioneers A Tribe Called Quest:
Their sophomore album “Paul’s Boutique” was largely ignored by critics and audiences when it was first released in 1989. In the subsequent 20 years, however, the album has become a cult-classic hailed for ingenious tracks like “Hey Ladies”:
“Three MC’s and One DJ” is another tight gem off of “Hello Nasty”. The song is a boastful shout-out to the trio’s DJ, Mix Master Mike. And yes, Mix Master Mike appears to be dressed as a Ghostbuster at the beginning of the video:
Another example of their punk origins, “Gratitude” features the Beastie Boys picking up their instruments and delivering an intriguing mixture of grunge, alt-rock, hip hop and funk. And once again, MCA delivers a killer bass riff:
Fatboy Slim provided the remix for “Body Movin’” off of “Hello Nasty”. The video features the Beastie Boys at their best (which basically means playing numerous parts in absurd costumes). And we wouldn’t have it any other way:
From their latest album “Hot Sauce Committee Part Two” comes the infectious “Make Some Noise”. Directed by Adam Yauch himself, the video doesn’t actually feature any of the Beastie Boys (technically). Instead, Seth Rogan, Danny McBride and Elijah Wood portray younger versions of the Boys as they appeared in the mid-eighties. Jack Black, Will Ferrell, and John C. Reilly play their older counterparts (who emerge from a time-travelling DeLorean, of course.) The video is also replete with celebrity cameos. Enjoy!:
Posted on May 8th, 2012