The Beastie Boys’ debut studio album Licensed to Ill is celebrating 31 years. Hands down Licensed to Ill is one of my favorite albums, I even have it on vinyl. Licensed to Ill made history as the first rap LP to top the Billboard album chart. The album went platinum and in 2015 went diamond. The biggest hits from the album are Brass Monkey, No Sleep till Brooklyn and of course (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!). To honor the iconic album here are three of my favorite songs.

Top 5: Licensed to Ill

I’ve always been a fan of the Beastie Boys but it wasn’t until a few years that I feel in love with their groundbreaking album, Licensed to Ill. 30 years ago this week (November 15th) 3 white boys from NYC would change rap music. The Beastie Boys sampled rock bands like Led Zeppelin and put out music that was fun and non-threatening, which is opposite of how many view hip-hop. In honor of the 30th anniversary of Licensed to Ill, I’m sharing my 5 favorite songs from the album.