I love The Beastie Boys. In fact, I’ve been listening to them so much lately that instead of wracking my brain and coming up with a really clever, insightful post, I’m doing The List on my favorite Beastie Boys tracks, merely so I can listen to more Beastie Boys. Complaints? Got a track that I’m missing? Let me know!

10) Shake Your Rump

I’ll take this song strictly on the funky bass sample and the quick shout out from the Funky 4 + 1 (It’s the joint!)

9) Three MC’s & One DJ

Off what I consider their last solid record in their prime, The Beastie Boys team up with wonder-DJ Mix Master Mike on this fun cut. I remember blasting this in my old car with my little sisters, age 8 and 6 in the back seat yelling “3 MC’S AND ONE DJ!”

So Whatcha Want?

On Check Your Head, The Beasties took rap/rock to the next level, playing virtually everything on the record themselves as opposed to using samples. There’s shout outs to Spoonie Gee, and the guitar line over “you can’t front on this” is just straight gnarly.

7) Sabotage

For the video, alone, it makes the list. I love this because it totally harkens back to their early days dabbling in NYC hardcore before they discovered hip hop. It’s like hardcore, but with soul?

6) No Sleep Till Brooklyn

Probably some of my favorite lyrical work on this one off License To Ill. Just a straight up, hard beat with their trademark funny, non-sensical musings over Rick Rubin’s production and Kerry King’s legendary guitar solo (Slayer) Classic.

5) Rhymin’ & Stealin’

When The Levee Breaks & Sweet Leaf together on the same track? Good thing they did it before anyone caught on to how much money can be made off of suing over samples. There’s no way this record could get made today. Such a bad ass track though.

4) Paul Revere

Speaking of fun, non-sensical rhyming, Paul Revere is also right up there. The weird wind-like sample and the typical braggadocio of this era of the Beasties make this track cook. I’ve also been known to say “My name is Newsboy and I get respect. Your cash and your jewelery is what I expect”.

3) Gratitude

Another awesome video (aping Pink Floyd Live At Pompeii) with a ridiculously heavy bass line backed up with some funky wah wah and Ad-Rock’s squeeling vocals. Can’t ever stop listening to this.

2) High Plains Drifter

Cowboy imagery and a weird, almost laid back sound. It’s why I named my Metro Daily column High Plains Drifter.

1) Looking Down The Barrel Of A Gun

So loud, nasty, gnarly and gangster. Doesn’t get better, for me at least. Son of a gun, son of a bitch, gettin’ paid, gettin’ rich.

JC/NB

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