To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Ill Communication, it’s Beastie Boys ranked. So let’s line up all eight studio albums, shall we?
By “we” I mean “me.” I’m Adam 12, ranker of records and songs here at ROCK 92.9, keeper of rock star birthdays and album anniversaries. I’m on the air weekdays from 11 a.m. ’til 4 p.m., Eastern Time. You can listen here.
I’m also a Gen Xer. Born in the late ’70s, raised in the ’80s, came of age in the ’90s. I actually started high school in 1991 and graduated from college in 1999. So the decade of the ’90s is where I spent my formative years, musically.
Beastie Boys Ranked: Coming of Age
I’m sharing all this by way of establishing my credibility. I grew up listening to the Beastie Boys. I own all of their albums and most of their EPs. I even have MCA’s hardcore side project, Dead Fucking Last, on 7″. He plays bass, of course.
For years, their 1992 album Check Your Head has not only been my favorite Beastie Boys album, but the one I believe to be their best. But now that I’ve gone back to Ill Communication at the 30-year mark, I’m changing my tune.
Beastie Boys Ranked: All 8 LPs, From Great to Greatest
The disclaimer, of course: all Beastie Boys albums are great. This isn’t a diss track in record-ranking form. This is just my take on a discography that shows a tremendous amount of growth and showcases an insane variety of styles over 8 LPs.
So let’s dive in, starting at the top. Sure, starting at the bottom would do a better job of building suspense. But I pretty much told you up front which album is No. 1. And I’m all about respect.
