THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

610-Beastie Boys-(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)

1987-Number 11 single.

Best Bit-At 0.07. Back of the net!!

The classic line up of the Beastie Boys was Michael ‘Mike D’ Diamond, (vocals, drums, and programming) Adam ‘Ad-Rock’ Horovitz, (vocals, and guitar) and Adam ‘MCA’ Yauch (1964-2012) (vocals, and bass.) Diamond had been part of an experimental ‘Hardcore Punk’ band called the ‘Young Aborigines,’ from 1978, and when one of the members dropped out, they were replaced by Adam Yauch in 1981, which was when the band changed their name to the ‘Beastie Boys,’ chosen by the then guitarist John Berry, (1963-2016.) Shortly after, Berry would leave the band, and be replaced by Adam Horovitz. This was the time that the Beastie Boys transitioned from ‘Punk,’ to ‘Rap/Rock,’ releasing their first ‘Hip-Hop’ single ‘Cooky Puss,’ in March 1983. It was also the final recording to feature their long term drummer Kate Schellenbach, as the band moved in a different direction. The trio would remain active through until the death of Adam Yauch in 2012, when the group was retired.

The discography of the Beastie Boys, who have sold in excess of 40 million records worldwide, includes eight studio Albums released between 1986-2011, and 40 singles released between 1983-2011, there are also five official compilation Albums available. In America the Beastie Boys were far more successful with their Album sales, than their singles, with Album sales in the States topping the 20 million mark, and four of their Albums reaching Number 1 on Billboard, with their debut studio Album ‘Licensed to Ill,’ in 1986 becoming the first ever ‘Rap’ Album to top the Billboard 200 Album chart. On Billboard three of their singles reached the top 40, with (‘You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!’) peaking the highest at Number 7. while in the UK, 13 of their singles have made the top 40, with ‘Intergalactic,’ from 1998, charting the highest at Number 5.

(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!) was the fourth of seven singles released from ‘Licensed to Ill,’ the debut studio Album by the Beastie Boys from November 1986, the song was co-written by Adam Yauch, Adam Horovitz, and Rick Rubin, with the songs production also being by Rubin. Rick Rubin (see also best songs 977-305 and 55) was born Frederick Jay Rubin, on March 10th, 1963, in Long Beach, New York, United States, he is considered to be one of the most influential music producers of all time. In 1984 Rubin co-founded the ‘Def Jam Recordings’ record label with the American entrepreneur, and writer Russell Simmons, and the pair helped to popularise ‘Hip-Hop’ music, with the signing of artists, including Run-DMC, (see also best songs 305 and 113) Public Enemy, (see also best songs 578 and 37) and LL Cool J. It was Rick Rubin who was the major player in the fusing of ‘Rap,’ and ‘Heavy Metal’ music, that invented the genre of ‘Rap/Rock,’ Rubin had brought together the ‘Hip-Hop’ group Run-DMC, and the ‘Rock’ group Aerosmith to achieve the first ‘Rap/Rock’ hit ‘Walk This Way’ in 1986 (see also best songs 305.)

(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!) lyrically, actually started out life as a joke, a ‘mickey’ take on what Adan Yauch called ‘Dumb Rock songs.’ The Beastie Boys recorded the vocals as a joke, and Rich Rubin added the loud drums, and the guitar track, continuing with the joke. The Beasties made a video where they played along with the drunken party boy image that this song had created. Soon the Beastie Boys were superstars, thanks to their new fan base, It is ironic that the song which made the Beastie Boys superstars, was thanks to the new ‘fan base’ they had set out to parody.

‘Don’t step out of this house if that’s the clothes you’re gonna wear. I’ll kick you out of my home, if you don’t cut that hair. Your mom busted in and said, what’s that noise? Aw, mom you’re just jealous, it’s the Beastie Boys. You gotta fight for your right to party.’