Beastie Boys' perennial debut album Licensed To Ill was the first hip hop album to top the Billboard 200 chart and has been diamond-certified by the RIAA for selling over 10 million copies. Released in November 1986, it features classic Beastie anthems, including "Hold It Now, Hit It," "Brass Monkey," "No Sleep Till Brooklyn," and the MTV staple "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right To Party." (Def Jam Recordings)

The joke of Licensed to Ill's cover--that the Beasties could crash their jet into the side of a mountain and keep on tickin'--serves as a good metaphor for a career that even some of their 1986 admirers thought might be over after the one-time-only shock of this full-length debut. That thousands of funk-junkie wannabes have since failed at re-creating its groove, breaking-the-law vibe, and ear-splitting mix of rock and rap is an even better joke. And funniest of all is the record itself, which packs dexterous boasts, aural puns, and lots and lots of yelling into a disc that can still be listened to with as much pleasure as it gave in '86. --Rickey Wright