Daily album for August 15, 2026 Licensed to Ill by Beastie Boys (1986)

Where to listen

If your preferred streaming platform doesn't have the album, try searching for it on YouTube.
Cover art for Licensed to Ill

Genres

  • east coast hip hop
  • hip hop
  • progressive
  • rap rock

Licensed to Ill is the debut studio album by the American hip-hop group Beastie Boys, released on November 15, 1986, by Def Jam and Columbia Records. The album became the first rap LP to top the Billboard 200 chart, and was the second rap album to be certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). It is one of Columbia Records' fastest-selling debut records to date and was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2015 for shipping over ten million copies in the United States. The album received critical acclaim for its unique musical style, chemistry between the group members, and their stylized rapping. Since its release, Licensed to Ill has been ranked by critics as one of the greatest hip-hop and debut albums of all time.

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