Band Wrote Song as a JOKE to MOCK Party Anthems…Became the DEFINITIVE Party Anthem-Professor of Rock

Coming up, we’ve got the story of three mischievous New Yorkers who disavowed one of the biggest songs… Mike D, Ad-Rock, and MCA otherwise known as the Beastie Boys hated (You Gotta Fight) for Your Right (to Party). This breakthrough track became a legendary music video on MTV but for all the wrong reasons. A rebellious party anthem they wrote to make fun of party anthems in general but in the end, it painted the trio as immature frat boys. But the thing is, it was all a big joke… a throwaway track. Their producer however loved it and pushed for its release. After that things got out of hand real quick with the song blowing up on radio and MTV. And yeah, these guys were no angels… but when fans demanded they live up to the song’s raucous lyrics, they turned their backs on the track… and License To Ill in general. It almost broke up the band. Still, fans couldn’t get enough of it. And even today it is one of their most popular songs. It’s an all-out brawl for this band’s identity and a fight you’re not gonna want to miss… NEXT on the Professor of Rock.
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Hey music junkies, Professor of Rock, always here to celebrate the greatest artists and the greatest songs of all time. If you remember monkeying with the rabbit ear on your TV set to get better reception as well as your antenna on your radio you’ll dig what we’re doing here make sure to subscribe below right now. Click the bell so you always know when our latest interviews are dropping. We also have a Patreon you'll want to check out. There you’ll find an additional catalog of exclusive content and you can even become an honorary producer to help us curate this music history.
I’m excited to return to another one of my favorite shows that we do on this channel. It’s called Breakthrough. In this show, we break down songs, albums, or events that kicked open the door to an artist or band’s career and gave them the momentum to rocket to long-term success. Today’s episode is such a funny story. Today we are taking a deep dive into a band we have never covered before and the song that exposed them to a massive audience. It’s the Beastie Boys with their party anthem hit (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)… a very rare Double parenthesis song.
All three members of the Beastie Boys came from a similar background. Adam Yauch, aka MCA, Mike Diamond, aka Mike D, and Adam Horovitz, aka King Adrock or just Ad-Rock… all grew up in New York City in the 60s and 70s. They all had parents involved with the creative arts. And they all were impacted by two rising genres: hip-hop & punk. New York punk bands, like their UK cousins, were determined to overthrow the status quo and included acts like the Ramones, the New York Dolls, Television, Talking Heads, and Blondie.
As punk bands competed to see who could play the fastest, the hardest, and loudest, a new underground genre known as hardcore emerged. And this was the musical world that the Beastie Boys started to explore in the New York club scene. Adam Yauch met early Beastie Boys member John Berry at a punk club called Tier 3. A couple days later, Berry brought his bandmate Mike Diamond with him. At that time, John and Mike played in a band called The Young Aborigines. Mike played drums, John played guitar, and Kate Schellenbach

[@ProfessorofRock]

Poll: What is your pick for the best music video of the 80s?

[@mournblade1066]

"Hungry Like the Wolf" by Duran Duran

[@stephenbrown4211]

Don’t come around here no more Tom Petty

[@SPak-rt2gb]

Land Of Confusion - Genesis

[@todmarks175]

Any one of those ZZ Top videos with the car.

[@chrisbird6996]

Hour Glass by Squeeze Sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel Was going to nominate N N Nineteen Not Out by The Commentators for the parody song poll before it was changed

[@liamstone3437]

I am an RN. Just this last Tuesday I was taking care of a woman with a bladder issue - she rings for assist every 30 minutes or so. It's aggravating for her and eveyone else. She said she had to potty so I started singing You gotta fight for your right to POTTY. She sang the last part with me. Sometimes you gotta find reasons to smile.

[@7000fps]

Has anyone heard the ORIGINAL "FIGHT" recording ? before rick rubin polished that turd.

[@MultiPleaser]

Is it as bad as the original I Love Rock n Roll the was fixed up by Joan Jett?

[@craighenry2351]

Wow, clever and just brilliant bedside manner.

[@ElementsUnknown]

Gen-X people with kids also sing that version of that song during potty training!

[@editboy23]

My son (who just turned 16) asked for this CD for his birthday. Not gonna lie, I was feeling pretty proud as a dad because he 1.likes the Beastie Boys and 2. asked for a CD. He's so retro lol

[@thing_under_the_stairs]

My 9 yr old niece has just discovered the Beastie Boys through having an older sister (and cool parents), and they're her favourite band now! She loves this song so much, even though she has no idea what a parody even is! (Or a p0rn0 mag, I hope!)🤣

[@endcensorship874]

Got a smart kid, he knows that actual physical media is where it's at.

[@riproar11]

If you're "not gonna lie", then you wouldn't have started your sentence with this.

[@dandydapple687]

@@riproar11 Google 'figure of speech'

[@CowGirlKat8691]

Our son has all his dad’s 8-track tapes & an 8-track tape player in his P/U!

[@seanarmstrong8460]

I remember in 1986 when the local college radio station DJ asked, “Will we still be listening to the Beastie Boys 30 years from now?” He was commenting then about the decline of pop music thinking of the Beatles and other bands we still dearly love today. He felt Fight for your Right was just a one-hit wonder

[@ProfessorofRock]

Ya... How wrong he was!

[@istankimjong-unbutcantstan3398]

people were always saying crap like that like they knew and spoke for the masses tastes. so glad they have been proven wrong miserably. the beatles don't get to be the only ones with lasting legacies.

[@istankimjong-unbutcantstan3398]

So glad he was. @@ProfessorofRock

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

He couldn’t have been further from the truth.

[@kcgunesq]

The thing is, he wasn't entirely wrong. There are definitely bands that i loved then, but couldn't stand now. And even just with the Beastie Boys, my guess is that 90%+ of current streams are 2-3 songs. On the other hand, there were bands from the 70's and 80's that as a teenager, i didn't really love, but are my favorites today. Some bands and styles have held up better than others.

[@romanwenger915]

I just graduated HS and heading into the military…it was a great song that embodied the all out energy of youth and having a good time. Lots of good times we’re had…so mission accomplished. I salute you BB!

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks for sharing and for your service!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Thank you for your service.

[@filmfx66]

As a kid of the 70's and 80's, I cannot get enough of this channel. I love your stories about being kid, reminds me of my youth as well.

[@daendiznigh]

Hell yeah 💯

[@misslora3896]

Me too. Born in 69'.

[@jimbautify]

Absolutely!

[@oldschoolcat2110]

My senior year in 1987 at my small high school, we had a lip sync competition for homecoming week. The underclass men did cutesy songs from the fifties but we did Fight for Your Right. We remade the video almost to a tee, including the pie in the face at the end. We brought the high school down. One of my best memories of my senior year.

[@retropyro]

Over a decade since we lost Adam Yauch, times going fast. His passing was a massive loss.

[@roadkillavenger1325]

The older you get, the quicker a year goes by

[@HazeGrayQM2]

MCA’s voice was awesome. I miss him.

[@EE-in7su]

I remember EXACTLY where I was when I heard.

[@cc1k435]

Hard to believe it's been that long. Even harder to believe he's gone. 😢

[@jessemasters1446]

The whole album is absolute gold. I know they apologized for it years later, but you have to see it as satire of the 80s

[@bartbluemusic]

"Fight For Your Right" is the song that put the Beastie Boys on my radar. Loved them ever since! I still like that song. :)

[@ProfessorofRock]

Same here! Thanks Bart!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

So do I.

[@istankimjong-unbutcantstan3398]

.... to their chagrin, hee hee.

[@bartbluemusic]

@@istankimjong-unbutcantstan3398 kind of like how I feel about your comment

[@toddgaak422]

I was 14 when this album came out. The fact that it's satire was lost on me for decades.

[@diamondbracelette]

Born In the USA. Fight For Your Right. O the Perils of doing progressive natured satire in the 80's.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Same here!

[@ProfessorofRock]

No kidding!

[@ryankelly9032]

@@diamondbraceletteI hate it when people play Born in the USA at Independence Day events. It makes it obvious that the person putting together the playlist didn’t actually listen to the songs.

[@phillippatryndal4255]

It's a parody, not satire... Parody is using something (a party song) to take the mickey out of itself... Satire is using one thing (music/song etc.) to take the mickey out of something else - (e.g. politics).

[@elevatedintuition]

I know they thought this was a novelty song, but it is a song that has different meanings for me throughout my life. When it first came out, it captured the rebellious nature of a young person pushing against social norms and the expectations of my parents and society as a whole. NOW, as a mom, I listen to this in my midlife crisis convertible after I drop my kiddos off for school and think about that youthful rebellion that I still have. It still gives me courage to buck the system and fight for joy in my life on MY terms. LOVE the Beasties. Wish I could unhear that Coldplay version.😜

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

I feel the same way.

[@user-gk4pt3ys4d]

Love how much insight and detail you put into each broadcast. It is a testament to your work ethic and love for music. You continue to give us knowledge about singers, bands, and the conception of songs that without your passion, we as casual music fans would never know. I am a historian. Before finding your channel I never considered the history of music. Thank you, and may God bless you for the joy and memories that you bring to thousands of people.

[@IronSikh44]

This song was right up there with You Shook Me All Night Long and Mony Mony whenever they came on at the high school dances or a house party. Everyone stopped what they were doing and yelled out the chorus! Great memories.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks for sharing!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

I would have joined in too!

[@dagrindzguy4250]

Back in my first year of college, for Speech class (I don't remember specifically what the assignment was), I orated this song in the style of a serious speech to my fellow students. It was so hard to maintain a straight face and not break character. It was the Friday immediately preceding the start of Spring Break!

[@Guante44]

As simplistic as it is, the opening riff is unmistakable. Was watching a young cover band several years ago at a beach bar and they rocked. They started to play their next song and one of the guys hit this riff. They stopped and were tuning guitars, etc. for a minute and I looked at my buddy and said “they’re about to do Fight for your Right.” They hadn’t done anything like that song the whole set. My buddy was like “no way. It was just one strum of the guitar.” A minute later, there came the riff again and then “kick it!” The crowd went nuts.

[@jmbzrx1200]

“That right was revoked…” 😂😂😂 License to Ill amazed me because it felt so corporate after hearing Paul’s Boutique. Listening through their albums always felt like a trip through their progression. Didn’t love every song on every album but only a few I remember skipping.

[@rogerdeahl9629]

❤ Love the beasties! MTV amd Friday Night Videos played this all the time! Shout out to Rick Rubin for his work on this. Thanks Professor! Have a great Thursday!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

They had to have played this on Fridays!

[@StevenEveral]

Ironically, this song shows how good the Beastie Boys were. They wrote a joke song and it STILL became a big hit. I'm personally more partial to their 90s material, but I appreciate the stuff they put out in the 80s.

[@eggsngritstn]

This is true. Even though their style was not refined, they had high standards of lyricism and song structure. "Sabotage" is probably my fave.

[@ProfessorofRock]

I agree!

[@ProfessorofRock]

Love it!

[@laurat1129]

It's a common theme in many of these stories that the hit comes when the artist doesn't care so much about it.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

They had some bops in the 90s.

[@user-dp4oo7ti3w]

Grew up in idaho falls, pocatello, and island park. late 80s and 90s..... cant think of a better place to grow up. thank you for the channel. enjoy your productions!!!

[@shanestewart4814]

I remember in elementary school one kid brought their boom box to school and was blasting out (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party) as we were outside in the field playing a game of kickball. Nice of the teacher to allow music as we had an outdoor "gym" time.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Love it! Great memory!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Awesome.

[@coachhumph5524]

That story with you and your dad in your driveway is about as good as it gets lol. That is so awesome. It should be a scene in a sitcom lol.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Ha ha. thanks for watching!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

I would have loved to be a fly on the wall that day.

[@deborahseaman8470]

I love what you are doing here, thank you ❤ I so miss my friends who are no longer around from that time in my life, so much fun!❤

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks!

[@lisa2stewart]

💙I think a lot of us are getting to the age where that's way too true.💙

[@ToddCotta]

1987 School bus coming home from a high school basketball game. EVERYONE was screaming this song as well as Paul Riviere. I know all of these songs by heart! Great video!

[@AwlDeigh]

Heck I’m 75 and I love this song,

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Rock on 🤘

[@kenbrown2808]

it was a great song and a great video. the fact it was done as a spoof on party anthems, makes it perfect.

[@ProfessorofRock]

I agree. A great ending to a great story!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

It’s a hilarious video.

[@jimbomb3893]

Oh gosh I love your story in the end. Your father "revoked that right"! That's fantastic

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Haha!

[@VinzClorthokeymasterofGozer]

I heard this tape for the first time in the 8th grade while helping a friend detail his 55 Chevy. I was instantly hooked. I was already into any rap I could get my ears around. I have bought and replaced their first four albums numerous times. They are the soundtrack of my life.

[@krjourneyfan78]

I never paid attention to this band or it’s genre. But I really enjoyed your story about them. I had a few good chuckles regarding the song and the video. 😁

[@endcensorship874]

I remember when I first heard this song, and how much I hated it! I thought these guys were posers of the worst order, and I took solace in the fact they would quickly be forgotten. But they weren't forgotten, were they? In fact their next album, Paul's Boutique, ended up being one of the best albums of the decade. I probably listen to at least one track somewhere along the way every day it seems. A gem of an album, absolutely amazing. Over time, these guys proved they were great artists.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Amen!

[@deborahseaman8470]

Me too! First thought, posers! Couldn't have been more wrong! One of my favorites!Love your post ❤

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Paul’s Boutique is highly underrated.

[@jeromethiel4323]

You aren't alone. Did not appreciate the BB until much later in life. They were a part of my teenage/young adult years whether i wanted them to be or not!

[@mambi74]

I got a chance to see them in concert in Central Park circa 2008/9. They're actually much better live!

[@user-og1rv6sr8e]

I think a lot more people got the satire than they thought. The party bros were just louder than the rest of us lol. It was such fun anthem song. They are musical geniuses that brought such a different sound. There will never be anything like them again!

[@ProfessorofRock]

I agree! Thanks for commenting!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

The Beasties just wanted to have fun!

[@CUtigerz97]

this came out my sophomore yr of HS right about the time my older friends were throwing house parties! This was a song you played to get any party kicked into gear! Their songs were great! An energetic, twist on rock and undeniably catchy. To this day instantly take me back to 1986!🍻

[@adamvink117]

I first saw the video on NBC's Friday Night Videos at a sleep-over. My life was changed. Fan since '87!

[@grimzadi2480]

The Beastie Boys are one of my favorite bands of all time. I was WRECKED when MCA passed away. This song was the first Beastie Boys song I heard and I was an instant fan. Paul's Boutique is my favorite Beastie Boys album.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks for sharing.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

I love Paul’s Boutique.

[@michellebowers8652]

Who can resist that incredible drum line? Brilliant song.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Exactly!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Right? Love the drum fills.

[@kevinolver39]

This song came out my last year in high school. I did then, and still do, LOVE IT!

[@christopherriley15]

Another stellar episode! Great job! Takes me right back to the premiere of this video on MTV! 🎶

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks!

[@christopherriley15]

So sad of Adam’s passing of course. Love your stories!

[@TokyoXtreme]

While I realize that this "frat boy" image is canonically regarded as "parody" by the band members, it is undeniable that they absolutely embodied the party boys persona throughout the entire supporting tour and all their interviews - that was them. Also consider the original title of the album.

[@JymDyer]

Every song on the album was a parody. If you knew the rap songs being parodied, they were clever and brilliant.

[@TokyoXtreme]

@@JymDyer So "Slow and Low", written by Run DMC, was a parody?

[@throwitatthewall6289]

Absolutely. They are full of shit. This was not satire. They loved the life and listen to the other songs as well. They are just trying to make themselves look better now that they are older

[@kirancourt]

Loved this one! My favorite part though is your personal story about you and your friends trying to raise hell...until your Dad came home. Still laughing about that! (And yeah, we all loved this one and jumped around on furniture, drank, and raised hell when we played it!)

[@ProfessorofRock]

Very cool! Ya we all thought were were so cool. Thanks for watching!

[@kirancourt]

@@ProfessorofRock I never miss an episode of your show! #Patreon!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

What a fun story.

[@KevyB1990]

Just love getting transported back to high school with this channel. The 80s were the best.

[@SeanGetsinger]

“COW TOWN OF BLACKFOOT IDAHO” Lol new respect brother. I grew up in IF just to the north. Love what you’re doing, keep up the good work!

[@TrixieCalhoun]

The Beastie Boys were the opening act for Madonna on the "Virgin" tour. My girlfriend and I were in a record store in Metro Detroit when my friend spotted the band a few aisles over. She kept "strolling" closer to eaves drop as they kicked up a conversation with a pretty blonde. 😂 A few days later, we were in the arena watching them perform. I have to admit, it took me a while to warm up to their music. I guess that was my closest brush to fame before they became truly famous.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks for sharing. Cool!

[@_Pauper_]

What store?

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Was it in 1984-85?

[@TrixieCalhoun]

​@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980Yes, my senior year of high school.

[@TrixieCalhoun]

​@@_Pauper_ Sorry, it's way too long ago to remember.

[@MyName-pl7zn]

Even though this song was just a goof on frat boys it is a blast to play loud at parties! Who couldn't relate to the lyrics of being young and rebellious. Beastie Boys may not like it but this song captures a rock party anthem. Great episode professor.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Same here!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

I totally relate to it.

[@istankimjong-unbutcantstan3398]

lesson: next time you wanna make fun of something with a song, be careful, it may end up blowing up as your best song of all time.

[@TheREALJosephTurner]

Always love it when Adam includes personal memories of him and his dad, but adding a memory where he actually got in trouble as a kid was a feature I didn't know I needed!

[@silverheadonyx]

When this song was first released I was 25 and working in a beverages factory. I used to go clubbing on my day off every week. Gosh I remember most of my friends n my gf too all loved it n we used to get many cool tunes from the radio stations that we'd tape on cassettes n then if we really loved them we'd buy the record! And I used to get so many videos too (BTW this one was hilarious!) on VHS cassettes mainly from MTV when it really showed nice music! Quite a difference if you compare with what you see nowadays! OMG I wish I had a time machine that would take me back to the 70's and the 80's 😅 Thanks a million Adam for letting us relive all those cool times, gr8 bands and wonderful music! Cheers *

[@ThePittsburghToddy]

Cookie Puss was the first time a heard the Beasties. I still have the 12” single! I was already a hip hop fan before License To Ill was released. That album gave the genre credibility as far as being commercially viable. Personally, I think Paul’s Boutique and Check Your Head were the Beasties’ very best. A side note, look at the License To Ill album in a mirror and check out the airplane’s tail number! (It reads “eat me”)!🖖🏼

[@ProfessorofRock]

I remember doing this as a kid! Thanks for the reminder... I had forgotten until now!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

I see it now! Thanks.

[@djmrjoel]

That was the name of our cabin at church camp that summer.

[@juliusfrauenglass2411]

Thaaat makes my all=time top m100 internet comments lol @@djmrjoel

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

Back in the Saddle Again Naturally!

[@280Zombie]

I remember asking my older sister's friend to dub me a copy of Licensed to Ill and that was my first cassette ever when I was like 8 back in probably 1987. Good stuff. My best friend at the time and I knew and sang every word to Paul Revere as that was our favorite... even if we didn't understand all the references at the time lol. Funny to think back on now. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

[@DanieVargas]

Adam… talking about messing with the antennas. My sister and I got a BRILLIANT idea (and others might have been doing this too) our stereo in our room got lousy reception. So we got the idea to amp up the reception on our stereo by creating an antenna extension with creating an 8 ft tube of Aluminum Foil that would attach to the antenna and then we fed the other end out one of our bedroom windows. IT WORKED PERFECTLY!! This was happening in 1981/82… PS - I was never a fan of the Beastie Boys.

[@keithcummings3260]

I missed hearing mention of their instrumental tracks/albums. Yeah their hip-hop tracks were catchy, but the instrumentals really shined (shone?). Such a completely underrated portion of their catalog.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Sorry... ran out of time!

[@keithcummings3260]

@@ProfessorofRock It's all good. You can mention them in a video down the road. As for the subject at hand, License to Ill was part of my 15 album intro package to the Columbia Record and Tape Club. Yeah...I'm THAT 80s! :-D

[@dinacarr2734]

Sabrosa. Sooo funky and smooth.

[@dranet47]

Yet another song that came out during my years at the record store in the mid 80s. Hard to believe, but years later my daughter was singing this with her middle school friends (ca. 2005 or so?). They all thought it was a new song. lol I have no idea how they found out about it.

[@ProfessorofRock]

It's crazy how old we're all getting!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Maybe from a hip teacher spotted blasting the song in the hallways.

[@jannettezarouhe]

My memory of this song is so similar! It was the last day of school picnic when I was in 5th grade, and somebody in my class had the bright idea of chucking our cans of Coca Cola Classic at the playground blacktop, where they blew up all over the place.

[@CostaRicaJack]

I loved them then and i love them still. I played them all weekend long and all night long for at least a year. I knew every song forward and backwards. Literally!

[@cycobern]

And they indeed NEVER performed this song live again!

[@ProfessorofRock]

No JOKE!

[@mutantryeff]

BOC wrote "She's as Beautiful as a Foot" to embarrass their 1st singer, but it sort of became a classic to the true fans.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Wow.

[@kat021171]

I remember how most of the kids in my high school just loved this song. But the thing that stands out is when a group from the drama class, including some that I was in the school play with that semester (Spring 1987) reworked the lyrics to be about high school life and our beloved vice-principal, with the "you've got to fight..." line reworked as "don't be late...or you'll...de-e-e-e-e-etention!"

[@tombeckner404]

The Ultimate party video! Every time I hear this I cant help smile! When my band covered it we would have our light and sound guys to spray Silly String on the audience and throw water ballons!

[@benshaton]

Did you know the Beastly Boys have a five part anthology? Parts A, B, C, & D are free, but you got to fight for the right to Part E!

[@ProfessorofRock]

Ha!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Oh. OOOOOHHHHH! 😝

[@wmdkitty]

Ugh, shut up and take my upvote.

[@bluecurlygirl]

I love this song. Always have.

[@ProfessorofRock]

YES!

[@heyitswesty]

one of my all-time favorite groups -- and of course this is the song that started it all for me when I was 12.

[@YesItsReallyKeith]

that boom box @4:00 was so popular back in the day !!! When it came out....Everybody wanted one !!! LOL !!

[@RC32Smiths01]

It's an absolutely raw powerhouse song, the tones and vocals just show that the Beasties Boys are absolutely legends in these genres. Hip Hop Rock is a rather awesome style of music, especially with the likes of Rage Against the Machine.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Amen!

[@RC32Smiths01]

@@ProfessorofRock Yeah!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

As a big fan of hip hop myself, I dig them.

[@johnpierce2095]

always liked no sleep till brooklyn , one of my fav by them

[@ProfessorofRock]

Such a great song. Did you see how they just used it ?

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Same here.

[@joermnyc]

Friend in college radio went to see them play Madison Square Garden about 23 years ago. She had general admission (floor) access . Got there early to stand right at the stage. The crowd was so raucous she got shoved against the barrier all night, wound up with bruised ribs. But she fought for her right to that spot and started fighting back and telling the security to let her stay there (since getting pulled out meant having to go all the way to the back). The band even stopped the show to tell people to back up several times. She got her way and saw the trio all the way to the end of the night! She worked at several record labels interning and did actually eventually meet all three, but not at the same time (a bunch of us actually met Ad-Rock at a gig his wife Kathleen Hanna was playing (with Le Tigre) in this tiny hole in the wall place on the Lower East Side called Brownies (don’t look for it, it’s long gone). Yeah, carrying around a camera on your phone and taking selfies wasn’t a thing back then.).

[@CowGirlKat8691]

As a 70’s HS days child BB’s weren’t on my radar. But love your videos & the trivia! ❤

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks for watching!

[@fivestring65ify]

This is a good one. They were funny guys, but they wrote catchy tunes.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Exactly!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Love the Beasties.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Poll: What is your pick for the greatest "PARODY" song of the rock era?

[@Lam_3-22-23]

I Wanna be a Cowboy - Boys Don't Cry Any Gal of Mine - Gino the New Guy

[@KenLieck]

"Metal Head" - Blotto!

[@thetitleisours1]

"I lost on Jeopardy" was a favorite of mine from Weird Al. With "Rye or the Kaiser" a close second. Honorable mention to "White and Nerdy"

[@RBS_]

....Am I the ONLY One who remembers the HUGENESS of, "Eat It"!?? ..ha-HAAA!!

[@Code.Name.V]

Not the rock era, but my favorites are: Flight Of The Conchords - Sugar Lumps Ylvis - Work It

[@cyncty666]

Don’t know if I ever mentioned on here but we had a radio station here in Hawaii called “Radio Free Hawaii”. It was amazing. The owner Norm Winter put ballot boxes all around the islands and collected votes for what people wanted to hear and also what people did not want to hear. Every week a record was sledged hammered forever off the airwaves. The Beastie Boys were in rotation but more for the other tracks. Brings back memories

[@GMad-sc4uk]

I’m 55 and I’m proud to say my 24 yr old son absolutely loves the BB’s!

[@eggsngritstn]

They made the true meaning known very early on, and I've chuckled ever since when people proclaim it's a great party song. It's kinda like "Every Breath You Take" as a love song, "Born In The USA" on Independence Day, or "I Will Always Love You" at a wedding. Not getting the real meaning.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Yep. Many have been fooled. I was.

[@eggsngritstn]

@@ProfessorofRock I am that critical few years older than you are. ;-)

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Don’t forget “White Wedding”

[@istankimjong-unbutcantstan3398]

Oh right, the song not meaning what it's title sounds like it means. The song that annoys the hell outta me regarding being said to mean something else then what it totally sounds like it means is "American Woman". I still get all "who are you trying to kid" with them saying it doesn't mean what the words mean. Perhaps they didn't intend it to mean that but THAT'S what it means!

[@istankimjong-unbutcantstan3398]

Well beasties, deal with it, your song has been commandeered to be a party anthem, hee hee.@@ProfessorofRock

[@AmyDaisy69]

My aunt introduced me to the Beastie Boys, and they are one of the few rap bands I actually like. Mostly because they do more than just rap, and are very musically diverse. I had the Cookie Puss tape that she gave me, it was something else. I still tear up when I listen to the Beastie Boys, MCA's passing was truly the end of an era.

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

This band are some of the coolest brothers I've known. They have been the hardest pale brothers you can ever find. My favorite song from them is She's On It! I even went to Adams funeral!

[@ProfessorofRock]

Dude you know everybody. Email me... Please.

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Sure Shot, So Whatcha Want, Intergalactic…

[@dinacarr2734]

Sabotage. Best BB video. Sure shot. Heck ya. Flute player here, so, yah. Intergalactic! Always great. Boomin Granny makes me laugh every time...."I saw yah in the checkout line..." Too many great ones to list. Anthology is a must have. I have my CD. Wanted to get it on vinyl. Went to local vinyl store and No Go!! Guy said it's not available. Not good. It needs to be re-released!!!

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

@@dinacarr2734 I can see 👀 if I can get one on vinyl. If I can I will ship 🚢 it at cost .Whatever I'll pass it to you for my cost.

[@constipatedinsincity4424]

@@dinacarr2734 Do you like Jethro Tull?

[@kyliepollert8341]

"(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)" by The Beastie Boys. And as for the "Glee" cover, while I never was a huge fan of the show, did they even get the surviving members' permission or even know the history behind the song? I bet Adam Yauch would be rolling over in his grave, if he heard that cover.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Ha ha! Good call!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Glee always loses with their versions.

[@istankimjong-unbutcantstan3398]

Nope, he's dead and cannot hear it.

[@georgemcflyerson3269]

I served on submarines in the US Navy. I served on USS JACKSONVILLE from 2002-2005. Every time the boat pulled into port, overseas or homeport, this song was always blasted once the ship was tied up (moored) to the pier.

[@pauljs75]

Figured out who it was not even more than a minute into it. And that was some nostalgia for sure. Also isn't it crazy how Rick is like a homing missile for platinum hits, whether the artist behind it likes it or not?

[@DC8091]

Joke or not, ya just gotta love this simple punk metal song (& Kerry King rules on it)!!! Talk about a song to crank up the volume, grab a bottle of Jack & beer to, by god is this a classic! 🍻🍻🍻🥃🥃🥃🤘🤘

[@ProfessorofRock]

Amen! I love it!

[@DC8091]

@@ProfessorofRock Old Crow Medicine Show just did an AWESOME cover of this recently!!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

All about having fun.

[@DC8091]

@@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980 damn right!! 🍻

[@SHARKVADERS]

P O R ! ! ! ! ! ! !

[@lyricalxpresser6716]

Beastie Boys Wow! So much history here for me, my elder brother introduced me to them along with 2 Live Crew ( Found out a few years ago, that one member was from Trinidad, who also passed away). We got the cassette and played that loud when our mother was not home. This band remained a constant in my life. Not many people in Trinidad like them but it was great to be part of two different bands that loved them as well! I performed Fight once with my band Broken Mirroz, I also wrote about 3 songs dedicated to their influence on me, 2 Da Beasties, Da Funki Roc Jam and Rap. None of these are recorded but plays in my head, I always thinkt somehow I would get the opportunity to work with them ! Also the first CD I own is Check Your Head, which was given to me in 1992 by a potential girlfriend of my same brother, she got it from a relative of hers who worked at a radio station they visited during their promotion for that album. This prompted me to purchase my first CD player which I had to pay for in installments. I still have that Cd.

[@vbhall3407]

Lmao..I love the line " it made you think you were cooler than you really was". That is spot on my friend..

[@ReedEzra]

Heard this for the first time in 1986 while cruising around with my buddy in his truck. We both started screaming out the lyrics and laughing all the way through.

[@randytessman6750]

Actually knew most of this story already, was lucky enough to see then in NYC in late 84. There visiting and friend took me to a club and they were third set and blew me away.

[@ProfessorofRock]

Very cool!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

Wow.

[@Inmatesixdoublefive321]

My best friend had this on cassette and we drove her parents crazy with it. 😂

[@richardlthomas1180]

Wow such a good song by the beastie boys this was great times and memories you rock professor because almost all the songs you review brings back good,bad and bittersweet memories and moments it's always good though remembering songs people and stuff of years gone by

[@MrDubyadee1]

In the mid to late 1980’s I was working in New York. On my morning commute I’d listen to Howard Stern - back when he really was shocking. Howard could normally handle/out do any guest he had on, but one morning he had the Beastie Boys in his studio. They took over. Howard couldn’t keep or regain control. It was hilarious . One of his best shows.

[@philosophyze]

I grew up during that era. 6th or 7th grade in the late 1980/early 1990s. I grew up overseas in a community with a very strict music policy (so were primed to be rebellious) but a friend's parents allowed him to bring over music from north america and he brought ALL the best music (including Beastie Boys "License To Ill") on cassette tapes. I was spoiled! I've barely paid attention to anything newer than the 1990s.

[@BrianJordan]

Licensed to Ill was the first cassette that I ever bought with my own money. My parents owned a Radio Shack & they sold cassettes. I wanted something new to listen to, and my mom told me that if I had the money she would give it to me. I pulled out my money and looked through all the cassettes they had for sell. I narrowed it down between Ill & Poison's "Look What The Cat Dragged In". Needless to say I picked Ill! I still love listening to them, and even my teen daughter loves listening to Brass Monkey!

[@k.drummond9300]

I waited for the Professor to provide the much anticipated song title a minute or so into the video. KZbin wasn't going to wait that long. YT pushed a Travis Kelce ad before the POR video. Creepy algorithm, but it makes sense.

[@robertcreighton4635]

From one of the 1st albums I bought as a kid in the 80s. Everyone at school went crazy for this song 🎵

[@TheProCut17]

nicely done as always

[@rabby-u]

Wow, now I look at the Beastie Boys in a different light. Thanks Prof!❤🙏🤘

[@ProfessorofRock]

Rock on!

[@johnn.2017]

I always liked them but when Hello Nasty came out i bought the CD and listened to it on repeat for days!

[@TioMostFrio]

I was today years old when I found out that this song released in 1986. I remember hearing this song for the first time in the late 90s thinking it was just a few years old not over a decade old. Just gives me a new respect and appreciation for the Beastie Boys.

[@Uncrushed04]

Isn't that what a good song is? You put it on for the laugh, and everyone enjoys the role playing so much that they're serious by the end.

[@thebluestig2654]

I wore that cassette out in my walkman, memorized every song, and still know all the lyrics to this day.

[@kfemme68]

This song came out the year I graduated high school and though it wasn't my normal style, I definitely remember blasting it in my 80 Dodge Aspen (that used to be a state car so it was trashed long before I got it). I can remember turning this up, with the windows down speeding down the back roads near where I lived just feeling like nobody would ever understand what I went through with my family. This song and Twisted Sister and a few other rebel songs that weren't my usual M.O. for music were what I used when I had to get some of the rage out from how I was treated (I wasn't your typical rebel, I didn't do anything that could get me in trouble where anyone could see. This meant that I didn't go to any of the parties that were happening when I was in high school or for that matter, college.) Anyway because of all of these things, I never analyzed the song or looked at it as anything more than something to sing at the top of my lungs every once in awhile when I need to scratch a rebellious itch. So long live rebels and music, all music! 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@flavellinator]

Spring Break of '87 in Palm Springs, this song was EVERYWHERE. Partyers were going nuts over it... I remember Dominos was trying to set some kind of world record for most pizzas made in one day, and they were going up to each car and every pool, and selling them for 5 bucks each.... Good times!

[@ProfessorofRock]

Thanks Flave!

[@xxlilly_playsxxkiz9980]

They were fighting for their right to pizza party 🍕

[@pablov1973]

I played that song to my cousin and blew his mind, he was 14 and all what he said was "Wow!!!" while he was eyes wide opened and shining.

[@tstan6827]

I was the only kid in my high school, as a Junior on March 24, 1987, to see the Beastie Boys live on a Wednesday night. The Licensed to Ill Tour was pretty entertaining. Fishbone and Murphy's Law opened for them. Very few people were interested in those two, as everybody wanted to watch the Beasties. Not sure how my uptight grandma allowed me to go, let alone even drove both ways. RIP Toledo Sports Arena (Toledo, Ohio). Wearing that WHITE concert T-shirt to school the next day definitely got me attention from a bunch of kids who never spoke before. LOL. I couldn't hear most of them, because my ears were ringing most of the day!

[@dalailalai6335]

I saw them at a club called The Ritz on 11th street in New York City. We went to see Murphy’s Law who were a local band. Went back the next night to see Bad Brains and met met Ian and Billy from The Cult. Super nice guys. The Beasties had the girl in the cage for that tour. “Eloise, Ladies and Gentleman”. Those might have been the best two nights ever.

[@rollingthunder9579]

I often remember Guns and Roses' success with Appetite for Destruction as the first sign of the pendulum swinging from early eighties pop and airbrushed hairmetal back towards the gritty tattooed rock n roll rebellion which would end up dominating the next decade, , but this video has reminded me that the first refreshing sign of a sea change was Fight For Your Right's massive success. I remember loving the riff, the chorus, and the Spinal Tap- like lyrics, which simultaneously came across as a parody but also a celebration. The Guardian at the time epitomised the mainstream snobbery towards rock when they described Beastie Boys' as having " retrograde" attitudes, but the newspaper also recognised that they constituted a kind of rebellion against the prevailing pop attitudes of the time

[@lavernesmithson1792]

Loved License to Ill. No Sleep Till Brooklyn was our unofficial baseball team song, we replaced the word Brooklyn with South Gifford, a town some of my high school teammates lived in, that just seemed to fit.