Beastie Boys Perform "Sabotage" | Letterman

Listen all y'all...
(From "Late Show," air date: 8/4/94)
#beastieboys #sabotage #letterman
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Welcome to the Letterman KZbin Channel, home to all your favorite clips from Late Night and Late Show - as well as conversations with the writers, producers and performers who helped make it all happen. These highlights have been artisanally-produced, carefully-curated, and chosen completely at random by an old computer that used to pick numbers for the New York Lotto back in the 90’s.

[@RobertSlover]

This is a perfect example of a live performance that bests the studio cut due to the irreplaceable force of live spontaneous raw energy.

[@lez_ghozt]

word salad

[@RobertSlover]

@@lez_ghozt salad's good for ya eat up bozo.

[@nickcharnley19]

if you can do this live , you are legit

[@Hylebos75]

@@lez_ghozt Just because you lack the comprehension of what's been said doesn't mean it's not right, ex deeee

[@Astral8expl]

Exactly when your smashing the cymbal from the bottom like a Louisville slugger with the bases loaded gets your attention

[@HisVirusness]

Probably one of the best live versions of the song.

[@robinblackmoor8732]

"Probably"? Where is the better version?

[@Ixnatifual]

@@robinblackmoor8732 There probably isn't a better one.

[@luispiros]

It’s close to the record sound.

[@CastilloinaSpeedo]

Probably one of the best live versions of any song.

[@coopsawright7225]

really hotshot ? why don't ya post da lyrics then seeing as ya luv it so much !

[@neckmangler]

One base lick, a two note guitar solo, and some beats and almost 30 uears later it still hold up!!!🎉😊

[@MyPalJimbo]

Simplicity is often best

[@jb5546]

One Base lick and one bass lick. Both awesome!

[@clonmult]

Timeless. This is timeless.

[@RighteousBrother]

I think thats precisely why it holds up!

[@jimmythx1]

I was thinking this exact same thing , it's one of the sickest beats of all time

[@napoearth]

I love this because it's true to their rap fame but also to their punk beginnings.

[@travisthornton1792]

I stayed up late to watch this when it first aired. I recorded it to VHS and watched it over and over again. I was 13 years old. Still love it!

[@untipocualquiera2203]

Wonder if you sell it

[@codyduncan5414]

​@@untipocualquiera2203 81 was a fine year to be born. I missed the show though

[@andrewpetermilner]

Same here!

[@barbeariaandre4083]

Em que ano foi isso amigo,eu ouvi muito eles no final dos anos 90 treinando break sou de 83

[@SantiagoRodriguez-yy2dl]

​@@barbeariaandre4083Foi no 1994 cara. Época que ainda se fazia musica

[@shedflips]

What a lucky live audience, they got their faces melted off with that performance. BRAVO!

[@dillpickle9550]

Hardest G# chord of all time.

[@chadflyte8155]

Only the song is in f# minor...lol

[@chiarosuburekeni9325]

I love songs that pull off magic with one chord. It’s fascinating actually

[@MrGary10k]

@chiarosuburekeni9325 Lou Reed once said 3 chords and you're getting into jazz 😆

[@InnerCityOrganicz]

Def in the all-time top 10 for me 🔥🔥🔥🤘🤘

[@renatocipelli3361]

New metal influences

[@curtislindsey1736]

ICONIC performance!!!🤘🤘🤘

[@vigilantpropertycaretaking5348]

Echo that brother!!!

[@paulminorproductions]

Never thought about how unusual it is for a Beastie song to feature just one singer. Also I love how Money Mark gives Paul Shaffer a warm gesture at the end for letting him play his keyboard.

[@wjamyers]

I THOUGHT that's who that was, thanks for confirming!

[@eltedioso]

"Gratitude" is another one similar to this, with Ad-Rock doing his high-pitched rock singer thing.

[@garryiglesias4074]

@@eltedioso And the Pink Floyd tribute... I love Gratitude too... That bass riff is HEAVY, greasy, groovy...

[@SportwoodM]

Ad Rock! Killin' $hit wit a smile!

[@signoguns8501]

@@garryiglesias4074 its pure filth

[@cactaceous]

Yauch with his hat, Free Tibet sticker on his amp and chest bump requests… what a legend. Still missed!

[@nazfrde]

Yeah

[@davidmack4495]

I'm telling you.....one of the best live performances on a talk show EVER!!!!!

[@joshuaizzo8893]

One of the best bass solos of all time. RIP my hero MCA

[@maud3444]

Epic performance of this song... will never get tired of this version. This song is perfection! The vocals, the drums, the keyboards, the guitar, the record scratching and that absolutely sick bass !!! RIP Adam

[@justinnoble6506]

Lifetime Beastie fan…this live performance is a freakin mind blow

[@SuperJNG18]

Lost my voice for a week trying to sing along with this in college. Worth it.

[@alextaylor3815]

It’s been 10,813 days since this aired on tv and it never gets old😊

[@toriesepahmd6468]

Epic. One of the best live TV performances. I was lucky enough to catch it back in the day when TV was live. Still get goosebumps watching this. RIP Adam Yauch. A legend.

[@jmoriarty8000]

Idk about that, this isn’t that great

[@JimmyDropout]

Same here! Watched it on TV when it aired. I'm from Italy but at the time I was on vacation in Finland with my parents. Still remember catching it from my hotel room!

[@KlausKokholmPetersen]

They were an amazing liveband! I was lucky enough to see them perform twice.

[@666Eva]

Saw them once....1993 in Munich. Will NEVER forget how great they were

[@zizoumonk10]

Was gonna see them in 2000 with Rage before Mike D broke his arm and your cancelled

[@emceeboogieboots1608]

Big Day Out in Perth for me. So fkn good!

[@KlausKokholmPetersen]

KB-hallen in '95 (legendary venue in Copenhagen) and Roskilde Festival in the early 2000s

[@thefunshow2024]

I don't often listen to The Beastie Boys, but when I do, so does the neighborhood!

[@rulnacco]

In my neighborhood, we'd be damn grateful, brother.

[@MrDBcooper77]

😂

[@mariaarnold7841]

❤❤❤

[@richsackett3423]

Legendary performance. Nice to see it posted legit.

[@YodatheHobbit]

LIVE rap and hip hop is honestly THE BEST when it's performed with live instruments. I love it. Plus this song is like literally one chord, YET IT WORKS!

[@richardyoon4209]

Adam Yauch, aka MCA, trying to do a chest bump with Dave at the end of the song. LOL

[@gustavosaliola]

SOLID piece of music. Huge performance. The world is a better place thanks to Beastie Boys + Spike Jonze.

[@johncornell3665]

Such a great band and song. Beastie Boys rocked

[@OMGWTFLOLSMH]

This performance never gets old.

[@greyhoundfivemedia812]

KUDOS to the graphics department for getting the Sabotage video logo into the thumbnail. I know it was a struggle, and it was well worth it!

[@luispiros]

Nice observation of detail.

[@tomsdr1851]

Timeless and SUPERDELUXE !!❤❤

[@hisvorpalsword]

A masterclass in how to rock a single chord.

[@iPaulie3000]

Still 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 after all these years.

[@PropaneWP]

Their sound around this time was amazing. The organ and the drums... And of course DJ Hurricane.

[@MrGenexxx]

Upload more of these iconic live performances please! The channel would skyrocket!

[@RayEttler]

no it wouldn't 20yr olds dont give a f

[@violinmiata]

Totally remember watching this live as a teenager on a tube tv. One of the greatest moments on letterman 😊

[@Arieeeee]

So nice to have the official, full quality version of this performance on here! This has to be the absolute best live performance of a song I've seen on TV. I actually like this version better than the studio recorded album version because it has even more energy! I always liked the Beastie Boys but for some reason really got into them during the COVID lockdowns and would listen to them nonstop because their energy was helping me with anxiety of all the stuff that was going on and later dealing with my late father's health problems and so I'd put on my Beastie Boys playlist and go for long bike rides but I'd make sure and have Sabotage in the mix more than the other songs! It's a masterpiece.

[@scottd1903]

Very few bands/groups/singers/rappers sound just as good live as on album. BB is definitely one

[@nataliepeak9504]

This is a great release by letterman. The video quality is only superseded by the lights out beasties! Iconic and bombastic beats

[@Vb98765]

love the fact that Hurricane is wearing a shirt with his own face on it

[@daddynitro199]

The podcast “60 Songs that Explain the 90s” did an episode about this song. Lots of background info on the band.

[@neoscylax]

I will never get bored of watching this performance of Sabotage. Such a great song and it’s so fun to play too 🥁

[@RogerPeet]

One hundred thumbs up ! If a band can play, live, on national TV and sound that good.

[@Moosecannonreal]

Been waiting for this one! One of the best performances of all time

[@ryanwarren2970]

Thanks for combining the performance with the Letterman talking bookends. Good archive.

[@Lantanana]

They can play their own music!!!! Awesome!

[@davidpalay361]

Maybe the best musical performance in the history of the show

[@diegomelendez9918]

Legends of a live performance....cant replicate

[@pdxpete48]

Letterman had some of the best musical guests.

[@Ryan_D542]

Peak Beastie; Grand Royal label in the mid to late 90s had some of the best in the NY music scene. Three years later the Boys are headlining the Tibetan Freedom Concert.

[@kevinproulx9137]

Love the Beastie Boys (Music is timeless And this song still rocks) ❤️🤘🎤🎸🪕🥁🍻

[@oscarthegrouch8992]

This could be the best live tv performance ever 📺

[@seanabrams6570]

Another reason why the 90’s was just Awesome!!!

[@rafavdl]

This is pure gold

[@lostnthenoise]

They were great at Lollapalooza that year!

[@ernestodeavila8076]

One Chord guitar mastery

[@JP-gw9ts]

Wow! They were so good live!

[@user-ki3tv2pt2z]

Probably the greatest live music performance on tv ever, of any song.

[@MarceloLaraM]

This is precious

[@firebrand36]

MCA: “We don’t shake, BROTHERS HUG.”

[@Agave011]

Still one of my favorite tv live performances of any band. My man on the timbales killed it. Letterman had a lot of good musical performances over the years. Radiohead Karma Police is another I remember.

[@affenhirnaufeis5042]

2024 and still awesome...❤

[@Kado_Tornado]

The bass absolutely slaps in this

[@ethantee764]

Truly a band of our time

[@BunyanaRed1958]

Superb performance. The organ is a superb touch. God bless Adam's memory.

[@assmane999]

This is awesome. You see them as a legit band here and not just a rap group.

[@adriantrusca1245]

They were a crossover band. Started out as hardcore punk.

[@chuckynotdead3409]

Dude they were a hardcore punk band before😑

[@assmane999]

@@chuckynotdead3409 I was not aware

[@rasm0225]

I really disagree with the sentiment of this comment. A “legit band” vs “just a rap group”. It’s fine to have preferences but there’s nothing illegitimate about rap, and I think Beasties had much more to offer the world of rap that the world of rock or punk or hardcore.

[@rasm0225]

I do agree with the comment “this is awesome.” Totally with you on that part.

[@YaKnightmareHeHehe]

Great live performance 🍷

[@Angie-Pants]

Ahh, Beasties and Letterman. Two great tastes that taste great together.

[@paulwrightson115]

A beast of a performance!!!! Good days indeed. Proper band.

[@chrisdeanndavison3626]

Somewhere I have a VHS copy of this I recorded the night it aired. I remember being so excited that they were performing on Letterman! I knew I had watched an epic performance!

[@relientkenny]

i was 4 months old when this came out! favorite hip hop album ever!!

[@labbern]

I was minus 15 months old

[@cactaceous]

Ill Communication is not just one genre.

[@antongripak1735]

Bass line is great

[@user-go3gp5iy7r]

Это прекрасно. Вспоминая молодость

[@captainjethro5799]

The bassist is channeling his energy to the rest of the band.

[@amyir3880]

One of my favorite things right here

[@malukastorm]

Beastie Boys is always pure skill.

[@danielh5159]

and pure ill

[@dabonetone1]

Absolutely amazing. They are missed. What a time…

[@user-jv7ic4gt3u]

This is still AMAZING

[@davidsmith7962]

My all time favorite song by The Beastie Boys

[@robclarkson5356]

Rocks insanely. Thanks for posting!

[@rname879]

SO GOOD thanks for posting this🙌

[@johnnypolo1983]

This is awesome. Dave always had the best bands. I hope they upload Pearl Jam - Hail Hail from 1996.

[@justinknash]

When musical artist actually played musical instruments.

[@jenncarbin9656]

This is so beautifully directed, too.

[@BelleTolles]

Absolute masters. How does this have less than a million views?

[@TitoMariategui]

Original upload have millions, this is new one. Beasties rule!

[@Astral8expl]

One of the BEST live single performances pulled off inside that building they just had it

[@Gryebone]

My partner and I saw them perform last year at the Calgary Stampede. The best show I've seen in years. They still have the authority to do music their way. That being said I was working at a blockbuster video when they started selling CDs and AQUA was the best seller at that time. I was a sour teen at the moment and didn't give AQUA the benefit they deserved then. Most of Todd's notes are on point to how I felt forever. However that all changed after I saw them perform live. Do I listen to their music voluntarily? No. But I appreciate them more after witnessing their passion in front of me. Well done Todd.

[@perfectmotionx]

Damn! They are AMAZING!

[@thisisfyne]

One of those tracks so iconic that they just feel like they HAD to exist in music history, and nobody could have done it better here.

[@alucard7936]

Amazing tape, even today. Thanks Beastie Boys

[@jrg2351788]

Hell yeah

[@potentiallyclever3412]

This is easily the greatest late night talk show music performance ever. THIS WENT HARDER THAN THE TRIPLE MURDER THAT THE EVENING NEWS REPORTED!

[@EmporioZuagroast]

Let it be noted that the Beastie Boys started out as a hardcore punk band before they did hiphop. It shows in songs and performances like this ❤

[@emilianocruz11]

Since 1994 to this live Versions of sabotage still one of the best live Versions of sabotage

[@danielrice7234]

Legendary 100%

[@redimade]

i love all the beasties performances on letterman

[@Innogrouphongkong]

Iconic

[@eaglek74]

Legendary! This is when they went next level...again.

[@eduhred5341]

Got to see them at lalla that year. Best concert ever!!!

[@shannonblanchard8195]

I remember this ❤

[@eaglerocvox3277]

Rock On Forever Beastie Boys...Earth Soul Blues RocknRoll...

[@tactikzzF1R3]

Absolutely sensational.....

[@DOGBUS]

LEGENDARY

[@CatJabZ]

So freaking badass!