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 !

[@napoearth]

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

[@TheSWolfe]

Yes!

[@HermanWaldorf]

oh yeah

[@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

[@jbryan8864]

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

[@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

[@brandonhoun]

That Punk sound never left the band no matter what genre they play. They were really good.

[@laclaux]

amen brandon!

[@curtislindsey1736]

ICONIC performance!!!🤘🤘🤘

[@vigilantpropertycaretaking5348]

Echo that brother!!!

[@joshuaizzo8893]

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

[@cactaceous]

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

[@nazfrde]

Yeah

[@joygimbel7760]

Such a good man.

[@CraigRhodeJr]

Just reminds you how good we had it and we didn't know it

[@hisvorpalsword]

A masterclass in how to rock a single chord.

[@gustavosaliola]

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

[@seanabrams6570]

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

[@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

[@richardyoon4209]

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

[@HCaulfield115]

Yh that was cool af

[@justinnoble6506]

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

[@jackw3302]

By far my favorite Beastie boys song. Still so good.

[@AK-vk6wg]

Love the Beastie Boys..this track rocks

[@jpablolj]

The best live version of Sabotage!!!!

[@Westcoastrocksduh]

I agree. Just wish the lead guitar wasn’t as drowned out.

[@Ari-pw6nu]

Yeah. They are on.

[@goldennuggetofwisdom5068]

This is the best Beastie Boys song their is. It just sounds so awesome its like a work of art lol.

[@jcg2922]

Very distinctly remember this original broadcast and watching the boys set the bar that much higher.

[@violinmiata]

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

[@daddynitro199]

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

[@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.

[@Moosecannonreal]

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

[@JamesAllan-t4d]

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

[@ReleaseThaPressure]

Boys absolutely killed it 🤙🤙

[@Lantanana]

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

[@ryanm4013]

You would be shocked how many “bands” can’t, let alone sound better live than a studio recording. But a music guy like yourself, already knows this….right??

[@lostnthenoise]

They were great at Lollapalooza that year!

[@Vb98765]

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

[@PrinceDepeche]

David's show was my favorite part of my day..back in my high-school days.....80-84.....

[@MikeCee7]

Letterman didn’t start Late Night until 1982.

[@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.

[@neoscylax]

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

[@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.

[@MichaelSink]

seeing them at Lollapalooza in Charlotte was awesome! Sabotage came on and the crowd erupted with energy!

[@Hometheaterguyusa1]

If you are still listening in 2024, you are a true legend. 🤝

[@Reneebenson]

Damn straight

[@smokejc]

k

[@Hometheaterguyusa1]

@@Reneebenson 🤘🏽

[@Hometheaterguyusa1]

@@smokejc 🤝🏽

[@kmoy]

Went down the best rabbit hole. Started w Glasgow 1999.

[@mikey2bucks]

RIP Adam, Rockin the hard 90s style in the hardest way

[@firebrand36]

MCA: “We don’t shake, BROTHERS HUG.”

[@AntonioGomez-qg5xv]

The theme itself screams to you : "this gonna be a hell of a ride " 🔥

[@UnlimitedPossibilities345]

So far ahead of their time, most of the world will never catch up! Freaking genius!

[@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 ❤

[@JP-gw9ts]

Wow! They were so good live!

[@diegomelendez9918]

Legends of a live performance....cant replicate

[@BunyanaRed1958]

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

[@oscarthegrouch8992]

This could be the best live tv performance ever 📺

[@juanramongonzalezortega2346]

My God, what a perfect live performance, Amazing!

[@johnnypolo1983]

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

[@Spockthinks]

Great song! I used to play it in a cover band and nobody knew what it was but it was our best song. So much energy and coolness

[@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.

[@tomsdr1851]

Timeless and SUPERDELUXE !!❤❤

[@brad2773-t7r]

Omg to see that in HD and not vhs, my eyes are not worthy !!! Thank you for preserving this!!!!! ❤❤

[@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!

[@malukastorm]

Beastie Boys is always pure skill.

[@danielh5159]

and pure ill

[@alexsynstad6002]

This is the soul of New York.

[@terrencebarnes9729]

This is absolutely great. Would love to hear this project take on something by The Band with Al playing Garth s accordion parts. PLEASE!!

[@Angie-Pants]

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

[@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!

[@GHOSTPAYNE]

I was lucky to see them at Hollywood Bowl and Run DMC opened for them and it was crazy show

[@antongripak1735]

Bass line is great

[@blank557]

This was 30 years ago. Man, where did the time go?

[@ethantee764]

Truly a band of our time

[@robclarkson5356]

Rocks insanely. Thanks for posting!

[@amyir3880]

One of my favorite things right here

[@KennethJLave]

One of the most incredible experiences of the 90's! ..Beasty Boys playing Sabotage on Letterman's show.

[@davidsmith7962]

My all time favorite song by The Beastie Boys

[@eaglerocvox3277]

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

[@JasonDavis103]

I can't stop watching this... many years later.

[@BrandonKingsbury]

These guys used to be so huge !! They created a whole new genre.

[@alucard7936]

Amazing tape, even today. Thanks Beastie Boys

[@redimade]

i love all the beasties performances on letterman

[@eaglek74]

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

[@jacobrichards3519]

I reckon this is the best version of this song I’ve ever heard.

[@perfectmotionx]

Damn! They are AMAZING!

[@captainjethro5799]

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

[@risenfromyoutubesashesagai6302]

What a great song!!!

[@adammcpherson4292]

Ohhhhhhhhh yeahhhhh ❤

[@ianklosowiak8249]

So fun to watch that! Great talent

[@Reading720]

I was a little disappointed that the Beastie Boys weren't included in the Grammys celebration, I have seen this episode many times, love the Beastie Boys, they were ground breaking.

[@hobodivine5776]

Haha, "the big kid making the canary noise" is DJ Hurricane!

[@Area_Man]

Are you sure? I assumed he was referring to an earlier segment of the show. I was thinking maybe they had the Piedmont High School Bird Call winners on?

[@Area_Man]

Never mind. I just checked the episode summary on Metacritic and it doesn't mention any bird callers

[@zombweed4821]

They blew the roof off the dump.

[@revblank]

Letterman is such a dork. So good!!!!

[@lorenhooke8986]

Love it.. awesome 😎👍 thanks letterman

[@Eric-od9dz]

The Beastie Boys came to my town on the License to ill tour. They performed at the local community colleges event center. Let's just say that would be the last time they ever allowed another Rap or Rock artist to perform there....Epic 😂

[@suncatblue]

This has been out there for a while. PEAK ILL

[@simonp37]

Brings me back to the 90's, watching their videos on MTV. A lot has changed since :D

[@pinkysunshine2423]

MISSIN YA BIG TIME RIP MCA ❤

[@Jorge-jf5lj]

90’s🔥

[@monkeyzer0]

NEVER GETS OLD!!!!

[@MrHarpad]

I love you Beastie Boys!

[@williamgullett5911]

An all time performance

[@audio68-eh9cu]

POWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Toolness1]

Such a simple but awesome bass riff

[@emilianocruz11]

Yesss one of the Best live versions of sabotage

[@joshuaweston6531]

Dudes killed it!

[@donhopf]

Just Stooopid in the best possible way!!!

[@UncleBernhard]

Those were the days!

[@2o2k78]

Oh yeah I had the cd and listened to it over and over

[@signoguns8501]

peopl used to be so much cooler and creative than they are now lol. the world looked so exciting. the internet/computer age has its good points, like awesome video games, but i would MUCH rather have been around back then, all the music and the different subcultures and movies and artistic movements... just an incredible time for art. so many different things all happening at once. a literal volcano of creativity.

[@stacybearden]

My favorite one of theirs.

[@javierluciani3358]

Que versión impresionante !!!!