"Licensed To Ill" reaches N°1 in the USA

Artwork by Josh Cardinali

On 7th March 1987, Beastie Boys became the first rap artist to reach N°1 in the USA with "Licensed To Ill". The band recorded Licensed to Ill in 1986 and released the album at the end of the year. Licensed to Ill became the best selling rap album of the 1980s and the first rap album to go No.1 on the Billboard album chart, where it stayed for five weeks. It also reached No.2 on the Urban album charts. It was Def Jam's fastest selling debut record to date and sold over five million copies. The fourth single from the album, "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)", reached No.7 on theBillboard Hot 100. Another chart hit from the album was No Sleep till Brooklyn, released in 1987.

Artwork by Josh Cardinali

Watch "No Sleep Till Brooklyn" by Beastie Boys