This article originally appeared in the September 1999 issue of SPIN. “You must be high.” We heard that a lot during the time we spent preparing this issue. Which is understandable. Pronouncing the 90 greatest albums of the ’90s is a somewhat presumptuous thing to do. When you’re measuring the music this decade is offering to […]
Music videos are the perfect bastard child of art and commerce, even more than pop music itself. A promotional visual accompaniment to a popular song doesn’t need a coherent narrative (although on rare occasions, they do). It just needs to suit the song, sell the record, and possibly make the artist look cool. But since […]
Following Biz Markie’s death on Friday evening, numerous tributes honoring the rapper’s legacy flooded social media. On Saturday, Mike D of the Beastie Boys remembered the trio’s longtime friend in a tribute posted on the group’s social media platforms. “We are so grateful to have had so many unforgettable experiences with the truly unique and […]
The concert industry exploded in the 1970s, and the live album, a stopgap project once reserved for only the biggest artists, became a compulsory ritual and a pivotal moment for many artists. Live albums captured legendarily loud bands like The Who and The Ramones in their natural element. Once obscure regional acts like Bob Seger, […]
Beastie Boys’ Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz and Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna are the latest subjects on Dan Rather’s special “Musical Family” themed season of The Big Interview. In a clip from the show, Ad-Rock discusses last year’s Beastie Boys documentary and Hanna reflects on the catalyst that sparked Bikini Kill’s 2019 reunion. “Part of it was because of […]
The Beastie Boys have earned an impressive share of accolades over their career. And while the group’s Mike D is grateful, he also doesn’t need to have the physical manifestations of that success. So, he took to Instagram to announce that he’s selling many of his awards for charity, including a 1986 Gold record for License […]
We know, we know — the best concert of all-time is your friend’s obscure indie-punk band playing a sweaty neighborhood basement back in ‘94. We admit that one slipped through the cracks. Maybe it’s a fool’s errand, but this list is our attempt to narrow down three and a half decades of worthy live music events […]
As part of our 35th anniversary, we’re naming the most influential artists of the past 35 years. Today, we’re at #12. From New York City, here are the Beastie Boys. CREDIT: L. Cohen / Contributor “Just when you think you know the answers, I go ahead and change the questions.” The Beastie Boys embodied that […]
Public Enemy recently released their first album with Def Jam in a number of years with What You Gonna Do When The Grid Goes Down? They also recently teamed up with George Clinton and Cypress Hill to release the animated video for “Grid,” and now they’ve done the same thing for “Public Enemy Number Won.” Featuring […]
Don’t let the flurry of activity in the past few years fools you, it’s been over 11 years since the Beastie Boys last performed live. Crazy, right? If you missed the trio’s final show at Bonnaroo, though, you’re in luck. The Beasties’ set was broadcasted as part of Bonnaroo’s ROO-ALITY stream on Thursday night, and […]