Beastie Boys sophomore album ‘Paul's Boutique’ on Discogs' Best Albums of All Times list

When it comes to all-time musical acts and artists, the Beastie Boys planted their flag early in their career, selling millions of copies of their iconic debut album, the Rick Rubin-produced Licensed To Ill.  Despite the immense commercial success, the trio of Ad-Rock, MCA, and Mike D refused to stay complacent with their sound and style, delivering a starkly different album for their sophomore release.

While the Bestie Boys had become household names thanks to the success of their hit singles Fight For Your Right, No Sleep Til Brooklyn, and Brass Monkey, the trio had grown weary of their frat-boy image and the associations that came with it.  When contemplating their next release, the group had come across a then-unknown production team, the Dust Brothers, who crafted a new style of beats and rhythms that inspired the members of the Beastie Boys.  The sessions together would result in a whole new sound and style that the group would reveal to the world with the release of Paul’s Boutique in the summer of 1989.  At the time, this evolution and change of pace did not resonate with radio and the fans, and the album was considered a flop upon its release with the members of the group unsure how to proceed forward.

Of course, time has been much kinder to the group’s sophomore album and Paul’s Boutique has since become not only a landmark album in the hip-hop genre but is generally considered an all-time classic amongst music fans in general.  This appreciation and support has been further showcased after the popular music marketplace Discogs polled fans via social media in order to compile its own list of the 25 Best Albums of All Time.  After tallying up the 40,000 responses received on the subject, Paul’s Boutique earned the number 7 spot on the list, another testament to the Beastie Boys’ genius and timeless productions.  Be sure to revisit the incredible album again today.

Image Credit: Maddy Julien via Flickr  | License: CC BY SA 2.0