BEASTIE BOYS. LICENSED TO ILL 40 YEARS, BEN MERLIS

Fight for your right to celebrate 40 years of Beastie Boys’ groundbreaking debut album—Licensed to Ill—through vivid photography, track-by-track analysis, and new interviews. When Licensed to Ill hit the Billboard charts in 1986, it didn’t just make history—it rewrote it. The Beastie Boys’ mix of punk energy, streetwise humor, and Rick Rubin’s hard-hitting production propelled the album to become the first rap LP to top the Billboard 200 and one of the fastest-selling debuts in history. Beastie Boys: Licensed to Ill - 40 Years invites you into the creative chaos that produced classics like “No Sleep Till Brooklyn,” “Girls,” and “Brass Monkey.” The book features:Over 200 images, including photographs, memorabilia, and candid studio and tour shotsA giftable slipcased hardcover formatFresh, behind-the-mic interviews from producers, collaborators, and cultural criticsAn in-depth exploration of each track, unpacking how three kids from New York City fused punk, rap, and irreverent wit into an enduring musical revolutionBeautifully packaged and timed to the album’s 40th anniversary, Beastie Boys: Licensed to Ill - 40 Years offers the definitive visual history of one of hip-hop’s most influential albums—essential for fans of music, pop culture, the 1980s, and rebellion in all forms.

The Great Albums series presents authoritative explorations of rock’s most revered records, beautifully packaged for fans to treasure. Delve into even more groundbreaking releases with: Pink Floyd and The Dark Side of the Moon, Bruce Springsteen and Born to Run, Prince and Purple Rain, Queen & A Night at the Opera, Run-DMC and Raising Hell, The Who & Quadrophenia, Eagles and Hotel California: 50 Years, and Fleetwood Mac and Rumours … with more to come!