Adam Yauch’s favourite punk songs
Before they became the Beastie Boys, the group of ambitious and rebellious New Yorkers were known as Young Aborigines—a hardcore punk project shaped by Adam Yauch’s teenage angst and fascination with heavy music.
Making waves in the early 1980s with their authentic and innovative approach to rap rock, Beastie Boys quickly coined themselves at the top of the food chain of this growing scene. Successfully commercialising hip-hop with anthemic records, ‘Fight For Your Right’, ‘Brass Monkey’ and ‘Ch-Check It Out’, to list a few, it was with these releases that the band became a household name in the face of hip-hop.
What was once a scene associated with violence and mischief was now something far more revolutionary. Despite the band’s love for hip-hop, Yauch’s appreciation for the hardcore punk scene was one of the group’s core influences.
Raised in New York City during the height of the punk movement, Yauch’s love of hardcore and punk was rooted in his teenage years. While Beastie Boys have a long discography with an eclectic range, some of Yauch’s favourite tracks stem from his love of guitar riffs at breakneck speed and spoken words with politically charged lyrics.
As a close friend and musical collaborator of the hardcore punk quartet Bad Brains, it comes as little surprise that one of Yauch’s favourite hardcore songs is ‘Jah People Make the World Go Round’. Taken from their 2007 Build A Nation record (which Yauch produced), the track is fuelled by a racket of hard-hitting drums and distorted guitars.
On this record, Bad Brains and Yauch collaborate to create a distinct blend of energy and intensity within the punk genre. Both rooted in hardcore, ‘Jah People Make the World Go Round’ showcases the raw, boisterous sound that originally propelled Bad Brains to prominence in the punk scene. The collaboration brings a fresh spark of electricity to the music, merging their shared sensibilities into something dynamic and impactful.
Another punky track that Yauch has commended is Rancid’s 1995 classic, ‘Ruby Soho’. Although rock at its roots, ‘Ruby Soho’ is equally driven by joyous chord patterns. Its punky nature is subtle but recognisable. Yauch loved Rancid so much that in 1998, he had the band play a tracklist of their best punk tunes at his wedding.
Beastie Boys have always credited the hardcore scene with their discography. Whether through the exhilarating adrenaline of ‘Holy Snappers’ or the fuzzing guitar distortion of ‘I Can’t Think Straight’, Yauch has always found a way to honour his punk roots.
In the ’80s, no one knew how interchangeable hip-hop and hardcore punk could be until Yauch stepped onto the scene with Beastie Boys. Working as a kaleidoscopic extension of what was formerly a semi-failed project – Young Aborigines – it was with Beastie Boys that Yauch could transcend his love for the heavier scene in a way that also complimented the band’s appreciation for hip-hop and rap music.
Today, few bands hold the level of fame and influence of Beastie Boys. They impacted a generation of music lovers with their alternative twist on hip-hop and opened doors for hardcore lovers to discover hip-hop through a different lens.
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