Getting their start as a punk band on the New York club scene, the Beastie Boys’ Mike D (Mike Diamond) and MCA (Adam Yauch), formed the band in 1981 (The original lineup included drummer Kate Schellenbach and guitarist John Berry). The Beastie Boys played a series of New York City club dates before releasing a seven-inch EP, Pollywog Stew (Ratcage Records). By early 1983, Berry and Schellenbach left the group and Ad-Rock (Adam Horovitz) joined Mike D and MCA. The revamped lineup turned their efforts to rap music and later that year released the underground hit, “Cookie Puss,” as a twelve-inch single. The Beastie Boys signed with Def Jam in 1984 and released the first Def Jam/Columbia joint release in 1985. They supported their release by opening for Madonna’s North American Virgin Tour and Run-DMC’s groundbreaking Raising Hell tour. The group’s 1986 mega-platinum album, License to Ill, was Columbia Record’s fastest-selling debut in history. It was also the first full length Beastie Boys album and the first rap album to go No. 1. In 1989, the Beastie Boys signed with Capitol Records and released their critically acclaimed album, Paul’s Boutique. In 1992, the Beastie Boys built their own recording studio and started their own record label, Grand Royal Records. The group returned to some of their punk roots on the album, Check Your Head, which was a huge hit on college radio and on alternative rock stations. The Beastie Boys released Ill Communication (Grand Royal/Capitol) two years later, entering the charts at No.1. Two EPs were released in 1996, Aglio E Olio, and the instrumental album, The In Sound from the Way Out. Ad-Rock, a friend of the Dalai Lama’s, organized the Tibetan Freedom Concert that same year. The hugely successful concert was repeated in 1997 and 1998. The band retooled their sound once more in 1998, mixing old-school hip-hop and modern sounds to make Hello Nasty, which won them Grammy awards for Best Alternative Music Performance and Best Rap Performance By A Duo or Group. It was the first time an artist won in both Rap and Alternative Music categories. In 1999 the Beastie Boys released their greatest hits anthology, The Sounds of Science. UMPG Songs by The Beastie Boys Include: (YOU GOTTA) FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT (TO PARTY)(HOROVITZ, YAUCH, RUBIN) BRASS MONKEY(HOROVITZ, YAUCH, DIAMOND) HEY LADIES (HOROVITZ, YAUCH, DIAMOND, KING, SIMPSON, DIKE, BISHOP, SHIDER, SHIDER, FORD) NEGOTIATION LIMERICK FILE, THE(DIAMOND, HOROVITZ, YAUCH, CALDATO) ALIVE(DIAMOND, HOROVITZ, YAUCH) PAUL REVERE(SIMMONS, MC DANIELS, HOROVITZ, RUBIN) INTERGALACTIC(DIAMOND, HOROVITZ, YAUCH, CALDATO) BODY MOVIN'(DIAMOND, HOROWITZ, YAUCH, CALDATO, PUENTE) NEW STYLE, THE(HOROVITZ, YAUCH, DIAMOND, RUBIN) SO WHAT'CHA WANT(HOROVITZ, YAUCH, DIAMOND)