From the first time the world heard ‘Kick It!’ from their TV sets, the Beastie Boys have been known for making outlandishly memorable music videos. Gaining superstardom in the 80s, when MTV was everything, the band used every ounce of their creative juices, coupled with member Adam “MCA” Yauch’s passion behind the camera, to create a lengthy list of videos that became synonymous with the songs themselves. 

From giant robot fights to undercover cops and Sasquatch kidnappings, there’s something for everyone amidst the archive. In anticipation of the release of the band’s new documentary, Beastie Boys Story, we’re jumping in the time machine and taking a look back at some of the colossally cool standouts.

(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)  | License to Ill (1987)

The beginning of it all; this is the first time everybody met the three baby-faced pretty boys that could party harder than anyone twice their age. Portrayed as a badass group of dudes who crash a party thrown by some nerds, we get the image that initially catapulted the band to their immediate celebrity. Though hilarious to look back on, the video is a little cringeworthy now and it’s no wonder the band quickly grew tired of the party boy gimmick.

Sabotage | Ill Communication (1994) 

Who knew that goofy fake mustaches, aviators, and a non-stop 70s-style car chase would be the perfect companion piece to one of the most iconic rock songs of the 90s? But let’s be honest, the Beastie Boys know no other way to operate. Directed by visionary Spike Jonze, the video was nominated and snubbed for five awards at the 1994 MTV VMAs, leading to an iconic moment when, Yauch, dressed as his alter-ego, the curly-mustached Swiss filmmaker Nathanial Hörnblowér, stormed the stage in hilarious outrage.

Intergalactic | Hello, Nasty (1998)

Perhaps the peak of the band’s DIY music video creativity, directed by Nathanial Hörnblowér himself, it’s a parody of the old-fashioned kaiju films. The boys bounce around various Japanese train stations all the while a giant robot arrives to save the city from an equally ginormous evil man-squid. The usage of miniatures and ultra low budget effects creates the perfect cheesy concoction to pair with the song’s otherworldly hip-hop beat. 

Triple Trouble | To The 5 Boroughs (2004)

The band learns a valuable lesson in this one: never insult the Sasquatch on live television. And if he kidnaps you, don’t fight the guy — become friends with him instead. In true Beasties fashion, the video delivers all the goods from matching jumpsuits, baseball caps, and fisheye lenses as they return to the scene six years since their last album.

Make Some Noise | Hot Sauce Committee Part Two (2011)

All great stories need a final chapter, and in 2011, the band released their last album and a music video to accompany the first track that was a direct sequel to the “Fight For Your Right” video that started it all. Along with a ridiculously stacked cast of celebrity cameos, Seth Rogen, Danny McBride, and Elijah Wood star as the young Beastie Boys coming straight from the party they crashed in the original video, starting fights, partying, and breaking shit for one last disorderly good time.

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