Beastie Boys are celebrating the 40th anniversary of their debut album, Licensed to Ill, with a new limited-edition 2-LP reissue arriving March 18th, 2027 via Def Jam Recordings/UMe. Pre-order the release here.
Originally released November 15th, 1986, Licensed to Ill introduced Ad-Rock, MCA, and Mike D’s collision of hip-hop, punk, and hard rock to the world. Produced by Rick Rubin and Beastie Boys, it became the first rap album to top the Billboard 200 and was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2015. Its indelible singles include “Brass Monkey,” “No Sleep Till Brooklyn,” “Paul Revere,” and “Fight for Your Right.”
The new “Vinylphyle” edition was remastered from a high-resolution digital transfer of the original 1986 quarter-inch master tapes by Joe Nino-Hernes at Sterling Sound. Nino-Hernes opted to make the digital transfer rather than repeatedly handle the increasingly fragile original tapes, saying the process also came closest to cutting directly from the first-generation master.
Pressed on 180-gram black vinyl, the package comes in a gatefold jacket and includes a four-panel insert featuring scans of the original tape boxes, new liner notes from Public Enemy’s Chuck D, and a Beastie Boys logo etching across the otherwise audio-free fourth side.
The anniversary also brings Ad-Rock and Mike D back into the spotlight, with appearances on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and the podcast SmartLess scheduled this week. The vinyl reissue follows another recent anniversary project: a new Licensed to Ill book collecting a visual history of the album alongside fresh interviews with figures from the Beastie Boys’ orbit.
Read Ben Merlis’ Consequence cover story, Mike D: Time for Living. For more on Beastie Boys’ classic discography, see where Paul’s Boutique landed on our list of the 100 Best Sophomore Albums of All Time. Pre-order Licensed to Ill 40th anniversary here.
See the Licensed to Ill 40th anniversary edition tracklist below.
Licensed to Ill 40th Anniversary packaging:
Licensed to Ill 40th Anniversary Tracklist:
Side A
01. Rhymin & Stealin
02. The New Style
03. She’s Crafty
04. Posse in Effect
Side B
01. Slow Ride
02. Girls
03. Fight for Your Right
04. No Sleep Till Brooklyn
05. Paul Revere
Side C
01. Hold It Now, Hit It
02. Brass Monkey
03. Slow and Low
04. Time to Get Ill
Side D
Beastie Boys logo etching (no audio)
