Released: 2020

Genres: East Coast Hip-Hop, Hip-Hop, Rap Rock

The Musiquarium’s Music Review Score: 9 out of 10

While Music is pretty much an updated version of 2005’s Solid Gold Hits (which is now pretty much redundant), it includes five more songs and encompasses the band’s entire discography, from 1986’s Licensed to Ill up until 2011’s Hot Sauce Committee Part Two (though the instrumental album The Mix-Up, is excluded).

Compared to Solid Gold Hits, Triple Trouble and An Open Letter to NYC have been axed, with Ch-Check It Out being the only song from To the 5 Boroughs to make the cut. Paul Revere and Hold It, Now Hit It have been added, bringing the total of Licensed to Ill tracks up to five (or a quarter of this compilation) and considering how full of hits that album is, along with its influence on the hip-hop genre, I’d say that these inclusions are justified.

Other additions include Shadrach (Paul’s Boutique), Get It Together (Ill Communication) and the rare single version of Jimmy James, with the Hendrix samples and all. Hot Sauce Committee Part Two (which came out after Solid Gold Hits) is represented by Make Some Noise and the Santigold featuring Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win (though no Lee Majors Come Again or Too Many Rappers here).

Music isn’t a perfect retrospective, but it does what it can with a single disc’s runtime, and it is far more comprehensive than Solid Gold Hits was, with a longer, more fleshed-out tracklist and songs from the band’s entire career.

For credit breakdowns and historic release details, view Beastie Boys on Discogs.

Back to the 2020 Album Guide or the Beastie Boys Reviews page.

Written by Brett Nippard