Before 1994, all I knew about Beastie Boys was a throwaway gag on Mad Magazine. It was something on the nature of 90s kids when they are old, and how their sons/grandsons would need to come with something more offensive than the Beastie Boys.

Sabotage came out as the lead single and knocked everyone off their chairs. I thought it was extremely funny and a rocking tune, but skewed my expectations of the band. I thought they were going to be punk, which in a way they are, but catching the videos for So Wat’cha Want and Hey Ladies weren’t what I expected. The songs grew on me, and tracks like Gratitude sold me that the band had great range.

With that said, Sure Shot is the one that made me truly a fan. It might not be as memorable as Sabotage or Fight for your right, but the video and song are an entity that lives rent free on my head. Every time I wear a suit I wanna do their dance moves and if I ever see a dolly, I’m gonna grab on to it as I’m being filmed swaying downwards.

In a way Sure Shot condemned many of the following singles. Intergalactic felt like a re-thread as the flow and line delivery seems familiar. Video makes it great, though.

That Howlin’ for Judy flute sample is perfect and possibly makes the song as memorable as it is. I think it’s one of the coolest tracks of ’94, and easily my fave Beastie Boys track in what is a truly diverse and memorable discography.

-Sam J. Valdés López