10 Best Number One Rock Albums Of The 1980s
8. Licensed To Ill - Beastie Boys
Rap rock may have gone on to become something of a joke in the 90s and 00s, but, in the 80s, it was heralded as a gigantic leap forward for both genres.
Right at the forefront of the movement were three happy-go-lucky kids from New York City who, in 1986, put out a debut album that would rock the music industry to its core.
With help from Def Jam bigwig and immaculate beard-grower Rick Rubin, Beastie Boys released Licensed to Ill to critical acclaim. Fans of both hip-hop and hard rock were taken by how effortlessly the group had fused the two together on tracks like No Sleep till Brooklyn and (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party!).
It took a while for the album to top the charts, first peaking in March 1987, but once it got there, it stayed unchallenged for seven uninterrupted weeks, making it the first rap LP to be a US number one.
Whilst the music may sound dated today, at the time, the songs on Licensed to Ill were groundbreaking, and you couldn't help but fall in love with the comedic antics of the lads involved.