No Sleep till Brooklyn

"No Sleep till Brooklyn"
Single by Beastie Boys
from the album Licensed to Ill
B-side"Posse in Effect"
ReleasedMarch 1, 1987
RecordedSpring 1986
Genre
Length4:09
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Rick Rubin
Beastie Boys singles chronology
"(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)"
(1987)
"No Sleep till Brooklyn"
(1987)
"Girls"
(1987)
Music video
"No Sleep till Brooklyn" on YouTube

"No Sleep till Brooklyn" is a song by the New York hip hop group the Beastie Boys, and the sixth single from their debut studio album, Licensed to Ill. One of their signature songs,[3] it describes an exhaustive tour and all the events that make it tiresome, but also emphasizes their determination not to rest until they reach their home base of Brooklyn.[4] "No Sleep till Brooklyn" was a popular concert favorite for the Beastie Boys and traditionally used as their closing song. Among other references to heavy metal, the title is a play on the Motörhead album No Sleep 'til Hammersmith.[5] The song has been subject to several covers and parodies including "Stutter Rap (No Sleep til Bedtime)" by Morris Minor and the Majors.

Cash Box called it "a raucous, rambunctious blend of rap, smart-ass and heavy metal."[6]

  1. ^ Tim Grierson. "Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch Has Died". About.com. Retrieved July 2, 2013. "As a member of Beastie Boys, Yauch (who recorded under the name MCA) helped pioneer rap-rock with (...) classic tracks like "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party)" and "No Sleep Till Brooklyn,""
  2. ^ a b Tucker, Ken. "Rough-rapping Beastie Boys Cut A Path From Cult To Chart". Philly.com. Retrieved July 2, 2013. "The Beastie Boys also pepper their music with bits of heavy metal and hard rock - the squalling guitar solo on "No Sleep Till Brooklyn," for example, is provided by Kerry King"
  3. ^ "Readers' Poll: The Best Beastie Boys Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. May 9, 2012.
  4. ^ Ehrlich, Brenna. "'No Sleep Till Brooklyn': The Story Behind The Anthem". MTV News. Archived from the original on March 22, 2015.
  5. ^ Craig Rosen (March 3, 1988). "Motorhead Between Rock 'N' Hard Place". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved October 14, 2014.
  6. ^ "Single Releases" (PDF). Cash Box. May 23, 1987. p. 11. Retrieved August 8, 2022.