No Sleep till Brooklyn
1987 single by Beastie Boys
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"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.
| "No Sleep till Brooklyn" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Single by Beastie Boys | ||||
| from the album Licensed to Ill | ||||
| B-side | "Posse in Effect" | |||
| Released | March 1, 1987 | |||
| Recorded | Spring 1986 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 4:09 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Rick Rubin | |||
| Beastie Boys singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "No Sleep till Brooklyn" on YouTube | ||||
Cash Box called it "a raucous, rambunctious blend of rap, smart-ass and heavy metal."[6]
Production and play
Rick Rubin played the guitar riffs.[7] Kerry King, guitarist for Slayer, played the solo; Slayer had released an album produced by Rubin earlier in 1986 (Reign in Blood). More metal commentary and adaptation is added by the video, directed by Ric Menello,[8] as a parody of glam metal.[9]
Later in their career, the Beastie Boys continued to perform the song live, although with altered lyrics to downplay their early party-boy reputation. "M.C.A.'s in the back because he's skeezin' with a whore," was changed to "M.C.A.'s in the back with the mahjong board",[10] and "Autographed pictures and classy hoes" was changed to "Autographed pictures to nobody knows."[10]
The song features one of many homages to New York City's boroughs, and has been described as "joyful ranting".[11]
Bob Dylan played the song on the "New York" episode of Season 1 of his Theme Time Radio Hour show in 2007, noting the Beastie Boys were not merely a "flash in the pan" in his introduction.[12]
Music video
The music video for "No Sleep till Brooklyn" was co-directed by Ric Menello and Adam Dubin.[13][14] Menello and Dubin also directed the video for the Beastie Boys' preceding single, "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)".[13][14] Kerry King, who plays guitar on this track, also appears in the video. Ruth Collins, an actress best known for 1980s B-movie horrors, is the lead dancer,[15] and actor Vic Noto is an outlaw biker.
In popular culture
"No Sleep till Brooklyn" appears in the 1991 film Out For Justice, 2008 video game Guitar Hero World Tour,[16] the 2016 film The Secret Life of Pets[17] and the 2023 films The Super Mario Bros. Movie[18] and Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3;[19] the song is also included on the latter's soundtrack album.[20] It is also featured in the 5th season of the television series Brooklyn Nine-Nine.[21] It is played as a montage in Family Guy Season 15, episode 15 “Cop and a Half-wit”.
Charts
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[22] | 28 |
| Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[23] | 22 |
| Netherlands (GfK Dutch Chart)[24] | 23 |
| Germany (Media Control Charts)[25] | 46 |
| Ireland Irish Singles Chart[26] | 17 |
| UK (Official Charts Company)[27] | 14 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[28] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||