The first rap album to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart returns to the top 20 this week.
Following the death of Beastie Boy Adam “MCA” Yauch on May 4, the band’s 1986 album “Licensed to Ill” reenters the tally at No. 18 with 19,000 sold according to Nielsen SoundScan (up 802%). The blockbuster set reached the top on March 7, 1987 and spent seven straight weeks at No. 1.
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Beastie Boys’ catalog of albums and songs saw a surge in sales in the tracking week that ended on May 6 (reflecting only two full days of sales after Yauch’s passing). Collectively, the trio’s albums sold 55,000 last week — up 1,235% from 4,000 the week previous.
Beastie Boys also come back to the Billboard 200 with “Solid Gold Hits” (No. 51 with 8,000; up 806%), “Paul’s Boutique” (No. 56 with 8,000; up 4,287%), “Hot Sauce Committee Part Two” (No. 107 with 4,000; up 1,150%), “Ill Communication” (No. 109 with 4,000; up 2,799%), “Check Your Head” (No. 124 with 4,000; up 2,727%) and “Beastie Boys Anthology: The Sounds of Science” (No. 141 with 3,000; up 3,303%).
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In terms of digital songs, Beastie Boys sold a combined 151,000 downloads this past week — up from 14,000 the week previous (a gain of 949%). Its best seller was the Billboard Hot 100 No. 48 single “Brass Monkey,” with 15,000 (up 807%). The Boys’ next largest was “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!) with 14,000 (up 304%). “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” was third (14,000; up 1,087%), followed by “Sabotage” (14,000; up 885%), “Intergalactic” (12,000; up 953%), “Paul Revere” (11,000; up 1,114%) and “So What’cha Want” (11,000; up 1,621%). Those titles all debut on the two-and-a-half year old Rap Digital Songs chart at Nos. 32, 35, 36, 39, 45, 48 and 50, respectively.
Beastie Boys’ catalog of albums and songs could see big sales on next week’s charts, after a full seven days of impact from Yauch’s death is felt on the charts. Next week’s tallies will reflect the sales week that ends on Sunday, May 13.