Beastie Boys was formed in 1995.
The Beastie Boys were an American hip hop group from New York City , formed in 1981 . Originally formed as a four-piece hardcore punk band , the Young Aborigines , in 1978 by Diamond ( vocals ) , John Berry ( guitar ) , Yauch ( bass ) and Kate Schellenbach ( drums ) , the band appeared on the compilation cassette New York Thrash , before recording their first EP , Polly Wog Stew , in 1982 . After achieving moderate local success with the 1983 experimental hip hop 12-inch `` Cooky Puss '' , Schellenbach dropped out and the Beastie Boys made a full transition to hip hop , releasing a string of successful singles . They toured with Madonna in 1985 and a year later released their debut album Licensed to Ill. . With seven platinum or better albums from 1986 to 2004 , the Beastie Boys were one of the longest-lived hip hop acts worldwide .