Holy Crap! The Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage” Video is 20 Years Old?

February 11, 2014 Alan Cross 0 Comments

Jeezus, where did the time go? But it’s true. A quick check of the archives says that “Sabotage” was released as a single on January 28, 1994, far in advance of Ill Communication’s in-store date of May 24.

The video, modeled after a title sequence of a bad 70s-era detective show, was directed by Spike Jonze and is an all-time classic. Let’s start with that.

When Ill Communication came out, the Beastie Boys performed the song on Letterman.

But when it came time for the 1994 MTV Video Music awards, it was nominated in five categories but was a loser in ever single one. Nathaniel Hornblower, the Beastie Boys’ creative director (actually MCA in disguise), disrupted the proceedings when REM accepted their Best Direction award for “Everybody Hurts.”

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

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