Which 1986 Beastie Boys album became the first hip hop LP to top the US Billboard 200?

The 1986 Beastie Boys album that became the first hip hop LP to top the US Billboard 200 was Licensed to Ill.

Released by Def Jam Recordings on November 15, 1986, Licensed to Ill combined hard-rock samples, turntable work and the Beastie Boys’ energetic rap performances. Rick Rubin and the Beastie Boys produced the album, which helped bring hip hop to a much larger mainstream audience.

The album reached number one on the Billboard 200 in 1987. Its singles included “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!),” “Brass Monkey” and “No Sleep till Brooklyn,” the latter featuring guitarist Kerry King of Slayer.

Licensed to Ill is sometimes confused with Paul’s Boutique, the group’s more sample-dense 1989 follow-up. Paul’s Boutique was critically influential, but Licensed to Ill was the chart-topping debut that made the group major stars.