Rock Hard

This article is about the song by the Beastie Boys. For other uses, see Rock Hard (disambiguation).

"Rock Hard"

Single by Beastie Boys

Released

1984

Recorded

1984

Genre

Rap rock

Length

4:55

Label

Def Jam

Writer(s)

Michael Diamond, Adam Horovitz, Adam Yauch, Rick Rubin

Producer(s)

Rick Rubin

Beastie Boys singles chronology

"Cooky Puss"
(1983)

"Rock Hard"
(1984)

"She's on It"
(1985)

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[1]
Robert Christgau	B+ ^[2]

	"Rock Hard" (1985)
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"Rock Hard" is a single by the Beastie Boys, released by Def Jam Records on 12" in 1984. The song, and the accompanying songs on the 12", feature the band's first major label rap effort.

The track contains samples from the AC/DC song "Back in Black", which was used without obtaining legal permission - thereby causing the record to be promptly withdrawn. Later, when the group planned to include the out-of-print song on their 1999 compilation, Beastie Boys Anthology: The Sounds of Science, AC/DC refused to allow the sample to be used. Mike D spoke to AC/DC's Malcolm Young personally on the phone when their lawyers refused to clear the sample, and later said that "AC/DC could not get with the sample concept. They were just like, 'Nothing against you guys, but we just don't endorse sampling.'" Ad-Rock then added "So we told them that we don't endorse people playing guitars."^[3]

The cover design is also famous for now being the official Def Jam records logo for vinyl releases; to this day, vinyl singles released by Def Jam have this design.

Long removed from print, it was considered a rare collector's item until Def Jam reissued the single in Europe in 2007.^[4]

Track listing

Side A
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Rock Hard"	4:55
2.	"Party's Gettin' Rough"	5:58

Side B
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Beastie Groove"	3:37
2.	"Beastie Groove" (instrumental)	3:37

Sample credits

"Rock Hard" contains samples of "Back in Black" by AC/DC
"Beastie Groove" contains a sample of "Black Dog" by Led Zeppelin

External links

Illegal Art Exhibition Compilation CD: Stay Free! magazine sponsored a project/exhibit entitled Illegal Art.^[5] As a part of the project, an album was compiled of songs which sampled audio without permission, including "Rock Hard."

References

↑ "Rock Hard - Beastie Boys" at AllMusic. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
↑ Christgau, Robert. "Beastie Boys". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
↑ "AC/DC nix Beastie Boys sample" (LexisNexis Academic Search). New Musical Express. November 11, 1999. Retrieved February 15, 2007
↑ "Rock Hard". Discography. Beastiemania.com. Retrieved October 10, 2011.
↑ "Illegal Art: Freedom of Expression in the Corporate Age". illegal-art.org. About the exhibit. Retrieved October 10, 2011.

Beastie Boys singles

Licensed to Ill	"Hold It Now, Hit It" "The New Style" "Paul Revere" "Brass Monkey" "(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!)" "No Sleep till Brooklyn" "Girls"

Paul's Boutique	"Hey Ladies" "Shadrach"

Check Your Head	"Pass the Mic" "So What'cha Want" "Jimmy James" "Gratitude" "Professor Booty"

Ill Communication	"Sabotage" "Get It Together" "Sure Shot" "Root Down"

Hello Nasty	"Intergalactic" "Body Movin'" "The Negotiation Limerick File" "Remote Control / Three MC's and One DJ"

To the 5 Boroughs	"Ch-Check It Out" "Triple Trouble" "Right Right Now Now" "An Open Letter to NYC"

The Mix-Up	"The Electric Worm"

Hot Sauce Committee Part Two	"Lee Majors Come Again" "Too Many Rappers" "Make Some Noise" "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win"

Other singles	"Cooky Puss" "Rock Hard" "She's on It" "Alive" "Now Get Busy"

Other songs	"In a World Gone Mad"

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