Ill Communication (Remastered Edition)

Topping the charts upon its release in 1994, Ill Communication found the Beasties out-cooling almost all other alt-rock acts. The New York trio mixed up hooky beat science, hardcore punk and cerebral but brassy rhymes — a sound they had trotted out on 1992's Check Your Head but simply did better here. Jazz-funk instrumentals complement party-ready sure shots like "Get It Together" and the indelible rap-rock jam "Sabotage." The bonus disc — 12 tracks of remixes, rarities and live cuts — feels thin, but this remastered version captures every vocodered lyric and shout-out to Buddha (not the drug) in pristine sound.