| Rock Hard | |
| Cover: | rockhard.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | Beastie Boys |
| Released: | 1984 |
| Recorded: | 1984 |
| Genre: | Rap rock |
| Length: | 4:55 |
| Label: | Def Jam |
| Producer: | Rick Rubin |
| Prev Title: | Cooky Puss |
| Prev Year: | 1983 |
| Next Title: | She's on It |
| Next Year: | 1985 |
"Rock Hard" is a single by the Beastie Boys, released by Def Jam Records on 12" in 1984. The track contains samples from the AC/DC song "Back in Black", which was used without obtaining legal permission, causing the record to be withdrawn. When the group planned to include the out-of-print song on their 1999 compilation, , AC/DC refused to clear the sample. 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."[1]
John Leland of Spin noted the song's, "parodic extremes. I mean, no one has a beat this big and this wet. While this platter delivers ample boasts for the buck, the Beasties never take themselves or their genre too seriously."[2]