When the Beastie Boys caused a UK crime wave in 1987
In 1987, Beastie Boys fans began stealing Volkswagen badges after Mike D wore one as a necklace during the band’s License to Ill era. The thefts spread across Britain, particularly during the group’s tour with Run-DMC, creating a minor crime wave that angered critics who already viewed the band as a bad influence.
The trend became known as getting “Beastied”, with Volkswagen owners finding their car grilles stripped of their logos. After the band denied encouraging vandalism and CBS issued a statement condemning it, Volkswagen turned the incident into an advertising opportunity by offering free or cheap replacement badges, helping the fad quickly disappear.
- Fans stole Volkswagen badges to copy Mike D’s style.
- The trend spread across Britain during the Beastie Boys’ 1987 tour.
- Volkswagen neutralised the fad by offering replacement badges.
Both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The Beastie Boys’ prominent use of a Volkswagen badge, combined with their rebellious image and popularity among young fans, could reasonably be seen as helping turn an existing impulse into a fashionable act of vandalism. Even without explicit encouragement, critics could argue that influential performers have some responsibility to consider how conspicuous symbols may be copied, particularly when the behaviour spread during their UK tour.
The case against
The thefts were individual choices, and it would be unfair to treat the band as responsible for crimes they neither urged nor endorsed. The fad may have reflected wider youth culture and media attention more than any deliberate influence, while the band’s denial and CBS’s condemnation showed that they did not support the vandalism; Volkswagen’s inexpensive replacements also helped bring it to an end.