The death of Adam “MCA” Yauch of the Beastie Boys yesterday at 47 came as a shock. He’d been battling cancer for several years, but unbeknownst to the public, his health had suddenly worsened in the past two weeks. Yauch’s family and friends must be comforted to see the outpouring of tributes to him and the music of the Beastie Boys as news of his passing has spread around the world.

Blasting past boundaries of genre, race, and status, the pioneering hip-hop sounds of MCA, Mike D, and Ad-Rock impacted so many, from casual fans to fellow musicians. Paste has posted a pretty comprehensive wrap-up of the latter.

Count Coldplay in the Beastie Boys’ fan club. During their concert at the Hollywood Bowl last night, they paused to pay tribute to Yauch with a low-key version of Beastie Boys’ debut single, “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!).” Chris, Jonny, Guy, and Will delivered an appropriately reverent version that also made some room for celebration of the Beasties’ legacy.

I’d forgotten that I posted my own tribute to the Beastie Boys a couple of years back. Ch-ch-check it out.

Free download of Coldplay – “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)” (Beastie Boys cover) via Stereogum.