Top Ten Beastie Boys Albums (according to Ryan O'Brien)
1.  Paul's Boutique - A record that could never be made again.  The amount of samples on this would be impossible to pay for today.  Back when beat-jacking was the norm, this was the pinnacle of what would later become the "mash-up."  They sampled James Brown, Pink Floyd, the Beatles and a million other obscure records.  What makes this so special is the low-brow beats on some of the songs... Car Thief, Egg Man, High Plains Drifter, What Comes Around.. it's about as chill as rap could ever get.
2.  Check Your Head - Cemented them as real musicians.  Loud punk rock, chill lounge jams and of course the b-boy rap they were known for.  There is no 1-2-3 like this on any other record by anyone... Pass the Mic (b-boy), Gratitude (punk), Lighten up (chill)... and it has So What You Want, their best song.
3.  License to Ill - Fight for Your Right... No Sleep 'Til Brooklyn.. Paul Revere...  They were crazy beer drinkers and they were immature, which is what made this so fun.  They'd never be this stupid again.
4.  Hello Nasty - The Move... a return to the b-boy style, yet this time, more mature.. I think this one has aged well..
5.  Ill Communication - A sequel of sorts to Check Your Head.  They pulled the b-boy-punk-chill combo to diminished returns, though it was more popular than anything that had put out post-License.
6.  The Mix-Up - A lost gem, though they don't rap or sing on it.  Fresh instrumentals throughout.
7.  To The 5 Burroughs - Uninspired
8.  Hot Sauce Committee Part 2 -  Should not have been made.  MCA was not well.  This sounds mailed in.

Compilation wise, Solid Gold Hits is solid, but I think the 2 disc The Sounds of Science is a better move, it's more versatile and more listenable.