![]() So “Gabba Gabba Hey!” to The Ramones, ya cretins. But even the bad albums are fun to listen to, and listeners are guaranteed at least one or two head-bopping, bubblegum chewing punk rock anthems. Bonus: They even star in their own cult classic film. And if a band’s success just happens to be defined by how many of their t-shirts are sold to teens at shopping malls across the world, then The Ramones are arguably the most successful band in the history of bands whose name, sound and image have been appropriated by mainstream culture. Hell, they even inspired a look and fashion that lives on in rock and punk rock circles over 45 years later. ![]() Far too many to list here, but from U2 to Green Day (and all of the popular and not-so-popular bands in-between), there isn’t a modern day rock/punk rock band that can’t thank The Ramones for paving the way. Instead, you have to look at how many bands and solo artists they influenced. The Ramones’ legacy will never be measured in the total number of records sold. Kevin Shields liked the Ramones, too Johnny Ramone impacted him, and Kevin Shields admitted that for him, the Ramones were THE revelation. Even parts of post-punk, post-hardcore and noise rock were inspired by the Ramones just look into Wire, Big Black, John Reis, Bob Mould, Sonic Youth, etc. The Ramones paved the way for hardcore punk and thrash metal, and you could say that they inspired pop punk. Saying that they defined punk is an understatement their impact on that genre is huge, and I’m sure their first four albums set a template that was expanded upon by many musicians. The Ramones sounded like they had a lot of fun, and even though a bunch of their songs followed a formula, there was a magic to the execution that kept their first four albums from getting tired.Īs a side note, I’m astounded by the impact of the Ramones. Their first four albums never came off as cheesy to me there was humor, irony & an endearing quality that brought another layer to their music. The lyrics are simple, and they didn’t deal with super-deep stuff the Ramones’ aesthetic consisted of a constant sugar rush. The melodies are excellent, too memorable, distinctive & incredibly yummy. Youve got to pick up the pieces Cmon, sort your trash Better pull yourself back together Maybe youve got too much cash Better call, call the law When you gonna turn yourself in Youre a politician Dont become one of Hitlers children. The Ramones never forgot about melody, and there were sweet elements underneath the roughness. The Ramones were melodic, too! Sure, they’re one of the pioneers of punk, but they were catchy! Their first four albums have tons of hooks & melodies, and the Ramones did pop tunes that were fast, raw & covered in distortion. ![]() I admire how the Ramones were bare-bones in many ways, along with the lack of guitar solos and how they focused on making fast-paced songs. The Ramones did a direct, straightforward interpretation of rock that I love. However, I love all of that! I like how the Ramones had a “to the point, no BS” style their songs were over in 2-3 minutes or less, and they didn’t waste your time. The rhythm section wasn’t flashy, and the Ramones were a stripped down band. Their first four albums are pivotal parts of punk, and I admire their style.įrankly, I love their simplicity! The Ramones (circa their debut to Road to Ruin) didn’t use super-complex compositions, and they used barre chords & downstrokes. It’s about life on the road, excess and politics all at once.The Ramones are a band that I’ve always liked, but recently, I’ve really gotten into them. It has big poppy production values with echoy Nananana’s in the background, a chiming keyboard refrain and a characteristically brilliant power chord guitar solo. ![]() by HOPE Includes unlimited streaming via the Bandcamp app, plus download. Today, it’s My Brain Is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes To Bitburg) from Animal Boy. from Nevermind The Monoxides, Heres Hope. Later I’ll tell you it’s Locket Love from Rocket To Russia, then it’ll be Touring from Mondo Bizarro, then The KKK Took My Baby Away from Pleasant Dreams.īut for now. To pick a single Ramones song for this site is impossible so I’ll start by telling you this is them at their best because it’s politically astute, catchy and spiky of sound. Buy Ramones records instead of their apparel. I should imagine that gap has only increased further since the final show (brilliantly captured on the live album We’re Outta Here) in 1996. A mix of B- Movie image, boundless enthusiasm for the art of rock and roll and strict rules on self indulgence in music spoiling the experience.įamously the band sold more T-Shirts than records while they were alive. They released album after album of perfect pop music and bridged the gap from the early days of rock and roll through the punk wars, through the dreadful eighties and into the grunge era without losing sight of their perfect vision.
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