Ramones formed in Forest Hills, Queens, New York in 1974 and are widely cited as the foundational act of punk rock — short, fast, distorted songs with pop hooks. The 1976 self-titled debut and Rocket to Russia (1977) are the places to start; all four original members are gone, but the records still hit. Shop Ramones vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
Ramones formed in Forest Hills, Queens, New York in 1974 by Joey Ramone (Jeffrey Hyman, born May 19, 1951), Johnny Ramone (John Cummings, born October 8, 1948), Dee Dee Ramone (Douglas Colvin, born September 18, 1951, Fort Lee, Virginia, raised in Berlin), and Tommy Ramone (Tom Erdélyi, born January 29, 1949, Budapest, Hungary). The Ramones surname was adopted from Paul Ramon (Paul McCartney's early stage name). They are widely cited as the foundational act of punk rock as a recognized genre - establishing the foundational template of short, fast, distorted songs with pop sensibility that defined punk rock as a recognized genre. Their 1976 self-titled debut Ramones is widely cited as the foundational document of punk rock as a recognized genre. They were influential on the broader 1976-1977 punk rock movement, including influence on the Sex Pistols, the Clash, and the broader UK punk movement (1976 UK tour). The band had four drummers across their 22-year career - Tommy Ramone (1974-1978), Marky Ramone (Marc Bell, 1978-1983 and 1987-1996), Richie Ramone (Richard Reinhardt, 1983-1987), and Elvis Ramone (brief 1987 stint). The band dissolved in August 1996 after their farewell tour. Joey Ramone died of lymphoma on April 15, 2001 at age 49. Dee Dee Ramone died of heroin overdose on June 5, 2002 at age 50. Johnny Ramone died of prostate cancer on September 15, 2004 at age 55. Tommy Ramone died of bile duct cancer on July 11, 2014 at age 65. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. All four original members are deceased. Their foundational influence on punk rock, hardcore punk, pop punk, and broader contemporary rock is widely cited as one of the most important contributions to popular music history.
Ramones's sound is foundational to punk rock as a recognized genre - combining punk rock, pop punk, garage rock, glam rock, surf rock, bubblegum pop, and proto-hardcore with Joey Ramone's distinctive vocal delivery (use of bubblegum pop melodies in punk context), Johnny Ramone's foundational fast downstroke guitar approach, short song durations (most under three minutes, many under two), and lyrical content addressing pop culture themes drawing on bubblegum pop, B-movies, and contemporary popular culture.
Original Sire Records and subsequent pressings of the Ramones catalog are foundational items in punk and broader rock collecting.
Listeners new to Ramones typically start with Ramones (1976) or Rocket to Russia (1977).
