Ramones Photography

Hailing from New York City in the mid ’70s, the Ramones are regarded as the first band to put punk rock on the map. The group of “brothers”—who were unrelated but all adopted the last name “Ramone”—tore up the legendary club CBGB, but after their self-titled debut on Sire Records in 1976, quickly attracted attention beyond the underground.

Throughout the second half of the ’70s and into the ’80s, some of their most raucous anthems included “Blitzkrieg Bop,” “Sheena Is a Punk Rocker,” “Rockaway Beach,” “Rock ‘n’ Roll High School,” and “I Wanna Be Sedated.” The Ramones toured for 22 consecutive years before finally calling it quits in 1996; the last time all four original members—Johnny, Joey, Dee Dee, and Tommy—appeared together was in 1999.

In 2002, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Ramones were recognized as the forefathers of the punk rock movement—rejecting the mainstream and reinventing rock and roll. They never had a hit, but their simple three-chord songwriting inspired a generation and influenced bands across all genres.