Ramones, << ruh MOHNZ, >> were a popular American rock band that played a major role in creating the punk rock movement. Punk rock has a loud, fast, and energetic sound, and punk rockers bring an angry, rebellious attitude to their music.
The Ramones were formed in New York City in 1974 by lead singer Joey Ramone (Jeffrey Hyman, 1951-2001), guitarist Johnny Ramone (John Cummings, 1948-2004), and bassist Dee Dee Ramone (Douglas Colvin, 1951-2002). Later in 1974, the Hungarian-born drummer Tommy Ramone (Erdelyi Tamas, 1949-2014) joined the group. All of the group’s members adopted the last name Ramone, although none of them were related. There are a number of stories about why the members of the band adopted the name Ramone. One of the more widely accepted stories says that the name was inspired by the English musician Paul McCartney. McCartney had briefly used the stage name Paul Ramon, or Ramone, during the early days of the group that later became the Beatles.
The Ramones’ self-titled first album, Ramones, was released in 1976. It featured the Ramones’ debut single “Blitzkrieg Bop.” Critics praised the album, though it did not sell well at the time. It is now considered a rock classic. The Ramones began to gain notice after they toured the United Kingdom later in 1976.
The group’s second album, Leave Home (1977), featured the notable songs “Pinhead” and “Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment.” The Ramones’ third album, Rocket to Russia (1977), was the most successful. It featured a number of what became the Ramones’ best-known songs, including “Rockaway Beach,” “Sheena Is a Punk Rocker,” and “Teenage Lobotomy.”
The Ramones recorded 14 studio albums. Their other notable songs include ”I Wanna Be Sedated” (1978) and “Do You Remember Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio?” (1980). The group appeared in the motion picture Rock ‘n’ Roll High School (1979). A number of the Ramones’ songs were featured in the film, including the title song.
In 1978, Tommy Ramone was replaced by drummer Marky Ramone (Marc Bell, 1956-…). From 1983 to 1987, Richie Ramone (Richard Beau Reinhardt, 1957-…) replaced Marky as drummer. Marky returned to the band in 1987. Dee Dee left the band in 1989 and was replaced by bassist C. J. Ramone (Christopher Joseph Ward, 1965-…).
The Ramones disbanded in 1996. Joey Ramone died of cancer in 2001. The Ramones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002. Dee Dee Ramone died of an accidental drug overdose that same year. Johnny Ramone died of cancer in 2004. Tommy Ramone died of cancer in 2014.
See also Punk rock ; Rock music (Punk rock) .
