#63 Ramones by the Ramones

The 100 Greatest Albums of All Time

2025 Album Rank

63

2011 Album Rank

63

Total Points

986.5

Year Released

1976

Billboard 200 Chart Peak

111

Weeks at #1

N/A

RIAA Sales Certification

N/A (Fewer then 500,000 copies sold)

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Ramones Album Details

Released on April 23, 1976, Ramones was a sonic atom bomb that detonated at the dawn of American punk. Clocking in at just under 30 minutes, the album's 14 songs offered an aggressive, stripped-down alternative to the bloated rock and prog of the mid-70s. With roaring guitars, pummeling rhythms, and lyrics that mixed adolescent angst, black humor, and B-movie surrealism, the Ramones redefined what rock could be: fast, loud, and raw.

The opening salvo, Blitzkrieg Bop, immediately introduced the band's minimalist aesthetic: three chords, four counts, and a wall of sound. Songs like Judy Is a Punk, I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend, and 53rd & 3rd fused pop melodies with a confrontational edge. Though not commercially successful upon release, Ramones became one of the most influential rock albums of all time, jumpstarting the punk movements in New York, London, and beyond.

Interesting Facts about Ramones

• The album was recorded in just seven days at Plaza Sound Studio in New York City, with a budget of around $6,400. Producer Craig Leon captured the band almost live in the studio with minimal overdubs.
• Blitzkrieg Bop was not originally intended to be the lead single, but its chant "Hey! Ho! Let's go!" became the band's defining slogan.
• 53rd & 3rd was based on Dee Dee Ramone's own experiences in male prostitution during his youth. He sang the bridge himself, marking one of the few lead vocals he contributed to the album.
• The cover photo, taken by Roberta Bayley, became one of the most iconic images in rock. The band is pictured against a brick wall, dressed in ripped jeans and leather jackets, cementing their streetwise aesthetic.
• Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue was a sarcastic take on suburban boredom and teenage self-destruction. Joey Ramone later said it was meant to be funny, not instructional.
• The band took their last name from Paul McCartney, who used the pseudonym "Paul Ramon" when checking into hotels. The unified surname was part of their concept of being a street gang disguised as a rock group.
• The speed and brevity of the songs were a direct reaction against the excess of 1970s rock. Many tracks on the album are under two minutes long, with a total runtime of 29:04.
• I Don't Wanna Go Down to the Basement and Chain Saw reflected the band's love of horror movies. Chain Saw even deliberately misspelled the title as one word on the sleeve.
• The album was not a hit in the U.S., peaking at only No. 111 on the Billboard 200, but it resonated deeply with musicians. Members of the Clash, Sex Pistols, and Buzzcocks were among the first to champion it.
• Despite its raw sound, the album was carefully structured. Joey's pop sensibility, Johnny's down-stroke guitar barrage, Dee Dee's driving bass, and Tommy's controlled drumming created a new kind of precision punk.
• The album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2007 for its cultural and historical significance.

Ramones Tracklist

1. Blitzkrieg Bop
2. Beat on the Brat
3. Judy is a Punk
4. I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend
5. Chainsaw
6. Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue
7. I Don't Wanna Go Down to the Basement
8. Loudmouth
9. Havana Affair
10. Listen to My Heart
11. 53rd & 3rd
12. Let's Dance
13. I Don't Wanna Walk Around with You
14. Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World

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