The Ramones

The Ramones were a punk rock band formed in New York (Queens) in March 1974. They led the New York punk movement and are often credited with forming the musical foundation of punk.

The original band members Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee and Tommy all adopted Ramone as a surname although they were not actually brothers. Dee Dee Ramone suggested the name "Ramones", inspired by the fact that Paul McCartney used to call himself Phil Ramone when checking into hotels to hide his true identity.

The Ramones pioneered a back-to-the-basics sound that heralded a raw rock 'n' roll and bubblegum pop sound played louder and faster. Joey Ramone has stated the Ramones were rather taken with the Bay City Rollers' hit song "Saturday Night," and set out to imitate its catchy, sing-a-long quality.

After playing gigs at the legendary CBGB club in the Manhattan Bowery district, they were signed by Sire Records in autumn 1975 and recorded their debut album for about $6000.

They appeared at the Roundhouse in London, England, on July 4, 1976, second billed to the Flamin' Groovies. Their appearance galvanized the UK punk rock scene, inspiring future punk stars including members of The Clash and The Sex Pistols.

After two years on the road and the Top 50 hit album Rocket to Russia, an exhausted Tommy Ramone was replaced on drums by Marky Ramone. Tommy worked with Marky to ensure that his drumming was appropriate for the Ramones style; he also produced the fourth studio album Road to Ruin and their eighth Too Tough To Die. It was the lineup with Marky which played a central role in the 1979 film Rock 'n' Roll High School.

Marky Ramone was replaced by Richie Ramone before rejoining the band in 1990. Dee Dee Ramone left after 1989's Brain Drain, and was replaced by C.J. Ramone.

After a spot in the 1996 Lollapalooza festival, The Ramones disbanded, reportedly due to ongoing personality clashes and frustration at not achieving success commensurate with their influence. Joey Ramone died of cancer in 2001, Dee Dee died of a drug overdose in 2002 and Johnny died of cancer in 2004.