Ramones

Punk1974–1996United States 2010s 1970s 2000s 1990s 1980s

About Ramones

The Ramones were an American punk rock band formed in the New York City neighborhood Forest Hills, Queens in 1974. Known for helping establish the punk movement in the United States and elsewhere, the Ramones are often recognized as one of the first bands of the genre. Although they never achieved significant commercial success during their existence, the band is seen today as highly influential in punk culture. All members adopted pseudonyms ending with the surname Ramone, although none were biologically related; they were inspired by Paul McCartney, who used the stage name Paul Ramon when the Beatles were still calling themselves The Silver Beetles. The Ramones performed 2,263 concerts, touring virtually nonstop for 22 years, and released fourteen studio albums. In 1996, after a tour as part of the Lollapalooza music festival, they played a farewell concert in Los Angeles and disbanded. By 2014, all four original members had died: lead singer Joey Ramone (1951–2001), bassist Dee Dee Ramone (1951–2002), guitarist Johnny Ramone (1948–2004) and drummer Tommy Ramone (1949–2014). The Ramones had experienced a few lineup changes, with Joey and Johnny as the only constant members. Tommy...