Ramones is the debut studio album by American punk rock band the Ramones, released on April 23, 1976 by Sire Records. After Hit Parader editor Lisa Robinson saw the band at a gig in New York City, she wrote about them in an article and contacted Danny Fields, insisting he be their manager. Fields agreed and convinced Craig Leon to produce Ramones, and the band recorded a demo for prospective record labels. Leon persuaded Sire president Seymour Stein to listen to the band perform, and he later offered the band a recording contract. The Ramones began recording in January 1976, needing only seven days and $6,400 to record the album. They used similar sound-output techniques to those of the Beatles, and used advanced production methods by Leon.

The album cover, photographed by Punk magazine’s Roberta Bayley, features the four members leaning against a brick wall in New York City. The record company paid only $125 for the front photo, which has since become one of the most imitated album covers of all time. The back cover depicts an eagle belt buckle along with the album’s liner notes. After its release, Ramones was promoted with two singles which failed to chart. The Ramones also began touring to help sell records; these tour dates were mostly based in the United States, though two were booked in Britain.

Violence, drug use, relationship issues, humor, and Nazism were prominent in the album’s lyrics. The album opens with “Blitzkrieg Bop”, which is among the band’s most recognized songs. Most of the album’s tracks are uptempo, with many songs measuring at well over 160 beats per minute. The songs are also rather short; at two-and-a-half minutes, “I Don’t Wanna Go Down to the Basement” is the album’s longest track. Ramones contains a cover of the Chris Montez song “Let’s Dance”.

Ramones peaked at No. 111 on the US Billboard 200 and was unsuccessful commercially; initially it received mixed reviews from the few critics who wrote about it. However, many later deemed it a highly influential record, and it has since received many accolades, such as the top spot on Spin magazine’s list of the “50 Most Essential Punk Records”. Ramones went on to inspire many bands like the Sex Pistols, the Buzzcocks, and the Clash, among others. Aside from sparking the punk-rock scene in both the US and UK, it has had a significant impact on other genres of rock music, such as grunge and heavy metal. The album was ranked at number 33 in Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” in 2012 and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America “

Released: 23 April 1976

Recorded: February 1976 at Plaza Sound, Radio City Music Hall, New York City, New York, United States

Genre: Punk rock

Length: 29:04

Label: Sire (US & UK) Philips (Europe)

Producer: Craig Leon & Tommy Ramone

Singles released from the Album:

“Blitzkrieg Bop” Released in February 1976

“I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend” Released in February 1976