Buzz
Douglas Colvin, John Cummings, Thomas Erdelyi, and Jeffrey Hyman may not be household names, but the world knows the Ramones. Dee Dee. Johnny. Tommy. Joey. These four men joined forces to revolutionize music, bringing forth an era of fast, no-nonsense tunes that were punk before it even had a name. Despite their personal struggles and difficult pasts, they created witty songs about sniffing glue, yearning to be sedated, and enduring shock treatment. Here are 11 fascinating facts about the Ramones.
1. The Ramones' name came from Paul McCartney's pseudonym when checking into hotels.
There was once a rumor that the punk band came up with their name by throwing a dart at a phone book, but the real story is far more charming. Bassist Dee Dee Ramone, a huge Beatles fan, had learned that Paul McCartney used "Paul Ramon" as his alias during the early days of the Silver Beatles, giving him a bit of privacy. Dee Dee adopted the surname "Ramone" as his stage name, and thus the iconic band name was born.
2. The Ramones had limited success on the Billboard charts.
With their signature black leather jackets and worn-out jeans, the Ramones were far from being a novelty surf band. Yet, it was their bright, catchy track "Rockaway Beach" from the 1977 album Rocket to Russia that reached the highest chart position of any of their singles, peaking at No. 66 on the Billboard Hot 100. As for albums, their 1980 release End of the Century was the band's most successful, climbing to No. 44 on the Billboard 200. If you're hoping for more chart-topping hits, there aren't many—only four Ramones albums ever made it to the top 100, with some slipping out of the top 200 in under a month.
3. The first Ramones concert occurred exactly five years after Woodstock.
Sometimes, history seems to echo itself, and so it was when the Ramones took the stage at New York's legendary CBGB club on August 16, 1974—exactly five years after the iconic Woodstock festival. Their performance marked the beginning of a raw, noisy style of music that rejected both the free love ethos and the corporate rock dominating the airwaves at the time. They played just about half a dozen songs, finishing up in a quick 17 minutes.
4. The Ramones' logo was a symbol of their all-American identity.
The legendary Ramones logo was designed by artist Arturo Vega, a close friend of the band who allowed them to practice in his loft. "I saw them as the ultimate all-American band. To me, they reflected the American character in general—an almost childish innocent aggression," Vega told The Guardian. It's fitting, then, that the logo is inspired by the presidential seal, featuring an eagle clutching a baseball bat rather than arrows (a nod to Johnny Ramone's love for baseball), with the names of each band member encircling it in bold letters.
5. Dee Dee Ramone wrote "Pet Sematary" in Stephen King's basement.
Both Stephen King and the Ramones admired each other's work, so when the band was touring New England in the '80s, the horror legend invited them to his house in Maine. After dinner and exploring King's collection of horror memorabilia, Dee Dee wandered off with a copy of Pet Sematary (as Marky Ramone later recalled, this often meant trouble). One hour later, he returned from King's basement with the finished lyrics and melody for a song that would later be featured in the movie adaptation of King's novel.
6. Dee Dee continued writing for the Ramones even after his departure.
Dee Dee was the creative powerhouse behind the Ramones, responsible for writing the majority of their songs over the years. Despite his struggles with mental health and addiction, and his eventual departure from the band due to burnout from touring, he kept contributing new material. His songs appeared on later albums like Mondo Bizarro and ¡Adios Amigos!, the band's final studio record. Dee Dee also formed the spin-off band The Ramainz, alongside former and replacement Ramones members Marky and C.J.
7. Elvis Ramone's tenure was brief, lasting only two performances.
The Ramones had a constantly changing lineup, with a total of eight members over the years. The shortest stint was by Elvis Ramone, also known as Clem Burke, the longtime drummer for Blondie. He joined the band for two shows in 1987 after Richie Ramone (Richard Reinhardt) left. Unfortunately for Elvis, he couldn't keep pace with the band's relentless energy and was quickly replaced by the re-hired Marky Ramone.
8. Phil Spector pulled a gun on the band during a recording session.
In 1979, the Ramones starred in the Roger Corman-produced musical comedy Rock & Roll High School, which included a new single inspired by the movie. Both the film and single underperformed, prompting their label to team them up with legendary producer Phil Spector for their next album, End of the Century, hoping for a more commercially viable sound. The collaboration was a disaster. Spector, known for his erratic behavior and obsessive control, pulled a gun on Dee Dee (though some versions claim it was Johnny) when he attempted to leave Spector’s home one evening.
9. Johnny and Joey Ramone had a deep animosity toward each other.
Guitarist Johnny Ramone and lead vocalist Joey were the only members of the band to stick around from the very beginning to the very end—and they absolutely loathed each other. As reported by Rolling Stone, they hardly spoke during the band's 22-year existence, traveling the world in complete silence for decades. Johnny didn't even visit Joey in the hospital during his illness, and he refused to attend Joey's funeral when he passed away in 2001, bluntly stating that they were never friends and he wouldn't have expected Joey to attend his funeral either.
What caused the tension between them? The timeless reasons of love and politics: Joey was a liberal, Johnny a conservative, but they did find common ground in their shared affection for the same woman, Linda Danielle. Johnny eventually married Linda, and while the music outlasted their personal strife, the band ended with Joey's death.
"[It] was never officially over until Joey died," Johnny wrote in his autobiography. "There was no more Ramones without Joey. He was irreplaceable, no matter what a pain he was. He was actually the most difficult person I have ever dealt with in my life. I didn’t want him to die, though. I wouldn’t have wanted to play without him no matter how I felt about him; we were in it together…"
10. The Ramones performed 2263 shows over the course of 22 years.
That's essentially one performance every three days for more than two decades. They were a working band, constantly on the road, holding the title of punk rock's pioneers despite personal disputes, lineup changes, and the harsh scrutiny from America's rock critics.
11. The Ramones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their very first year of eligibility.
In a moment of recognition that perfectly reflected their profound impact on music, the Ramones stormed into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March 18, 2002, during their first year of eligibility. Johnny, Tommy, Marky, and Dee Dee received the honor as the surviving members, with a fifth award placed on stage for Joey, who had passed away the previous April. Johnny gave a nod to George W. Bush, and Dee Dee took a moment to thank himself.
