10 Best Singles From The Golden Age Of Punk
3. Blitzkrieg Bop - The Ramones
The Ramones are the most important American punk band. That statement is unquestionable. When they played at The Roundhouse in London in 1976, virtually every member of the punk cognoscenti was there. It might be an exaggeration to say that they invented punk, but everything that they did almost became the template for punk to follow.
The genius of The Ramones is often overlooked. Not only musically, but even in their image. Pictures of them in the band 'uniform' of biker jacket, ripped jeans and sneakers are as iconic as the promo shots of the fab four in the sixties. Whilst it is undoubtedly true that most of the people wearing a Ramones shirt may well have never heard the band, their influence still towers over punk/emo/hardcore to this day.
The choice of 'Blitzkrieg Bop' for this list was a tough one, fighting off stiff competition from 'Rockaway Beach' and 'Sheena Is A Punk Rocker', but the legendary 'hey ho, let's go' chant is what steals the win. With no original members still with us, it is sad that they aren't here to see their enduring influence and even reap their fair financial reward for the exploitation of their image and logo.