10 Greatest Pop Punk Bands Of All Time
3. Ramones
For years now, punk fans have been known to call the pop-flavored part of the genre as a scourge upon the punk name. After all, since the first wave of punk was all about speed and energy, why the hell would something like that actually fit on pop radio? A fair point for sure...as long as you don't count the Ramones.
Make no mistake, the Ramones have more than earned their pedigree in punk history, being arguably the first band to start the genre all the way back in the late '70s. When you take their songs at face value though, you start to see some of the more pop-friendly stuff rearing its head on every track. Even all the way back on the debut Ramones record, every song has an immediate hook played through an aggressive guitar, which is practically the essence of pop punk to the letter.
Throughout their career, Ramones had made this their calling card, with every other song being what the traditional pop groups of the '60s would have sounded like if they grew up on the wrong side of the tracks and soaked their instruments in layers of fuzz. While the Ramones may have kickstarted some heavier genres like the hardcore scene, their sound will forever be engrained in pop punk until the end of time.