10 Perfect Rock Singles Released In Summer
2. Ramones: Bonzo Goes To Bitburg (1985)
When the Ramones hit the scene with their self-titled debut in 1976 they brought about the advent of punk. After that album punk became a fully formed and realised sub-genre. The Ramones' subsequent shows in the UK inspired members of the London pub rock scene to develop their own take on the genre. Without the Ramones groups like the Sex Pistols, the Clash and the Damned would never have gone on to create a London punk scene.
In the years that followed, the Ramones had mixed success with a string of albums. Almost a decade later they released Animal Boy; again critics and fans alike thought it a mixed bag. It was, however, preceded by the group's most politically charged single to date, and one that has only contributed to their legacy.
Joey Ramone's lyrics had usually revolved around the bleak life of New York's underbelly, but after a controversial trip by then president Ronald Reagan, he decided to tackle a more political subject. In 1985 Reagan took a trip to Germany, where he paid respect to the fallen soldiers of WW2. The president happened to visit a graveyard which contained members of the Waffen-SS, a combat unit responsible for a number of atrocities.
This was the Ramones' scathing responce to that incident.