Released thirty-five years ago, 'Rocket to Russia' was to have been the Ramones big breakthrough -- the album to put them on the radio, in the charts and in the hearts of rock and rollers everywhere! As we all know ... that never happened. Despite the random attempts over the years to re-write rock and roll history via 'rockumentaries,' the truth is, most of America couldn't have cared less about the Ramones. 1977 was all about Kiss, Fleetwood Mac, the Eagles, and so on. Most U.S. teens were simply not interested in the propulsive three-minute blasts of energy dished out at sonic speed by four misfits from NYC.
Frank Micelotta / Ethan Miller / Keystone / Jemal Countess / Jim Dyson, Getty Images
The Ramones influence on future punk rock generations will surely never ebb. At the forefront of that movement was Dee Dee Ramone -- the bassist, songwriter and founding member of the group. This coming Sept. 18, Ramone would have been 61.
If you're the drummer in a Ramones tribute band, watch out -- this robot's coming for your job. Check out this four-armed, mohawked machine as it sets the pace on the band's 1976 anthem 'Blitzkreig Bop.'
John Lennon, Blondie and the Ramones share a common thread with legendary photographer Bob Gruen: New York City. Gruen has been synonymous with rock 'n' roll for over 40 years and though he's internationally renowned, he's spent a great deal of his career capturing the sights and sounds of NYC with his camera.
The only living original member of the Ramones, drummer/producer Tommy Ramone, says that even now, 35 years after the release of the band's trail-blazing debut album, there isn't a day that passes during which he doesn't think about his time spent with Joey, Johnny and Dee Dee.
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