Ramones

The Ramones were a pioneering American punk rock band that originated in the Forest Hills neighborhood of Queens, New York City, in 1974. They are frequently credited as the first band to capture the essence of punk rock music.

Each of the band members took on pseudonyms with the last name “Ramone,” although there was no familial connection between them. Over their career, they played 2,263 concerts, engaging in nearly continuous touring for 22 years. In 1996, following a tour with the Lollapalooza music festival, the band held a farewell concert and subsequently disbanded. By 2014, all four original members of the band—lead vocalist Joey Ramone (1951–2001), guitarist Johnny Ramone (1948–2004), bassist Dee Dee Ramone (1951–2002), and drummer Tommy Ramone (1949–2014)—had passed away.

The band's significance was increasingly recognized over time, and they are now often included in lists of the greatest rock bands of all time. On March 18, 2002, the initial four members, along with Marky Ramone, who replaced Tommy on drums, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2011, the band was honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.