The Ramones released their self-titled debut studio album in 1976.
Recorded in New York with producer Craig Leon, Ramones was issued by Sire Records on April 23, 1976. Its fourteen songs were extremely short, with the entire album lasting less than half an hour. The record established the band’s fast, compact sound and became one of the defining releases of early American punk.
The album included “Blitzkrieg Bop,” “Judy Is a Punk,” and “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend.” Although it was influential, it initially sold modestly and reached only number 111 on the Billboard 200. Its importance grew through touring and the influence it had on musicians in Britain and elsewhere.
A common mix-up is confusing the album’s release date with the Ramones’ first concert, which took place at New York’s Performance Studio in 1974. The debut album arrived two years later, during the formative period of punk’s first major wave.