The Ramones

The Ramones were an American rock band often regarded as the first punk rock group.

After forming in Forest Hills, Queens, New York in 1974, they performed and played 2,263 concerts, touring virtually non-stop for 22 years, in 1996 after a tour with the Lollapalooza music festival, the band went on a brief club tour, and then disbanded. Three of the original band members—Joey, Johnny, and Dee Dee Ramone—died relatively shortly after the break up. The Ramones never achieved much commercial success during the time they were touring. Their only album to reach certified gold status in the U.S. was their compilation album Ramones Mania. The band has seen somewhat of a renaissance during the early and mid-2000's, and their albums now regularly appear on "all-time greatest" lists in various rock magazines, such as Rolling Stone and Mojo, an honor not often bestowed upon them while still performing. In 2002, the Ramones were voted the second greatest rock and roll band ever in Spin Magazine, trailing only to The Beatles.

On March 2, 2002 they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.