How The Ramones changed American rock’n’roll forever We reflect on the incredible impact that The Ramones had on music, stretching far beyond the New York punk scene and into the very fabric of rock’n’roll… Words: Phil Alexander ‘ Hey, ho! Let’s go!’ The simple rallying crying that kicks off Blitzkrieg Bop, the opening track on The Ramones’ self-titled debut – a record that revolutionised American rock’n’roll in the space of 14 short, sharp tracks. Released on April 23, 1976, the album’s longest tune – the psychological creep-fest of I Don’t Wanna Go Down To The Basement – clocks in at two minutes and 39 seconds. The shortest – Judy Is A Punk, an ode to young offenders – blasts forth for a mere minute and 32 seconds. The self-explanatory Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue (all one minute 35 seconds of it) is atypical in that it contains a rare guitar solo. This is music with no fat on the bone.