The Ongoing History of New Music, episode 1084: A triple Ramones anniversary

There are many godfathers in music. The Godfather of Rock? Well, there’s the King, Elvis Presley, but Chuck Berry is probably a more accurate choice…the Godfather of Funk and Soul? James Brown. The godfathers of hip-hop? DJ Kool Herc was the O.G. Run-D.M.C. should be in there, too, along with Afrika Bambaataa, Spoonie Gee, and Fab 5 Freddy. How about the Godfather of Punk? Iggy Pop, no question. But what about the Fathers of Punk? I’m going to say that title belongs to Ramones, period, full stop, end of discussion. Wait: back up. In the early 1800s, an American pioneer named John Chapman travelled from Massachusetts, collecting seeds from Pennsylvania cider presses, and for the rest of his life, he planted thousands of apple trees through what is now Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Chapman was given the nickname “Johnny Appleseed” because wherever he went, apple trees sprouted in his wake. In the mid-1970s, the Ramones—four middle-class kids from Forest Hills in Queens—began to have the same effect with a new style of rock and roll known as “punk.” Whenever they played a town on one of their endless tours, new bands would inevitably start popping up just a few days later. What began as a cartoonish attempt at making goofy bubblegum pop music—think of what The Beach Boys might sound like if they sniffed glue and took a lot of meth—the Ramones stumbled on something profound and eternal. It was all a big, happy, dumb accident. The Ramones had no idea they were about to change the world of music. They were just four regular guys who wanted to rock in the most basic way. They certainly accomplished that—but they also reminded everyone that when it comes to the power and joy of rock, sometimes “less” is “more.” They gave rock ’n’ roll a much-needed kick in the ass, and it took a long time for them to be recognized for what they gave us. They got punk going on both sides of the Atlantic. The guys who would eventually become The Clash worshipped them. The Sex Pistols took cues from them. They’d go on to be an influence on hardcore, metal, thrash, grunge, and every flavour of guitar-based alt-rock. Fans include Nirvana and Foo Fighters, Metallica, Soundgarden, Pixies, Faith No More, Beastie Boys, Pearl Jam, The Strokes, The Offspring, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Guns N’ Roses, Motörhead, Green Day, Blink-182, Rancid, Fall Out Boy, and hundreds—probably thousands—of others. This (2026) is an important year in Ramones history. It’s the 25th anniversary of Joey Ramone’s death, the first member of the band to leave us. It’s the 30th anniversary of the last Ramones show, and it’s the 50th anniversary of the release of their debut album. Let’s cover all of that with this triple tribute to one of the greatest and most important bands in the history of rock. Songs heard on this show (all by the Ramones except the last one):

• • Sheena is a Punk Rocker

• • Judy is a Punk (demo)

• • Beat on the Brat

• • Blitzkrieg Bop

• • Teenage Lobotomy

• • I Wanna Be Sedated

• • Do You Remember Rock’n’Roll Radio?

• • Chinese Rocks

• • Anyway You Want It

• • U2, The Miracle of Joey Ramone

Here’s Eric Wilhite’s playlist. The Ongoing History of New Music can be heard on these stations:

• • 102.1 The Edge/Toronto – Sunday night at 7pm

• • Q107/Toronto – Sunday night at 9pm

• • Live 88-5/Ottawa – Saturdays at 9am and Sundays at 6pm

• • 107.5 Dave-FM/Kitchener – Sunday nights at 11pm

• • FM96/London – Sunday nights at 8pm

• • Power 97/Winnipeg – Sunday nights at 10am and 10pm

• • 107-3 The Edge/Calgary – Sundays at 10am and 10pm

• • Sonic 102.9/Edmonton – Sunday at 8am and 8pm

• • The Zone/Victoria – Sunday at 9am and 9pm

• • The Fox/Vancouver – Sundays at 10am and 10pm

• • The Goat Network/Interior BC

• • WAPS/WKTL The Summit/Arkon, Canton, Cleveland, Youngstown – Mon-Fri at 9pm

© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.