On This Day, April 23, 1976: The Ramones released their self-titled debut

By Jill Lances

April 23, 2025 at 7:45 am EDT

On This Day, April 23, 1976…

New York punk pioneers the Ramones released their self-titled debut on Sire Records. The iconic cover featured the four members of the band leaning against a brick wall in New York City.

The album, which was recorded in one week, opened with what would become a Ramones classic: “Blitzkrieg Bop.” That song was the first single released from the record, with the second being “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend.”

While Ramones wasn't a commercial success, only making it to #111 on the Billboard charts, it was a hit with critics and went on to be considered one of the most influential punk records in the U.S. It has also landed on several best-of lists, including Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

In 2016, a 40th anniversary edition of the album was released, which included new mixes of the album, as well as outtakes, demos and a live 1976 performance.