Ramones

The Ramones formed in Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974 and became one of the first bands to build American punk. Their sound was fast and stripped back, with pop hooks running through the noise, which is why the labels pop punk and power pop sit beside punk rock in their story. Each member took the surname Ramone, though none were related, an idea borrowed from Paul McCartney's old stage name, Paul Ramon.

They toured almost without a break for 22 years, playing 2,263 concerts and releasing fourteen studio albums before a farewell show in Los Angeles in 1996. The debut, Ramones, is the natural place to start, followed by Rocket to Russia, Road to Ruin and End of the Century. Commercial success eluded them while they were active, but their reputation has grown steadily, and they entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.