Ramones is the most important punk-rock band of all time: sorry, Sex Pistols, and The Clash. The Ramones’ albums are ranked as some of the finest music that the punk genre has to offer.

At their best, The Ramones made it all seem so easy. Perhaps it was because they’d invented the templates that others followed. Pummeling three-chord songs, lack of solos, cartoonish lyrics about gore and violence, and relentless power were all part of the band’s formula.

Still, it took the band’s breakup and the untimely passing of every single one of their members for The Ramones to get the respect that they always deserved.

Today I’m digging up the skinny jeans, and leather jacket, moving the power chord shape around the guitar fretboard, and ranking the albums in The Ramones’ discography from worst to best.

Ramones Albums Ranked

14. “Halfway to Sanity” (1987)

The Ramones created more memorable songs than any of their punk-rock peers. But “Halfway to Sanity” proves that all wells eventually run dry.

To their credit, Ramones in the 80s are fighting out their inevitable demise. “Halfway to Sanity” is full of intensity and aggression. But few of the songs are up to the band’s lofty standard.

“I Wanna Live” is the album’s highlight and a clear message about the band members’ desire to ensure the group’s survival.

13. “Acid Eaters” (1993)

“Acid Eaters” allows Ramones to force their sound onto classic 1960s tunes. The results are pleasant such as on The Who cover “Substitute.”

Still, “Acid Eaters” is also a sad testament to the fact that not even during the alt-rock 90s boom that they helped inspire, Ramones couldn’t get the success they deserved.

12. “¡Adios Amigos!” (1995)

“¡Adios Amigos!” allows Ramones to bow out gracefully. Few thought they’d become as widely missed as they did. Even at their least good, there weren’t many bands that could hold a candle to Ramones.

The band’s cover of “I Don’t Wanna Grow Up” feels particularly poignant. Dee Dee Ramone’s songwriting contribution “Makin Monsters for My Friends” echoes the zaniness of their early records. And, “Cretin Family” is the right way to end Ramones’ adventure.

11. “Animal Boy” (1986)

On “Animal Boy,” Ramones begin to doubt themselves. And the lack of confidence is immediately felt and affects the quality of the album.

But who could blame them? Ramones was one of the finest bands in the world. But interest in their music had died down, group members had begun to squabble, and not even the group’s lineup was consistent.

It’s no wonder the band attempts to update its sound for the synth-heavy pop music of the 1980s.

“Somebody Put Something in My Drink” is a highlight, however. Bringing a touch of rockabilly influences and Joey’s passionate vocals, it’s one of the albums saving graces.

“My Brain is Hanging Upside Down (Bonzo Goes to Bitburg)” is another underrated track and a rare political statement from Ramones. The powerful song is a reaction to Ronald Reagan’s ill-planned visit to Bitburg, Germany.

10. “Subterranean Jungle” (1983)

“Subterranean Jungle” was a fun album that echoed Ramones’ early fervor. But, this time, the undeniable pop hooks were in much shorter supply.

“Psycho Therapy” is a track that combines the band’s early punk energy with a hummable chorus. It explored themes of mental health and wasn’t even the first song by Ramones to do this.

“Outsider” was another highlight. The song places the quartet as intruders in an uncaring society toward them. The song was later covered by Green Day.

Ramones never made a truly unenjoyable album, but “Subterranean Jungle” begins a weak streak.

9. “Mondo Bizzaro” (1992)

“Mondo Bizzaro” finds Ramones smiling in the face of adversity and managing the near-impossible task of carrying on without their original bassist Dee Dee Ramone.

The band achieves this by not straying far from their roots. CJ Ramone, the band’s new bassist, cuts the figure of a younger Dee Dee. The songs are short, comical, and punchy. And the sound has renewed vigor.

“The Job That Ate My Brain” feels like “Rocket to Russia” for middle-age problems.

And Dee Dee still contributes a few excellent songs, including the exceptional single “Poison Heart.” The single would go on to also be the title of Dee Dee Ramone’s autobiography.

8. “Too Tough to Die” (1984)

With The Ramones’ classic brand of punk-rock no longer the fastest music style of this type, the band takes on hardcore influences for their album “Too Tough to Die.”

“Wart Hog” is the album’s best track, a manic hardcore-punk performance from bassist and occasional singer Dee Dee Ramone.

Meanwhile, the infectious “Howling at the Moon (Sha-La-La),” a tune produced by Dave Stewart, proves that Ramones were unfairly marginalized and kept away from the pop chats where they belonged.

7. “Brain Drain” (1989)

“Brain Drain” returned The Ramones to the attention of casual rock fans with some of the band’s best singles in years. However, much of the album remained subpar.

Album opener “I Believe in Miracles” and the closing track”Merry Christmas (I Don’t Want to Fight Tonight)” sound hopeful and energized. Both feature excellent hooks.

But the real treat is the Stephen King-inspired “Pet Sematary,” a worthy addition to Ramones’ greatest hits list.

6. “Pleasant Dreams” (1981)

“Pleasant Dreams” begins a tradition for Ramones of making, practically, the same album over and over again. It’s not entirely a bad thing, though. The group are certainly more equipped than anyone at being Ramones.

“The KKK Took My Baby Away” is another somewhat controversial song. It explores themes of betrayal and loss. It is, supposedly, a message from Joey Ramone to guitarist Johnny and a dig at his conservative views. “The KKK Took My Baby Away” is also the album’s standout song.

“We Want the Airwaves” is a rallying cry for the Ramones to their fans, expressing the desire for their music to be heard on mainstream radio. Yes, Ramones kept their integrity throughout their career. But the rewards they received were unfairly few.

5. “End of the Century” (1980)

“End of the Century” may still be an excellent album by The Ramones, but it also marks the group’s first collective identity crisis.

Part of this is reflected in the band’s famous choice of picking Phil Spector as producer.

On paper, this must’ve felt obvious. Phil Spector had produced many of the 50s records that The Ramones were clearly taking inspiration from.

However, the famed producer behind “The Wall of Sound” brought a level of chaos that few recording veterans could withstand, let alone four kids from New York City. Anecdotes about Spector making Johnny Ramone play the same riff for hours are the stuff of legend.

“Rock ‘n’ Roll High School” is a spirited anthem built around what sounds like a cheerleading routine. The song also served as the theme for the film of the same name, one of the great oddities of 80s pop culture.

“Do You Remember Rock ‘n’ Roll Radio?” is a song that nostalgically pays tribute to the glory days of rock and radio. The Ramones’ entire sound and aesthetic were always born to echo a better, simpler time.

In some ways, “End of the Century” is the end of something. It’s the last time that the group members share a wide-eyed view of the world. If they couldn’t get a hit, the band would build upon the core fanbase it had acquired.

4. “Road to Ruin” (1978)

“Road to Ruin” presents The Ramones as a professional rock n’ roll unit, one that must’ve felt hard done by the success of their peers and the lack of their own.

Yes, The Ramones had laid the groundwork for numerous bands. But they hadn’t achieved the same success that the bands they were playing with at CBGB just a couple of years back managed to get. Blondie, Richard Hell, Television, and Talking Heads were all international stars. Not The Ramones, though.

With this in mind, “Road to Ruin” doubles down on everything the band did well. The hooks are bigger, the jokes are more clever, and the band even digs deeper into their love of retro pop.

And, The Ramones have a new drummer, Marky Ramone, the second of many musicians to hold the sticks for the band.

“I Wanna Be Sedated” is a punk anthem about the desire for escape. It’s one of the band’s most famous songs. And, like punk rock, it is built around a minimalist guitar arrangement. For most of the song, Johnny Ramones plays only one chord.

“Don’t Come Close” highlighted the band’s versatility and showcased their softer side. Like some other tunes on the album, such as the band’s cover of “Needles and Pins,” it showed that Ramones didn’t need galloping tempo to be a great band.

3. “Ramones” (1976)

The Ramones’ debut is as ridiculous as it is amazing. Some critics thought it was a joke when released, while others believed it was a revelation. The truth is that it is both these things.

Many bands have copied this record. So, let me focus on the obvious for a second.

All of the songs are atypically short and simple. The tunes are designed to be played by the semi-competent members of Ramones, Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee, and Tommy Ramone, at CBGB on a Saturday night.

The tunes are short, incredibly fast, and deal with silly topics. The music is lifted from 50s bubblegum and pop girl groups but played with manic intensity and dropped onto 1970s-produced vybil records.

Ramones’ uniform, haircuts, and logo are all displayed on the album cover.

Any memorable songs? You bet!

“Blitzkrieg Bop” is one of punk rock’s most iconic tracks. It served as the opening song of the band’s debut album and encapsulated the Ramones’ raw energy and spirit. It’s the genre’s first anthem.

“Judy Is a Punk” is funny, fast, and contains undeniable musical hooks. Meanwhile, the band’s inherent weirdness is captured on tracks like “Havana Affair,” “53 & 3rd” or “I Don’t Wanna Go Down to the Basement.”

Record exec Seymour Stein stumbled upon one of the most innovative bands of its time. However, the fact that songs that are this catchy would fail to be played on mainstream radio stations remains a puzzling detail.

2. “Leave Home” (1977)

Ramones innovated with their debut but perfected the formula with “Leave Home.” On their second album, the quartet is more versed and confident in their performances.

“Pinhead” contains the chant of “Gabba gabba hey!” inspired by the movie “Freaks.” The song is an excellent snapshot of the band, and the phrase would be used by the band and their fans throughout the decades that followed.

“Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment” is infectious, fun, and includes great wit too. It’s everything that Ramones were great at being.

“Leave Home” was released only months after Ramones’ debut. It showed progression, although, thankfully, there was no trace of the band members’ desire to mature. It did not become the hit it should have been.

However, it inspired a global movement that became known as punk rock. This style would echo loudest in the United Kingdom, with bands like Sex Pistols, The Clash, or The Jam.

1. “Rocket to Russia” (1977)

On their third album, Ramones figured out how to get the best out of their pacey, funny, manic songwriting and deliver some of their very best songs.

The quality of the songs is due to a few factors. First, the four band members were startled and pleasantly surprised by their new status as professional musicians.

Secondly, while they weren’t selling millions of copies, Ramones already had dozens of imitators. Somebody clearly liked them.

Thirdly, the band, Dee Dee Ramone, particularly, were widely imaginative songwriters. Yes, they used a set formula but got incredible mileage out of it.

“Sheena Is a Punk Rocker” represents something of an ode to the rebellious spirit of punk, a love letter to the band’s new fans, and is one of Ramones’ biggest hits.

“Rockaway Beach” is the ultimate early pop-punk banger. It’s a catchy surf-rock-inspired track that showcased the Ramones’ ability to infuse their punk sound with a pop sensibility. How this did not become a global hit remains a mystery.

But, really, everything on “Rocket to Russia” is zany and memorable. And all the tracks just speed by. “Teenage Lobotomy,” “We’re a Happy Family,” or “Cretin Hop” practically wrote the rules for an exciting new form of music.