The 5: Ramones Songs That Should Have Been Massive Radio Hits

This Week on the 5:  The Ramones

The Ramones came on the scene in the era of Corporate Rock  and Corporate Radio. They scared the establishment, and the powers-that-be seemed to want to keep the Ramones and Punk Rock from being heard.  The odd thing is that the Ramones wrote many fun pop hits that should have been loved by top 40 radio. They were hooky, short and catchy as all hell. Radio you blew it.  Here’s 5 Ramones songs that should have gotten big airplay.

The Ramones were right and radio was wrong.

• Rockaway Beach.  Pure fun Surf Rock. If Brian Wilson wrote Rockaway Beach it would have climbed the charts. Like any great pop song you can start singing along half way through on the first time listening . This charted higher than anything the Ramones would ever do but if Jan and Dean would have cut this song it would have been an easy top 10.  Check out the youtube video here.
• Pet Sematary. A tie-in with a Stephen King film (King is a big Ramones fan).  This one has a fine Joey vocal and a strange hook . Why isn’t this at the very least a radio Halloween stable (Werewolves of London) instead of yet another Ramones hit that for whatever reason fell through the radio cracks.  Check out the youtube video here.
• Do You Remember Rock and Roll Radio. This Phil Spector produced song is a dare to radio to return to it’s golden era. It’s a dare that radio ignored. This song has all the passion of a T.Rex Rock classic and should have been a monster hit along the lines of Wild Thing by the Troggs . It wasn’t.  Watch the youtube video here.
• Rock and Roll High School.  Another Teen Anthem from the the film Rock N Roll High School starring PJ Soles who played the worlds biggest Ramones Fan. Radio was too busy playing now long forgotten REO Speedwagon tunes and Rock N Roll High School was uncharted in America.  Listen to it here on youtube.
• I Want to be Sedated.  Ok we can understand why top 40 radio dodged this one because of the lyrics but where in the hell was rock radio on I Want To Be Sedated? It’s teen rebellion meets complete apathy. The line “There’s nothing to do, nowhere to go” is James Dean purified as song. For a song that got little to no air play it can still be sung word for word by most Americans.  Watch it here, on youtube.