July 14, 2014 1:15 pm by Jacob Brown Drummer Tommy Ramone passed away Friday at the age of 65, and, as the last living founding member of iconic CBGB originals the Ramones, his passing feels that much more sad. Gone, a living touchstone to a music born of the primordial moment that gave birth to not just punk but so much of modern rock ’n’ roll. Because of the incredible influence they’ve had, it’s no surprise that the Ramones are one of the most covered bands ever. By our count, there have been somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 Ramones tribute albums released over the years. Some of them have been pretty bad, others notable for their gimmick: Brats on the Beat as a children’s collection of Ramones songs, for instance. But it’s moving to go back and hear some of the last decades’ best musicians pour their heart and soul into a favorite Ramones number. In no particular order, here are nine of our favorites. Red Hot Chili Peppers, “ I Just Wanna Have Something to Do” Garbage covered this song as well, but truthfully, the Red Hot Chili Peppers channel the original punk rawness, by way of a little Darby Crash, far better. The Offspring, “ I Wanna Be Sedated” You’d be forgiven on first listen for not even realizing it’s a cover version of the classic. The Offspring, God love them, are not ones for subtlety. Sonic Youth, “ Beat on the Brat” Thurston Moore’s insouciant whine makes for the perfect eighties reincarnation of a band in his direct genetic lineage. The Strokes, “ Life’s a Gas” The Strokes impart their more polished 2000s garage rock sound on the much messier originators of the style. Green Day, “ Outsider” Green Day songs are recognizable not only by Billie Joe Armstrong’s distinctive voice, but also by a certain quality to their melodies—a quality somehow presaged by this anthem for the outsiders of every punk generation. Marilyn Manson, “ The KKK Took My Baby Away”.
Did the Ramones invent punk rock? No, probably not. They did, however, give punk a major kick in the ass, and “ Blitzkrieg Bop” is the tune that brought it to the masses and catapulted the band to superstardom. The track is ingrained in American culture, played to this day on the radio and at sports stadiums, and remains a go-to song for any band that wants to get an audience pumped up with an up-tempo sing-along. In our third covers list, we take a look at 10 notable versions of “ Blitzkrieg Bop.” Shonen Knife Related: Top 15 Best Christmas Songs ( Yes, Holiday Music That Doesn’t Suck) Over the course of their 30-year-plus existence, Shonen Knife have covered the hell out of the Ramones, and in 2011 they released a tribute album entitled Osaka Ramones. Rob Zombie You might not be a fan of Rob Zombie‘s music, but you have to admire his ability to take a three-chord song and somehow completely reinvent it. This track is from the Ramones tribute album We’re a Happy Family (2003 which was produced by Johnny Ramone shortly before his death. Yo La Tengo Yo La Tengo cover “ Blitzkreig Bop” like only Yo La Tengo could. Though the year on this video is incorrect (it couldn’t have been 1981, as the band didn’t even form until 1984 it is undoubtedly from very early in their career. Green Day fans Green Day have covered the Ramones many times in their career. However, during this show they cobbled together a few fans, brought ’em up on stage, and let them have at it. Related: The Photoshop Bomber: Movie Poster – The Hangover 2 The Offspring Nice to hear The Offspring covering this song. Kind of reminds me of when they actually used to be a punk rock band. Taggy Tones You wouldn’t think this song could possibly work so well as a rockabilly tune, but check this out. Taggy Tones’ take is better than I expected. Musik For The Kitchen A swing version? Well, why not? This is great.
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