The Ramones created the blueprint for American punk in the 1970s. And Joey Ramone was the perfect visual centerpiece for the band.

Their power-drill hooks, delivered with relentless simplicity, gave the band a stripped-down “less-is-more” attitude an immediate impact in a NYC music scene already brimming with talent. And along with Talking Heads, Blondie, the New York Dolls and others, were responsible for the club CBGB’s being identified as the lightning rod of the punk movement.

Formed in March 1974, by (Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee, and Tommy) they promoted an adolescent attitude not only in their songwriting, but in their trademark outfits (Converse sneakers, torn jeans, leather jackets and shades) as well. Their live shows were a blur of high-energy, churning guitars played at maximum volume. "Our normal set consists of 17 songs and takes 30 minutes to perform,” Johnny Ramone once said. “Last month the same set lasted 37 minutes. And we’re getting faster every day!” But they all stuck around long enough to release 14 albums in their 20+ years together. They were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

1977 was a defining year for the group. They capped it with a memorable concert at London's Rainbow on New Year’s Eve. The gig was recorded on the double album, “It's Alive,” and included a brand new song: "I Wanna Be Sedated." The T-shirt Joey wore that night bore the insignia of the 101st Airborne Screaming Eagles. The 101st Airborne, based at Fort Campbell in Kentucky, is the only air assault military division in the world.