Ramones - Road To Ruin

By 1978, the band that had ignited the punk rock movement with their explosive 1976 debut were showing a new dimension. Road to Ruin, the Ramones' fourth studio album, found them stretching out — longer songs, hints of melody, even the occasional acoustic touch — without ever abandoning the attitude and energy that made them legends.

And then there's "I Wanna Be Sedated." That alone would be enough.

The Ramones had always done more with less than almost anyone in rock and roll — four chords, irresistible hooks, blistering tempos, and lyrics that were deceptively simple and completely unforgettable. That formula helped revitalize rock at one of its lowest points and blazed a trail wide enough for everyone from The Clash and the Sex Pistols to Green Day and The Offspring to walk through. Road to Ruin shows the band beginning to explore just how far that foundation could take them.

Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2002 and the authors of 21 live and studio albums, the Ramones never cracked the mainstream in the way their influence deserved — but records like this one are exactly why their legacy has only grown with time.