40 years ago, Ramones' debut album arrives in stores
Today's Morning Edition music feature celebrates the Ramones' debut album, which arrived in record stores 40 years ago this week.
Interest in the "Ramones" album was slim that first year with just 6,000 copies sold. The album now ranks among the most influential albums of the rock era.
The lead track "Blitzkrieg Bog" opens with the chant "Hey! Ho! Let's go!" and ultimately became one of the band's signature songs.
Johnny Ramone once said the popularity of "Saturday Night" by the Bay City Rollers inspired the band to craft a song with a chant in it. And as they were composing the song, Tommy Ramone remembered a line from The Rolling Stones cover of "Walking the Dog."
The chant "Hey! Ho! Let's go!" continues to be popular among fans at sporting events, especially in Glasgow, Scotland.
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