Tommy Ramone passed away on Saturday. The revered drummer died at 65, according to a family member who spoke to Rolling Stone, a not-especially-ripe old age that none of his other bandmates managed to reach.
Ramone — real name Thomas Erdelyi — built his legacy as a fearless, free-ranging, fast-paced drummer on the backs of the three studio albums and one live album that he played with The Ramones. His drumming on songs like “Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue” and “Judy Is A Punk” helped turn the burgeoning New York punk scene into a global phenomenon, leaving an indelible impression on rock history and earning legions of fans. All that despite the fact Tommy was never supposed to be the drummer for the band. He was supposed to manage the group, stepping in as drummer only when it became clear that Joey Ramone couldn’t quite keep up with the tempo that the songs required to reach their fever pitch in two minutes or less.
Tommy left the band after their third album, Rocket to Russia, leaving the drumming to Marky Ramone and instead stepping into the role of producer for The Ramones as well as other bands like The Replacements and Redd Kross.
In 2002, The Ramones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Here are 9 of the best songs by The Ramones that featured Tommy’s incredible skills behind the skins:
1. “Blitzkrieg Bop”
2. “I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend”
3. “Sheena Is A Punk Rocker”
4. “Do You Wanna Dance?”
5. “I Remember You”
6. “Swallow My Pride”
7. “Teenage Lobotomy”
8. “Carbona Not Glue”
9. “Rockaway Beach”
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