Joey Ramone: the singer Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong described as the “Jesus of punk”
Like it or not, Billie Joe Armstrong had a heavy hand in what constitutes today as punk—without him and his work within Green Day, punk would likely be just a term we attribute to the subcultural 1970s anarchists rather than a more noteworthy art form that encompasses the popularised resurgence. While Armstrong generally demonstrates everything punk is and should be, one artist rose far beyond and above them all in his eyes.
Unlike many acts that were seemingly cut from the same cloth, Green Day continue to revolutionise the very space they worked hard to take ownership of. Although Dookie catapulted the outfit onto the scene and established them as major players in their own right, it was American Idiot that solidified their status as pop-punk pioneers whose fiery political commentary was almost enough to actually incite change.
Even their most recent offering, Saviors, is filled with the same anti-establishment rage that made them so great in the first place: songs like ‘The American Dream Is Killing Me’ addresses the ways that American values and the country’s system is “hurting a lot of people”, while ‘Look Ma, No Brains!’ demonstrates Armstrong’s trademark self-deprecating ways as he falls deeper and deeper into the pit of psychological chaos.
On the flip side of the coin, Green Day has always been one of the most divisive bands in punk, mostly because the more traditional punk lovers take issue with the ways Armstrong adopts various traits of wider rock and pop genres while almost animating the entire punk “look”. Punk is by no stretch of the imagination a term linked to vapid appearances, but Green Day has had its fair share of accusations about appearing too diluted to ever be considered “real” punk.
That said, Green Day also have a clear view of what they deem “real” punk and what isn’t—with Blink 182 being the ideal example of the latter. In a Q&A with Kerrang, for instance, Mike Dirnt regarded the band as “irritating” and borderline offensive. He said: “I was really happy for them, but now I find it a little irritating. I think they trivialise what we do and punk rock in general. It’s like throwing shit in the face of someone who had substance at one point.”
When it comes to punk musicians who are actually worthy of praise, Armstrong once discussed the impact of Joey Ramone and how he helped to shape the entire genre. He said: “Joey is the Jesus of punk. He has this endearing quality where his voice matches the way he looked.”
Humorously discussing his appeal, he added: “He’s incredibly handsome, in a praying mantis kind of way. He’s just gangly and long-legged and his voice [sounds like] that—it’s like a really insecure kid that’s become empowered through rock and roll music.”
Eccentricity has always been a part of Armstrong’s cherished qualities, from his musicianship to the way he looks, and so the fact that he resonated with Ramone so much doesn’t exactly come as a surprise. Unlike many punk pioneers, Ramone’s legacy is rooted in musical simplicity—the kind that hits harder and appears more unique than his more complex counterparts. As someone with a similar legacy, Armstrong embodies that same straightforward yet impactful approach to music.
