Marky Ramone on the song that marked “the beginning of punk”
What is punk? It’s arguably the most challenging genre of music to define, given it stretches beyond sound and outfits into a way of life and thinking. Punk is an idea that no one can agree on. It is the counter to the mainstream, a voice for those who cannot speak up for themselves, and arguably the most important movement in music ever to exist. When something is as complex as that and means different things to different people, pinning down an origin is nearly impossible. However, Marky Ramone has one song in particular, which he calls “the beginning of punk”.
Punk can be seen in everything: music, art, literature, politics, fashion, ideologies, even in how people conduct themselves on a day-to-day basis, and yet it is so in your face with every waking moment of every day, it becomes tough to see. It was easier to spot in the early days of punk because what punk bands were saying and doing was so shocking and removed from the norm that it was hard to ignore. Now, with the internet minimising the power of what is mainstream and given the artistic world is much more accepting of what would previously be inappropriate, punk is both hidden and more apparent than ever.
In that sense, it is a constant contradiction, as the thing that was supposed to battle against the mainstream is now at the centre of it. That’s why the term is so hard to define today. It manifests in the irony of the right-wing singing Rage Against The Machine lyrics and trust fund kids from south London writing about how hard it is to be working class. It is the most subjective interpretation of an objective ideology ever to exist.
Despite the debate surrounding what punk is, there are some unwavering factors in what makes it up, and one of them is the Ramones. As one of the most influential bands ever, the music they made and the legacy they left behind changed rock music forever. They were pioneers behind the new genre of punk, which would go on to inspire those who came after them and have a profound impact on popular music as a whole. They embodied a back-to-basics minimalist style that meant people could easily identify with them and their message. Suffice it to say, music wouldn’t be the same without them.
Many would say punk music started with the Ramones, but they had their own influences, too, meaning they date its origin back even further. When asked about his favourite punk songs, Marky Ramone didn’t hesitate to clarify where he thinks the genre started. The first track on his list was ‘All Day and All of the Night’ by The Kinks. “The raunchiness of the production and Dave Davies’ guitar sound were the beginnings of punk,” he said, “When I first heard it, I was like, ‘Holy shit!’”
Also on his list of favourite punk songs were ‘Surfin Bird’ by The Trashmen, ‘7 and 7 Is’ by Love, ‘Blank Generation’ by Richard Hell and Voidoids and ‘Talk Talk’ by The Music Machine. None of them had as significant an influence on him as The Kinks, though.
Everyone can have their own opinion on what punk means now and where that ideology started, but if you want a more definitive answer, turn to one of the pioneers and see what he thinks.
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