Blitzkrieg Bop Introduction
In a Nutshell
Once upon a time, "Blitzkrieg Bop" wasn't just a song that played on every other television commercial. That "Hey, ho! Let's go!" line must really send stuff flying off the shelves.It was just a crazily upbeat two minutes on an album that didn't even make it onto the charts. Of course, the Ramones have since gone down in musical fame, and been proudly displayed on a many a black t-shirt.
Whether you only know them from Guitar Hero, or you're a true hardcore fan, allow us to shed some light on this punk rock powerhouse.
About the Song
| Artist | The Ramones | Musician(s) | Joey Ramone (vocals), Johnny Ramone (guitar), Dee Dee Ramone (bass, vocals), Tommy Ramone (drums) |
| Album | Ramones | ||
| Year | 1976 | ||
| Label | Sire Records | ||
| Writer(s) | Tommy Ramone, Johnny Ramone, Dee Dee Ramone, and Joey Ramone | ||
| Producer(s) | Craig Leon | ||
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Learn to play: Tablature Buy this song: Amazon iTunes |
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Shmoop Connections
"Blitzkrieg" is a German term from World War II. It means "lightning war," or "the Germans storm into a place and wreak havoc so fast that nobody knows what hit them." Yikes.But what's a Blitzkrieg bop? We're going to guess it has something to do with suddenly getting all riled up and dancing around really fast and having a good time.
But that's just our take on it.
On the Charts
The Ramones never really achieved much commercial success. Their first eponymous album, in which "Blitzkrieg Bop" appeared, didn't even crack the charts.Their fifth album, End of the Century, which was produced by Phil Spector, reached #44 on the charts, and was their most commercially successful album.
Despite the lack of mainstream commercial success, the Ramones have received numerous accolades for their widespread influence. In 2002, Spin magazine named them the second-greatest band of all time, trailing only the Beatles. Not too shabby.
Rolling Stone ranked the Ramones #26 on their list of the Greatest Artists of All Time.
Pitchfork ranked Ramones as the #23 album of the 1970s.
The album Ramones was ranked #33 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.