"Ramones" is the debut studio album by the American punk rock band Ramones, released on April 23, 1976, by Sire Records. After Hit Parader editor Lisa Robinson saw the band perform in New York City, she wrote several articles about them and introduced them to Danny Fields, who became their manager. Fields convinced Craig Leon to produce the album, and the band recorded a demo for prospective record labels. Leon persuaded Sire president Seymour Stein to listen to the band, leading to a recording contract. The Ramones recorded the album in January 1976, taking just seven days and $6,400 to complete it.
 
Upon release, "Ramones" was promoted with two singles that failed to chart. The band embarked on a tour to boost album sales, primarily performing in the United States, with two dates in Britain. The album's lyrics prominently feature themes of violence, drug use, relationship issues, humor, and Nazism. It opens with "Blitzkrieg Bop," one of the band's most recognized songs. Most tracks are uptempo, with many exceeding 160 beats per minute, and are relatively short; "I Don't Wanna Go Down to the Basement," the longest track, is two and a half minutes long. The album includes a cover of Chris Montez's "Let's Dance."
 
"Ramones" was commercially unsuccessful, peaking at number 111 on the US Billboard Top LPs & Tape chart. Despite poor chart performance, it received glowing reviews from critics and is now considered highly influential. It has earned numerous accolades, including the top spot on Spin magazine's list of the "50 Most Essential Punk Records." Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential punk albums of all time, it has impacted genres such as grunge and heavy metal. The album was ranked number 33 on Rolling Stone's 2003 list of the "500 Greatest Albums of All Time," maintaining that ranking in 2012 and dropping to number 47 in 2020. In 2022, it topped Rolling Stone's list of the "100 Best Debut Albums of All Time." The album was certified Gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2014 for 500,000 copies sold in the US.