Sheena is a Punk Rocker - The Ramones (1977) 7/2/22

The very first punk band to go mainstream (sort of) was The Ramones.

If nothing else, Joey Ramone and the gang were incredibly creative, and their creativity was responsible for some "Great Songs of the '70s!"

Today, we're highlighting their mashup of punk, surf rock and bubblegum: 1977's "Sheena is a Punk Rocker."

In the song, Sheena, Queen of the Jungle--the first female heroine to have her own comic book (circa 1938)--moves to California. where she goes surfing, dancing at the disco, and becomes a punk rock star.

Somehow, Joey and the Ramones made their thrashing guitars and screaming vocals sound like something Jan & Dean might have sung if they had sore throats. It was catchy, it was clever, and although it peaked way down at #81 on The Hot 100 (#22 in the UK), it proved that a punk rock song COULD chart.

More importantly, it became a seminal influence on many musicians and music fans in general. Rolling Stone Magazine currently has it #434 on their list of the "Top 500 Songs of All Time," and The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has included it on their list of the "500 Songs that Shaped Rock & Roll.

"Sheena is a Punk Rocker" by the Ramones: a "Great (and Influential) Song of 1977!