The truth that haunts the Ramones: 'They sold more T-shirts than records'
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Re: The truth that haunts the Ramones: 'They sold more T-shirts than records'
#2Made my day. Thank you
Re: The truth that haunts the Ramones: 'They sold more T-shirts than records'
#3Fascinating! Always love these backstories. The Ramones were brilliant - I don't have a favourite album but my most-watched DVD is The Ramones Story
Re: The truth that haunts the Ramones: 'They sold more T-shirts than records'
#4Isn't it normal and typical for musical acts to make more money from concert tours and merchandise sales than the music itself?
Re: The truth that haunts the Ramones: 'They sold more T-shirts than records'
#5Seems like The Ramones were way ahead of their time, whether they knew it or not. Before the digital age, most bands made the bulk of their their money from record sales. Concert tours were just promotional events for the latest album. That model has since been flipped to what The Ramones were doing 50 years ago - "music sales" earns little compared to concerts and merchandising. Now that's punk rock! LOL
Re: The truth that haunts the Ramones: 'They sold more T-shirts than records'
#6Isn't it normal and typical for musical acts to make more money from concert tours and merchandise sales than the music itself?
Not in the past. When that change flipped from music sales to merchandise and tours, I couldn’t be sure but I’d reckon the early 2000s.
Re: The truth that haunts the Ramones: 'They sold more T-shirts than records'
#7If the Ramones put their name on all sorts of merchandise does that make them sellouts?
I joke, of course, and I'm a big Ramones fan. I've had numerous iterations of that shirt over the years. I often use them as an example when discussing "what is good art?" They are one of the most influential bands of all time and yet they were terrible musicians.
Re: The truth that haunts the Ramones: 'They sold more T-shirts than records'
#8Isn't it normal and typical for musical acts to make more money from concert tours and merchandise sales than the music itself?
It's not that they made more money from merchandise, it's that they sold more t-shirts than albums. Implying that more people were interested in the "image" of punk rock than the music.
Re: The truth that haunts the Ramones: 'They sold more T-shirts than records'
#9How does it haunt them when they are dead?
Re: The truth that haunts the Ramones: 'They sold more T-shirts than records'
#10If the Ramones put their name on all sorts of merchandise does that make them sellouts? I joke, of course, and I'm a big Ramones fan. I've had numerous iterations of that shirt over the years. I often use them as an example when discussing "what is good art?" They are one of the most influential bands of all time and yet they were terrible musicians.
Terrible in which way? Did not use counterpoint sufficiently elegantly? It’s punk, mate. Try to do a set downpicking like Johnny.