On this day in 1996, punk pioneers the Ramones play their final show, choosing to call it quits after 25 years together.
First forming in early 1974, the Ramones quickly rose to fame in the burgeoning New York City punk scene, helping to not only pioneer the genre, but also provide a template which countless bands would follow for years to come.
As the years passed, the group became hugely influential within the rock scene for their contributions to music, with their self-titled debut going on to be considered one of the greatest punk records of all time.
Sadly, while the group were always popular and influential, their success was limited, and after over 20 years of relentless touring and recording, the group decided to call it quits shortly after the release of the aptly-titled 14th album, ¡Adios Amigos!, in 1995.
Spending the rest of the year on a farewell tour, the group continued performing into 1996, when they announced that their final show would take place at The Palace, in Hollywood, California, on August 6th.
Featuring a number of guests, including original bassist Dee Dee Ramone, Motörhead’s Lemmy Kilmister, Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder, Soundgarden’s Chris Cornell, Numskull’s Ralph Foster and Rancid’s Tim Armstrong and Lars Frederiksen, the 32-song set was a perfect way for fans to say goodbye.
Finishing things off with a cover of The Dave Clark Five’s ‘Anyway You Want It’ with Eddie Vedder, the group waved goodbye, with their final performance later being released on a live album, the appropriately-titled We’re Outta Here!
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Check out the Ramones’ final-ever song, ‘Anyway You Want It’:
Ramones @ The Palace, Hollywood, California, USA 6/08/1996 Setlist
‘Durango 95’
‘Teenage Lobotomy’
‘Psycho Therapy’
‘Blitzkrieg Bop’
‘Do You Remember Rock ‘N’ Roll Radio?’
‘I Believe In Miracles’
‘Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment’
‘Rock ‘N’ Roll High School’
‘I Wanna Be Sedated’
‘Spider-Man’ (Bob Harris & Paul Francis Webster cover)
‘The KKK Took My Baby Away’
‘I Just Want To Have Something To Do’
‘Commando’
‘Sheena Is A Punk Rocker’
‘Rockaway Beach’
‘Pet Sematary’
‘The Crusher’
‘Love Kills’ (with Dee Dee Ramone)
‘Do You Wanna Dance?’ (Bobby Freeman cover)
‘Somebody Put Something In My Drink’
‘I Don’t Want You’
‘Wart Hog’
‘Cretin Hop’
‘R.A.M.O.N.E.S.’ (Motörhead cover) (with Lemmy Kilmister)
‘Today Your Love, Tomorrow The World’
‘Pinhead’
Encore:
‘53rd & 3rd’ (with Lars Frederiksen & Tim Armstrong)
‘Listen To My Heart’
‘We’re A Happy Family’
Encore 2:
‘Chinese Rocks’ (The Heartbreakers cover) (with Ben Shepherd)
‘Beat On The Brat’
‘Anyway You Want It’ (The Dave Clark Five cover) (with Eddie Vedder)