The Ramones helped bring punk music to the masses beginning in the mid-70s. They quickly became a favorite in the rock world, and their legacy has only continued to expand and improve since then. These days, the group is recognized as one of the most important and influential in their genre, and though they haven’t been together in many years, there are still millions of Ramones fans out there.
The band returns to the Billboard charts this week, but not with a brand new full-length. Instead, the re-release of one of their earliest collections helps it finally debut on several tallies, and it instantly stands out as one of the top-performing titles of their time together–and even long after.
Rocket to Russia debuts on the Vinyl Albums chart this week, Billboard’s list of the top-selling vinyl-only releases in the country. The set launches at No. 10 on the tally, which is a special position for the Ramones.
The band has now seen two releases peak in the tenth spot on the vinyl-only roster, and they’re tied as the highest-rising wins from the Ramones. Before Rocket to Russia arrived, their Meltdown with the Ramones EP became their first project to enter the loftiest tier on the Vinyl Albums list almost exactly a decade ago.
The rockers have come close to adding to that list of top 10s on multiple occasions, but several releases from the group have failed to hit that region by just a few spaces. Triple J Live At The Wireless – Capitol Theatre, Sydney, Australia, July 8, 1980 came within one rung of the arena, as it stalled at No. 11 back in 2021.
Three more titles from the Ramones have peaked between Nos. 11 and 20. In 2014, the Sundragon Sessions rose as high as No. 14. Pleasant Dreams hit No. 16 last year, while It’s Alive II came in one rung behind that release in 2020.
Rocket to Russia was recently featured by Vinyl Me, Please as the release of the month, which helped spur its healthy sales sum. The title sold just under 3,400 copies in the past tracking frame, according to Luminate. That’s enough for the Ramones’ full-length to also land on the Top Album Sales chart for the first time, where it enters the race at No. 25.
