Various Artists - The Ramones Heard Them Here First (2012)

"The Ramones Heard Them Here First" is a renowned conceptual compilation released by the respected British archival label Ace Records in 2012.

Instead of the usual tributes, where modern bands cover hits by punk icons, this collection offers a look at history from the other side. It features original versions of songs (and their most famous early performances) that the founding fathers of punk rock, The Ramones, reworked, sped up, and included on their own albums throughout their 22-year career.

As a historical anthology of influences, the disc, by genre, covers the diverse American and British pop/rock scenes of the 1960s and 1970s. While it doesn't quite have a whiff of punk rock, it is from these building blocks that the band's signature style emerged.

The compilation is organized in impeccable chronological order—the tracks appear exactly in the order in which the cover versions appeared on official The Ramones albums.

The collection clearly demonstrates that behind the façade of leather jackets, ripped jeans, and aggressive "1-2-3-4!" tempos lurked deep musical scholarship and fans of old-school pop. While the first wave of punk screamed, "No Beatles and Elvis in 1977!", The Ramones openly professed their love for the pop industry of producer Phil Spector and the garage bands of their youth.