1980-1989
In 1979 he shot comedy movie «Rock 'n' Roll High School», where the Ramones played themselves by the ugliness of an American school. In the process of working on the soundtrack to the film with the team met Phil Spector - the famous rock / pop producer, creator of the famous «wall of sound». Alliance «wall of sound» Ramones and the «wall of sound» Spector received expression in the album «End of the Century» (although originally planned that Spector will be produced only Joey as solo artist). Disc is the most controversial works in the group - made in a purely nostalgic tone 60's, it was further aroused hatred among the musicians themselves, who consider it their worst product. However, critics were in raptures. Either way, sales «End of the Century» became successful previous discs.
In a similar retro-pop vein, was completed and the next disc «Pleasant Dreams»; it was not so grandiose and vysokobyudzhetnogo producing, as the «End of the Century», but the material was markedly stronger. The album produced Graham Gouldman, 10cc party and the author of the mass of pop and rock hits sixties, execution groups The Yardbirds, Herman's Hermits, and so on.
«Subterranean Jungle» was the last disk group, which participated in the recording drummer Brands Ramon. Replacing him was the Richie Reinhard (eng. Richie Reinhardt, also known as Richie Byu (eng. Richie Beau), In his alias Richie Ramon in 1983. It Ramones the first time decided to creative breakthrough - «Too Tough to Die» radically different from all that the team has done before. pripankovannyh from traditional rock 'n' roll group went to a more heavy sound - have incorporated elements of heavy metal, two hardkorovye songs ( «Wart Hog» and «Endless Vacation», in which Dee Dee sings), while adding that the pop sound in the song «Sha-la-la (Howling At The Moon»). «Too Tough To Die» became the most diverse and heavy album in the discography of the group. Posleduschie three disc was done in the same semi-metal, semi - -Pankova, semi-Popov style, which at the time of recording, «Brain Drain» back to the group mark. The most notable song on this disc has become «Pet Sematary», written specially for the same movie on the novel by Stephen King, a big fan of Ramones.
Immediately after recording the disc Dee Dee left the band and released a rap album. In 1989, the group joined by new bass player, Jay Ramon Sy, the band recorded with Barcelona kontsertnik «Loco Live», existing in two very different versions - American and English.