Marky Ramones recently revealed that Morrissey apologized to the Ramones after initially criticizing the band in the 1970s. This revelation came from an interview published by NME.
The revelation came during a discussion about a scathing review letter that a young Morrissey wrote to UK music newspaper Melody Maker in 1976. In the letter, he denounced the Ramones as “degenerate no-talents.”
When asked about the 17-year-old Morrissey’s harsh criticism, the Ramones drummer initially responded with humor. “[Laughs] Let’s see… it was probably some guy who was stuck in the ’70s hippy stadium music and couldn’t understand the Ramones,” Marky Ramones said.
After learning it was indeed Morrissey who wrote the critical letter, the drummer shared details about the eventual reconciliation.
“That’s right! Later on, he apologized to us and he realized what he said was wrong,” Marky Ramones said. “I guess it took him a little time to catch up to what we were doing.”
The interview also noted that Morrissey eventually became an avowed fan of the Ramones. He even oversaw a 2014 compilation album titled “Morrissey Curates The Ramones” and selected “Loudmouth” as one of his Desert Island Discs.
This dramatic shift from critic to champion reflects a broader pattern in Morrissey’s relationship with punk rock. It also shows his evolving appreciation for the bands that defined the genre in the mid-1970s.
Flashbak reported that the original letter was particularly harsh. The 17-year-old Morrissey wrote that “The Ramones have absolutely nothing to add that is of relevance or importance and should be rightly filed and forgotten.” The letter appeared in Melody Maker during the height of the punk movement. At that time, many established music critics and fans were struggling to understand the new sound emerging from New York’s underground scene.
The transformation in Morrissey’s opinion was remarkably swift. The same source revealed that just three days after writing the scathing review, Morrissey had a complete change of heart. He later reflected on this quick turnaround, saying “I realised that my love for the Ramones would out-live time itself.”
Morrissey-Solo documented that Marky Ramone has spoken about this reconciliation in multiple interviews. He consistently emphasized that Morrissey became “a big Ramones fan” and expressed genuine remorse for his initial harsh judgment. The drummer has noted that Warner’s and Rhino Records specifically chose Morrissey to curate the compilation album because of his deep appreciation for the band’s catalog.
The story highlights the often unpredictable nature of musical taste and criticism, particularly during the emergence of punk rock in the 1970s. Salon noted that Marky Ramone has consistently maintained that the band harbored no ill will toward early critics. He understood that their sound was revolutionary and initially difficult for many to appreciate.
