One of the most perfect 2 minutes and ten seconds of music a person could ever hope to hear. The Ramones singing “Hang on a little bit longer, Hang on you’re a goner” is what pop music is all about. The simplicity of this song is it’s greatest strength.
Taken from the frankly faultless Rocket To Russia album, it’s like the formula got remixed and remixed and remixed until everything was just perfect. This song has none of the barbs or rough edges of say Blitzkrieg Bop or Beat On The Brat. It has no references to outsider-dom or freakishness like *ahem* Outsider or Cretin Hop. There’s no aggression as rote on 53rd and 3rd or Chainsaw and no attitude like We’re A Happy Family or I Just Wanna Have Something To Do.
No, Locket Love is the Ramones doing what the songs they normally cover do. It holds it’s own alongside Needles And Pins and Let’s Dance. It’s a pure of heart rock and roll song.
They have achieved their goal and made a rock and roll number that could have come from the 50’s. It could have been danced to by bobby soxers and teddy boys at the Fish Under The Sea dance before Michael J Fox turns up and invents heavy metal. Or Something.
And now that that goal was achieved they could go on defining the punk experience of the 70’s and 80’s with heavier, stranger, spikier tunes.
1234!
Steve For The Deaf 
Incredibly well said throughout. Your knowledge of rock and roll history is evident as always. Kudos, brother, and thanks always.
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Best Ramones album. Even though Johnny was an a-hole, then band rocked. I actually got a guitar pick from when I saw them back in the day…
https://thestubcollection.wordpress.com/2016/05/31/the-ramones-10301984/
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It might be a 50s style song but you can still tell it’s the Ramones. Good post.
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Still remember going to see Rock n Roll Highschool at the Theater back say in 1980? Must have been 13 at the time..First time being and hearing the Ramones…
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