← Back

Pleasant Dreams

by Ramones

Released: July 20, 1981

Punk rock, hard rock, pop punk

musicOnOff editorial

Why This Album Matters

This album matters because its strongest editorial story is: Chart Success.

The Album

"Pleasant Dreams" is the sixth studio album by the American punk rock band Ramones, released on July 20, 1981, through Sire Records. Tracks like We Want the Airwaves, She's a Sensation, and Come On Now highlighted this shift. Additionally, there were disagreements about the album's musical direction, with Johnny favoring hard rock and Joey leaning towards pop punk.

Inside the Recording

Despite the band's preference for Steve Lillywhite as producer, Sire chose Graham Gouldman to help the band gain broader popularity due to his well-known status. The recording sessions for the album were fraught with tension, particularly between Joey Ramone and Johnny Ramone, following Johnny's relationship with Joey's girlfriend.

Stories and details

Interesting Facts

This resulted in an album that featured high…

This resulted in an album that featured high production values and a variety of musical styles, deviating from the band's traditional punk rock sound.

Pleasant Dreams is also notable as the first…

Pleasant Dreams is also notable as the first Ramones album not to include any cover songs.

Watch and listen

Explore the Album

Ramones - Pleasant Dreams

Open in Albums Gallery

Then

Reception

The critical reception was mixed, reflecting the band's turbulent transition during this period. Despite the strategic efforts by Sire to broaden the band's appeal, the album struggled commercially, peaking at number 58 on the Billboard 200 and charting only in Sweden outside of the US.

Full background

The Complete Album Story

"Pleasant Dreams" is the sixth studio album by the American punk rock band Ramones, released on July 20, 1981, through Sire Records. Despite the band's preference for Steve Lillywhite as producer, Sire chose Graham Gouldman to help the band gain broader popularity due to his well-known status. The recording sessions for the album were fraught with tension, particularly between Joey Ramone and Johnny Ramone, following Johnny's relationship with Joey's girlfriend. Additionally, there were disagreements about the album's musical direction, with Johnny favoring hard rock and Joey leaning towards pop punk.

This resulted in an album that featured high production values and a variety of musical styles, deviating from the band's traditional punk rock sound. Tracks like We Want the Airwaves, She's a Sensation, and Come On Now highlighted this shift. Pleasant Dreams is also notable as the first Ramones album not to include any cover songs.

Despite the strategic efforts by Sire to broaden the band's appeal, the album struggled commercially, peaking at number 58 on the Billboard 200 and charting only in Sweden outside of the US. The critical reception was mixed, reflecting the band's turbulent transition during this period.