LISTEN LIVE

‘Rock ‘N’ Roll High School’ Turns 40

August 24, 1979. The Ramones go back to school and become movie stars in the process. Rock ‘n’ Roll High School was by no means a cinematic achievement; Wikipedia sums…

August 24, 1979. The Ramones go back to school and become movie stars in the process.

Rock 'n' Roll High School was by no means a cinematic achievement; Wikipedia sums up the plot of the film in a tight two paragraphs. But it sure was fun, with Halloween vet P.J. Soles as the Ramones-obsessed Riff Randell, rallying her rock-loving classmates, pissing off her uptight principal, and palling around with the prominently-featured Ramones.

To celebrate the movie's 40th anniversary, Consequence of Sound rounded up director Allan Arkush and screenwriter Joseph McBride for a bit of an oral history, which you can read here. Revisit the soundtrack here, complete with cuts from Alice Cooper, Devo, and Brian Eno. I shared some of my favorite clips below. Hey ho, let's go!

adam12Writer
Adam 12 is the Program Director of Boston's ROCK 92.9, heard weekdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. He's been flexing his encyclopedic rock knowledge in New England for over 2 decades, both on-air and online, at WBCN, WFNX, Boston.com, and indie617. At ROCK 92.9, he keeps you in the know on the big stories from the Boston music scene and writes about great places to eat, drink (beer), and to spend time outdoors in and around Boston.