Well it simply comes down to his ugly vocal style, there is tons of songs on this album and in the ramones, discography If they simply had a different lead , singer , probably would have had much more success, but also , if they had a different singer , they might not be a standout of tracks
Mainstream never bit on Rockaway Beach because they were terrified of the word "punk". Despite Rockaway Beach being a wholesome pop song, the "Ramones" label made it punk, making radio programmers not wanna touch it. Also, late 70's was dominated by disco and soft rock, very smooth in sound and production, where as the Ramones was more fast, distorted, and relentless. Also, the Beach Boys sang about an idealized California getaway that anyone would be seduced by, while Rockaway Beach was more gritty, with lyrics like "hot concrete" and "chewing gum on the ground" in Queens, New York, These are very relatable now, but didn't translate to teens outside of Queens, New York.
