Blondie

Blondie is an American rock band formed in New York City in 1974 by singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band were considered pioneers in the new wave genre from the CBGB scene of the mid-1970s, and drew notability for its eclectic mixture of musical styles, incorporating elements of punk, disco, pop, reggae, funk and early hip hop music. Although the band's first two albums, Blondie (1976) and Plastic Letters (1978), were successful in the UK and Australia, Blondie was regarded as an underground band in the US until the release of their critically acclaimed third album Parallel Lines (1978). Over the next two years, the band released a string of hit singles, including "Heart of Glass" (US No. 1), "One Way or Another", "Dreaming", "Call Me" (US No. 1), "Atomic", (UK No.1), "The Tide Is High" (US No. 1), and "Rapture" (US No. 1). Blondie disbanded after the release of their sixth studio album, The Hunter (1982). Harry continued to pursue a moderately successful solo career after taking a few years off to care for her partner Stein, who was diagnosed with pemphigus, a rare autoimmune disease of the skin. The band re-formed in 1997, achieving renewed success with their seventh album No Exit (1999) and their sixth number one single in the UK with "Maria" in 1999, exactly 20 years after their first UK number one single, "Heart of Glass". The group toured and performed throughout the world during the following years, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006. Blondie has sold over 40 million records worldwide and continues to actively perform. The band's eleventh studio album, Pollinator, was released on May 5, 2017, charting at number 4 in the UK. A new studio album, High Noon, is expected sometime in 2026.[edit]