Blondie
Blondie are an American rock band that first gained fame in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
The band were pioneers in the early American punk rock and New Wave scenes. Their first two albums contained strong elements of these genres, and although successful in Australia and the United Kingdom, Blondie were regarded as an underground band in the United States until the release of a third album in 1978. Over the next three years, the band achieved several hit singles and were noted for their eclectic mix of musical styles incorporating elements of disco, pop and reggae, while retaining a basic style as a New Wave band.
Lead singer Deborah Harry achieved a level of celebrity that eclipsed other band members leading to tension within the group. Following a poorly received album, and with core member Chris Stein diagnosed with a potentially fatal disease, the group disbanded in 1982. As members pursued other projects, Blondie's reputation grew over the following decade and the group reformed in 1998, achieving renewed success and a number one single in the United Kingdom the following year. The group toured and performed throughout the world over the following years, and were inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Rock Walk of Fame in 2006.
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Blondie are an American rock band that first gained fame in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
The band were pioneers in the early American punk rock and New Wave scenes. Their first two albums contained strong elements of these genres, and although successful in Australia and the United Kingdom, Blondie were regarded as an underground band in the United States until the release of a third album in 1978. Over the next three years, the band achieved several hit singles and were noted for their eclectic mix of musical styles, while retaining a basic style as a New Wave band.
As lead singer Deborah Harry achieved a level of celebrity that eclipsed other band members, tensions were raised within the group. Following a poorly received album, and with core member Chris Stein diagnosed with a potentially fatal disease, the group disbanded in 1982. As members pursued other projects, Blondie's reputation grew over the following decade and the group reformed in 1998, achieving renewed success and a number one single in the United Kingdom the following year.
When they disbanded in 1982, Blondie had released six studio albums, each exhibiting a stylistic progression from the last. The band are known not only for the striking stage persona and vocal performances of Harry but also for incorporating elements in their work from numerous subgenres of popular music, reaching from their punk roots to embrace new wave, disco, and hip hop.
In March of 2006, Blondie was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. All six members from the "Parallel Lines" era lineup were invited to the ceremony, which led to an on-stage spat between the extant group and their former bandmates Nigel Harrison and Frank Infante when the latter pleaded to be allowed to perform with the group at the ceremony - a request refused by Harry.
A BBC documentary on the group, aired Friday, July 21, 2006, discussed a new legal battle Nigel Harrison and Frank Infante have undertaken against the present day band (most likely over terms of their implied 'partnership' agreement as members of Blondie). This has something to do with the frosty reception they received from Harry and Stein at the induction.
Blondie have influenced many musicians, among them Madonna, Shirley Manson, the band R.E.M., Gwen Stefani, and Courtney Love.
On May 22, 2006, Blondie was inducted into the Rock Walk of Fame at Guitar Center on Hollywood's Sunset Boulevard. Especially important regarding Blondie's Rock Walk induction is the fact that currently, Rock Walk inductions are voted on by previous Rock Walk inductees, making this truly a musician's award.
They were the only American act to reach number one in the UK singles charts in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. Coincidentally, their last number one hit, "Maria", topped the UK charts exactly twenty years after their first chart-topper "Heart of Glass" in 1979.
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