Blondie

Blondie formed in New York City in 1974, emerging from the CBGB punk scene alongside acts like Television and the Ramones. Fronted by vocalist Debbie Harry, whose peroxide-blonde image and magnetic stage presence became inseparable from the band's identity, the group was built around the songwriting partnership of Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. Blondie distinguished itself from its punk peers by embracing pop hooks, girl-group melodies, and an eclectic range of styles rather than sticking to a single sound.

The band's breakthrough came with «Parallel Lines» (1978), which produced the disco-inflected hit «Heart of Glass» and established Blondie as one of the defining acts of the emerging new wave movement. They continued to defy genre boundaries with «Call Me», a collaboration with producer Giorgio Moroder, the reggae-tinged «The Tide Is High», and «Rapture», one of the first rap-infused songs to top the U.S. charts. This restless experimentation across disco, reggae, and hip-hop set Blondie apart from most of their CBGB contemporaries.

After splitting in the mid-1980s, Blondie reunited in the late 1990s and has continued to record and perform. Their catalog remains a touchstone for new wave and pop-punk, and Harry's persona as a fierce, stylish frontwoman influenced generations of female performers that followed.