Debbie Harry and Blondie: Global Success Deborah Ann Harry (July 1, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter, model, and actress, known as the lead vocalist of the new wave band Blondie, formed in New York City in 1974 by Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. The band pioneered the American new wave scene of the mid-1970s. With her beauty, bold clothing choices, and two-tone platinum blonde hair, Harry quickly became a punk icon. Blondie completed the recording of their third album, Parallel Lines, during the summer of 1978. Released in September of that year, it reached number one in the UK, number six in the US, and number two in Australia. The album launched the band into the American market, thanks to the worldwide success of the single "Heart of Glass". Parallel Lines became the band's most successful album, selling 20 million copies worldwide. Since the band had already achieved success with a cover, Chrysalis Records chose their version of Buddy Holly's "I'm Gonna Love You Too" as the first single from *Parallel Lines* in the US. This turned out to be a miscalculation, as the single failed to chart. The album's first two singles were "Picture This" (number 12 in the UK) and "Hanging on the Telephone" (number 5 in the UK). "Heart of Glass" was released in early 1979. The song reached number 1 in the US and sold nearly two million copies. It also reached number 1 in the UK and was the second best-selling single of 1979. "Heart of Glass" was a reinterpretation of a song with rock and reggae influences that the band had been performing since its formation in the mid-1970s, updated with strong disco music elements. Glem Burke later said that the reworked version was inspired in part by Kraftwerk and in part by the Bee Gees' "Stayin' Alive," whose drum beat Burke tried to emulate. He and Stein gave much of the credit for the final result to keyboardist Jimmy Destri, noting that Destri's appreciation for technology led him to introduce synthesizers and rework the keyboard sections. Although some critics condemned the band for "selling out" by venturing into disco music, the song became a worldwide hit and one of the best-selling singles of 1979. Clement Anthony Burke (born Bozewski; November 24, 1954 – April 7, 2025) was a legendary drummer, known as the "heart" of the band. He had been privately battling cancer. Burke played on all of the band's studio albums and was renowned for his energy and versatility. He was the drummer for the Ramones for a brief period in 1987 under the name Elvis Ramone and played on albums by other artists, including Eurythmics, Bob Dylan, and Iggy Pop. He was a member of The Romantics from 1990 to 2004. Blondie's next single in the US was a more aggressive song, "One Way or Another" (number 24 in the US), although in the UK, an alternative single choice, "Sunday Girl," became a number one hit. Parallel Lines was ranked 140th on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. In 2024, Parallel Lines was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." As the focal point of the band, Harry began to achieve a level of celebrity that set her apart from the other band members. She made a cameo appearance in the film The Foreigner (1978), directed by Amos Poe. It's a brief but memorable role, characteristic of the No Wave cinema of the time. Amos Poe (born Amos Porges; September 30, 1949 – December 25, 2025) was an American No Wave director and screenwriter based in New York City, and a pioneer of punk cinema. In June 1979, Blondie was featured on the cover of Rolling Stone. Harry's persona, combining "cool" sensuality with urban style, became so closely associated with the band's name that many came to believe that "Blondie" was the singer's name. To combat the misconception that 'Blondie' was merely the vocalist's stage name, the band launched a marketing campaign in 1979 with the assertive slogan: 'Blondie is a band.' The band returned to the studio to record their next album in the summer of 1979. Blondie's fourth album, Eat to the Beat, was released in September 1979. Although well-received by critics as a suitable follow-up to Parallel Lines, the album and its singles did not achieve the same level of success in the US. In the UK, the album produced three top 20 hits, including the band's third UK number one, "Atomic," which reached number thirty-nine in the US. The album's lead single, "Dreaming," reached number two in the UK. But it only peaked at number 27 in the US. The second single, "Union City Blue" (number 13 in the UK), shared its title with a film starring Harry, directed by Marcus Reichert. Besides the film inspiration, the lyrics of "Union City Blue" was inspired by her life in Union City, New Jersey. She worked across the Hudson River in Manhattan, observing the stunning scenery and dreaming of one day being there. The single was not released in the US in favor of the track "The Hardest Part". Linda Carhart of Chrysalis Records requested the American division of Jon Roseman Productions to film all the songs and create the first video album in history. David Mallet directed and Paul Flattery produced in various locations and studios in and around New York. It was nominated for a Grammy, the first year an award for music videos was instituted. At the end of the year, the concert filmed at the Apollo Theatre in Glasgow was broadcast by the BBC on the Old Grey Whistle Test program. In March 1980, "Atomic" reached number one in the UK and the album was certified gold the following month. Blondie's next single, "Call Me", nominated for a Grammy, was the result of Debbie Harry's collaboration with Italian composer and producer Giorgio Moroder. "Call Me" was a song that featured many of Donna Summer's biggest hits. The track was recorded as the main theme for the film American Gigolo, starring Richard Gere. Released in the US in February 1980, "Call Me" remained at number one for six consecutive weeks in the US and Canada. Released in the UK in April 1980, it reached number one and became a worldwide hit. The single also reached number one on Billboard magazine's 1980 year-end chart. In the summer of 1980, the band made a small appearance in the film Roadie, starring Meat Loaf. Blondie performed Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire," and the live recording was included on the film's soundtrack and on a later CD reissue of the album Eat to the Beat. In November 1980, Blondie's fifth studio album, Autoamerican, was released (number three in the UK, number seven in the US, number eight in Australia). Autoamerican contained two more number one hits in the US: the song with style The album featured the reggae track "The Tide Is High," a cover version of a 1967 song written by John Holt of The Paragons, and the rap-influenced song "Rapture," which was the first rap song to reach number one in the US. Autoamerican showcased a much wider stylistic range than Blondie's previous albums, including the avant-garde instrumental "Europa," the acoustic jazz of "Faces" and "Follow Me." The album received platinum certification in both the US and the UK. The iconic music video for "Rapture" premiered on American television on the Solid Gold program on January 31, 1981, and not only did it become the first rap music video to be broadcast on MTV. Set in Manhattan's East Village neighborhood, the "Man from Mars" or "Voodoo god" (dancer William Barnes in a white suit and top hat) is the introductory and central figure. Barnes also choreographed the piece. Much of the video is a single-take scene of vocalist Debbie Harry dancing down the street, passing graffiti artists, Uncle Sam, a Native American, a child dancer, and a goat. Fab 5 Freddy and graffiti artists Lee Quiñones and Jean-Michel Basquiat make special appearances. Basquiat was hired when Grandmaster Flash failed to appear for filming. Blondie took a break for most of 1981. Debbie Harry appeared on Saturday Night Live in February 1981 as a guest host-actress and also as a singer, with Stein and Burke accompanying her during musical performances. Harry and Destri released solo albums. Stein worked on Harry's album, KooKoo (number six in the UK, number twenty-eight in the US), produced by Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards. He also collaborated with Burke on Destri's album, Heart on a Wall. Burke also played drums on Eurythmics' debut album, In The Garden. Harry, Stein, and Destri also worked together on the music for John Waters' film Polyester in 1981. In October 1981, Chrysalis Records released The Best of Blondie (number four in the UK, number thirty in the US, number one in Australia). Alex