Formed in 1974 in New York by vocalist Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein, Blondie was one of the bands that emerged at the beginning of the diverse American new wave/punk scene. Their music flirts with elements of styles such as disco, reggae, electronica and dance-rock.
In addition to Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, the group's permanent members included drummer Clem Burke and keyboardist Jimmy Destri, who left the group in 2004. Their first two albums, Blondie (1976) and Plastic Letters (1978), only achieved relative success in the United Kingdom. In their home country, the band began to gain recognition after the release of their third album, the classic Parallel Lines, released in 1978. Supported mainly by the single "Heart of Glass", it is estimated that Parallel Lines has sold more than 20 million copies worldwide. The album became the main reference in the band's discography.
After Parallel Lines, Blondie released the albums Eat to the Beat (1979), Autoamerican (1980) and The Hunter (1982).
The Hunter failed commercially and was not well received by critics. Six months after its release, the band disbanded in November 1982.
In 1996, the band began to reunite for a comeback. The following year, Blondie performed several times. A new album, No Exit, was released in February 1999. The group continued to be active and released the albums The Curse of Blondie (2003) and Panic of Girls (2011).
In 2014, Blondie 4(0)-Ever: Greatest Hits Deluxe Redux | Ghosts Of Download, a double album celebrating Blondie's 40th anniversary, was released. The first disc (Greatest Hits Deluxe Redux) brings together 11 re-recordings of the band's hits. The second album (Ghosts Of Download) features a collection of new songs.
In 2017, the band released their eleventh album, Pollinator. In April 2025, drummer Clem Burke passed away at the age of 70, after battling cancer.
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