Blondie (band)

Blondie
Blondie in 1977 (l–r): Gary Valentine, Clem Burke, Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, Jimmy Destri
Background information
Origin	New York City, U.S.
Genres	New wave pop rock punk rock disco funk
Years active	1974–1982 1997–present
Labels	Private Stock Chrysalis EMI Beyond BMG Epic Sire Sanctuary Eleven Seven
Members	Debbie Harry Chris Stein Clem Burke Leigh Foxx Matt Katz-Bohen Tommy Kessler
Past members	Jimmy Destri Nigel Harrison Frank Infante Gary Valentine Fred Smith Ivan Kral Billy O'Connor
Website	blondie.net

Blondie is an American rock band formed in 1974 in New York City by singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein.^[1] The band was a pioneer in the American new wave scene of the mid-1970s in New York City.

The band's first two albums contained strong elements of punk and new wave, and although highly successful in the UK and Australia, Blondie was regarded as an underground band in the U.S. until the release of Parallel Lines in 1978. Over the next four years, the band released several hit singles^[2] including "Dreaming", "One Way or Another", "Heart of Glass", "Call Me", "Atomic", "The Tide Is High", and "Rapture".^[3] The band became noted for its eclectic mix of musical styles, also incorporating elements of disco, pop, reggae, funk and early rap music.

Blondie disbanded after the release of their sixth studio album, The Hunter, in 1982. Harry continued to pursue a solo career with varied results after taking a few years off to care for partner Stein, who was diagnosed with pemphigus, a rare autoimmune disease of the skin.^[4] The band re-formed in 1997,^[5] achieving renewed success and their sixth number one single in the UK with "Maria" in 1999, exactly 20 years after their first UK No. 1 single ("Heart of Glass").

The group toured and performed throughout the world^[6] during the following years, and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2006.^[7] Blondie has sold around 40 million records worldwide^[8][9] and is still active. The band's eleventh studio album, Pollinator, was released on May 5, 2017.