Blondie

Most people know that Debbie Harry, she of the peroxide hair and chilled voice, was the blonde in Blondie. Many also learned how, pre-band, Harry worked as a waitress and a Playboy bunny. It’s no surprise, then, that the striking singer became the visual focal point for the band.

Early gigs at CBGB’s and other "alternative" music venues in New York gained them a small following, but Blondie’s breakthrough really came in Australia, when Molly Meldrum played "In the Flesh", the B-side of their single, on Countdown. As a result, the single and the debut album did very well indeed. After Parallel Lines, their third album, soared into the charts world wide, the on-going success of the band was assured.

Melodic pop songs delivered in Harry’s unique style—part Nico, part Marlene Dietrich— are the core of Blondie’s repertoire. Influences include 60s girl groups, New Wave, and later, synth pop, meaning that Blondie never got stuck in one genre. This versatility brought them great pop-rock success in the late 70s and early 80s, with many of the hits still on high radio rotation.