Blondie: The Heirarchy of Pop Punk
A look into the band Blondie, how they are relevant today, and the idea that their musical genre may fluctuate depending on the album.
Blondie. Just about everyone has heard of Blondie unless you're one of those new found Generation Z people, in which case, you've come to the right spot. Blondie has been in recording existence since 1976, and to this day, the playing of Blondie in public areas has still not let up. I know at the small retail business where I work, Heart of Glass, The Tide is High, Maria, and the popular One Way or Another play on the radio station at least twice each everyday.
Maria: No Exit : 1999
No matter what, the world will not let go of Blondie! Blondie, though, was considered one of the forerunners for the pop punk scene. Remember, they were around in the 70's, back when bands such as The Talking Heads and Television were becoming well known. Blondie did not fit into the same musical scene as some of these New Wave bands. If you take a listen, especially to their self-titled album (1976) and Parallel Lines (1978), you might be able to hear what I mean. Although Blondie incorporated the New Wave electronic sounds, and driving bass lines, they had a more raw break down of songs. There is a great documentary out there on Netflix (it may be found on Youtube as well) called "Blondie's New York." It's a walk through of Blondie's journey to success, and also really focuses on the music aspect, as far as what musical genre they consider themselves. Honestly, to me, Blondie has times where they can be considered "Pop Punk." I think it's more of the punk vibe they give off, because let's be honest, Debbie Harry is one hardcore lady (see music video).
Basically, the world would not be the world it is today without Blondie in it. Take it as you like ....punk, pop, pop punk, new wave pop punk....either way, Blondie has influenced the music scene in a unique way.
Hanging on the Telephone: Parallel Lines: 1978
