Blondie is an American rock band that first gained fame in the 1970s and early 1980s. They were pioneers in the early American punk rock and New Wave scene.
They first formed in August 1974 when guitarist Chris Stein met Deborah Harry from a little known band, The Wind in the Willows, and formed the band with the remnants of his band, The Stilettos. They were joined by drummer Clem Burke, keyboard player Jimmy Destri and bass player Gary Valentine, as Angel and The Snake (for all of two shows). They then became regulars at New York's Club 51 and CBGB's. They got their first record deal with Private Stock Records in the mid 70s, and released their debut album Blondie in 1976, along with the single " X-Offender". Private Stock Records was then bought out by U.K based company Chrysalis Records. The album was re-released in 1977; by this time Valentine had been replaced by Nigel Harrison, and another guitarist Frank Infante was added. The single " Rip Her To Shreds" was released at this time. Their first #1 hit, " Heart of Glass" (off Parallel Lines on Chrysalis), was so disco, the label was reluctant to release it. (The cut "Studio 54" never made it out.)
The band released a further five studio albums, each exhibiting a stylistic progression from the last. Blondie is known for incorporating elements in their work from numerous subgenres of popular music, including punk, new wave, disco, and hip hop.
The band broke up in 1982 and Harry concentrated on her solo recording career and acted sporadically in film. In 1999, the band reformed, without Harrison and Infante, and in the U.K., achieved a number 1 single, " Maria", and a number 3 album, No Exit. They released the album The Curse of Blondie in October 2003, followed by the single " Good Boys".
