“Parallel Lines” by Blondie
Today marks the 45th anniversary of this pop mainstay.
Hello! 😊👋
Welcome to a new edition of the Daily Music Picks newsletter!
Today’s music pick is arguably the gold standard for glossy pop-punk bliss, anchored by one of music’s all-time tough girls.
Genre: Pop, Punk, Disco
Label: Chrysalis
Release Date: September 1, 1978
Vibe: 🙇
One glance at the Parallel Lines album cover tells you Debbie Harry is a badass. Flanked by interchangeable (sorry fellas) dudes in skinny ties, fists on her hips, sporting a “don’t f*** with me” glare directed at the viewer, Harry strikes a pose that’s an immediate tone setter for the brawny, expertly written pop-rock found inside. This was the moment when Blondie, already a respected CBGB alum in New York’s alternative scene, pushed beyond their new wave roots and, with the help of virtuoso producer Mike Chapman, crafted chart-topping hooks around Harry’s ice-cool, almost sneering sensibility. 45 years on, it’s hard to overstate how influential this album has been in the pop and power-punk landscapes. Everyone from Madonna, Gwen Stefani, P!nk, Avril Lavigne, and Paramore owe at least a small portion of their sound (and success) to Blondie’s crossover smash.
What struck me the most on a re-listen for today’s newsletter was how terrific the deeper album cuts are when held up against the tunes everyone knows, namely “One Way or Another” and the disco classic “Heart of Glass.” There’s the breathless anticipation of “Hanging on the Telephone” (with Harry proclaiming, ”If I don't get your calls, then everything goes wrong”), the delectable “Pretty Baby,” where the eponymous teenager has the boys “falling like an avalanche,” and the romantic fatalism of “Will Anything Happen,” featuring the kind of raucous playing that proved the band could still tear up any underground punk venue they set foot in.
Though it may be pegged as kitsch by those who only know the singles, trust me when I say that Parallel Lines is 40 blissful minutes well spent.
👉 Don’t forget to click the album image to stream the album on your favorite platform 👈
I am a huge fan of this album. So much so that I pitched it for Exile on Newbury St. a couple of years ago. I used many of the same arguments that you outlined--the bands/singers that it influenced, the depth of the album beyond the singles, the punk/pop sensibilities--but it didn't get in. Mitch and Ken couldn't see past the hits. Hearts of glass, those two.