Blondie - Heart Of Glass. Was it their finest moment?

"Heart of Glass" is a song by the American new wave band Blondie, written by singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein. Featured on the band's third studio album, Parallel Lines (1978), it was released as the album's third single in January 1979 and reached number one on the charts in several countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom.


In December 2004, Rolling Stone ranked the song number 255 on its list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. It was ranked at number 259 when the list was updated in April 2010. Slant Magazine placed it at number 42 on their list of the greatest dance songs of all time and Pitchfork named it the 18th best song of the 1970s.


My thoughts.

Blondie had done very well in the UK in 1978 placing 4 top 10 singles. The first 2 releases from Parallel Lines, Picture This and Hanging On The Telephone, had set the album up well, but Heart Of Glass took it to another level ensuring multi-platinum sales worldwide. Indeed, Heart Of Glass convinced me to buy Parallel Lines. I loved the song and the video so much and the fact that Blondie had apparently gone ‘disco’ didn’t phase me at all.

Heart Of Glass made Blondie one of the top band in the world in 1979. Their next 2 albums would continue their success providing a handful of worldwide smash hits. In 1981, Debbie took time out to record a solo album, Koo Koo. This was poorly received, as was the next Blondie album in 1982, The Hunter. Debbie would have a reasonably successful solo career after this, but would have to wait until 1999 for her next #1, when Blondie reformed and Maria went to the top in the UK.

Unfortunately I don’t have the single mix of Heart Of Glass on CD... On my copy of Parallel Lines its the 12” version, and on the Best Of Blondie CD, it’s a shorter mix, but with that weird ‘whooshing’ sound that spoils it totally. The first time I played it I thought that sound was coming from outside.

So, what do you think of Heart Of Glass? A pop classic? Blondie selling out? Perhaps you’re somewhere in the middle? Maybe you don’t care in the slightest! Vote accordingly.



The UK 12” single. The 7” one had the same cover.

 

Voted for "I love Heart Of Glass", but...

I'd say "Dreaming' is their greatest single ... and while I love "Parallel Lines", it's my second favorite album of theirs after "Eat To The Beat".

 

Don't get me wrong. I love Heart of Glass but there are several other of their singles that I prefer, with Atomic being the pinnacle for me. And there are a number of album tracks I would take over HoG too (11.59, Fade Away & Radiate, One Way or Another, Nothing Is Real But The Girl etc). So I voted for the last option.

 

Dreaming is a great song, though Atomic ended up being the biggest hit from Eat To The Beat in the UK.

 

I like it a lot but it was so huge and has suffered from overexposure. My personal favourite is "Sunday Girl"

 

It's certainly their commercial peak and probably their best known song but all of their early singles are great. Parallel Lines is one of the best albums of the era and Eat to the Beat isn't far behind it...

 

Heart Of Glass enters the UK chart at #6 W/E 27th January 1979. It would be #1 the following week.

 

I remember I had to buy the single twice. I took a bunch of records to a party (as you did when you were a teenager in those days) and the bag fell off the back of my bike on the way home. Heart of Glass must have taken the brunt of the fall because it was the only vinyl casualty with a big crack in it. Still have the replacement copy.

 

There are quite a few very appealing Blondie singles including Heart of Glass.

X Offender, Denis, Presence Dear, Hanging on the Telephone and....... almost each of their singles is a winner.

My fave still goes to In the Flesh - sounds great on a good stereo, just that little less polished, that little more real.....

Here's Molly talking about both - In the Flesh & Heart of Glass.

 

I’m always surprised with this sort of thing when Sunday Girl doesn’t come out on top.

 

I like "Atomic" better.

 

Yo,

"Parallel Lines" is to Blondie, what "Dark Side of the Moon" is to Pink Floyd, or "A Night at the Opera" is to Queen IMO...

So without question, "Heart of Glass" is one of many fine moments from that album. I love it, & yes, likely their finest moment !

The tune has that magical-pulse that sucks-you-in, makes you shake your head or ass ( or both ) to the beat, & sing along with it.

Blondie would have to be one-of-the-worlds-more successful female-led bands that's ever been, with a career spanning 4-decades, & still going strong !

Well done Debbie Harry indeed !

Ciao,

Gregster

 

I could watch the video over and over....but Dreaming is my favorite by them....

 

I second that.

 

My favorite album is still their debut. It sounds fresh and not dated today. Heart of Glass sounds boring today.... overoplayed.

 

Their third best album?

 

"Atomic" has a Phil Spector sound to it. Throw in some castanets and strings, bingo.

 

In answer to your question, Heart Of Glass is a slice of pop/disco perfection and deserves to go down as one of the greatest pop music creations of the 70s, 80s and beyond. There are Blondie singles I like more (Dreaming, X Offender, Rapture, Union City Blue) but Heart Of Glass is in a league of its own. It certainly catapulted Blondie to international stardom and deservedly so. Debbie Harry was so tough but so sexy and her vocal on this track was quite different to any previous single. Even after 40 (****!) years, it’s still a song I never tire of.

 

never liked the song , but not as annoying as "The tide is a high" ,
I like their song "Denis" though

 

The moment in the verse where they substitute the expected minor chord with a major chord is pure genius. It is the only Blondie song i know but that moment stuck in my mind since childhood. Always loved Heart Of Glass.

 

It's an absolute classic. Best single of the 70s, quite possibly.

Rapture, Atomic, Dreaming....all terrific, but not in the same league.

HoG is one of those once-in-a-career moments.

 

Both Denis and The tide is high are covers you know.

 

The band already had the song in the very early days. They called it "The Disco Song" and thought of it as a joke more or less, weren't even going to release it.

Sure it's fun, I like it. Not their finest moment by a long shot.

 

one of their best pop moments for sure, but for REAL Blondie, y'know, what the band was REALLY about, I'd vote for
I'm Always Touched By Your Presence Dear.

 

I like the song but i really prefer French Kissin in the USA. I dont know why, i just love that song!