Blondie: Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2006

Rock Hall Bio: https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/blondie/bio/

Official Site: http://www.blondie.net/

Chris Stein and Deborah Harry formed Blondie in the mid-70s. The band was at the forefront of the punk and new wave music revolutions of the period. They were eclectic in the extreme.

Rip Her to Shreds (1977): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsMefrj_ICE

They scored overseas, but did not break in the US until 1978 when they released the classic Parallel Lines.

Heart of Glass (1979): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGU_4-5RaxU

One Way of Another (1979): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXewIR7Y7cc

Dreaming (1979): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU3-lS_Gryk

They provided an all-time classic and one of the great songs of the 80s for American Gigolo.

Call Me (1980): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aH3Q_CZy968

Atomic (1980): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_WLw_0DFQQ

The Tide is High (1980): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppYgrdJ0pWk

The first song with a rap to hit #1:

Rapture (1980): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHCdS7O248g

The totally changed their sound for their next album.

Island of Lost Souls (1982): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8ZviR3BzqA

Tensions in the band, a drop in album sales, drugs, and Chris Stein mortality in the face of pemphigus broke the band up in 1982.

Blondie reunited in the late 90s. They became the only band with #1 hits in three decades. The band continues to tour...

Maria (1999): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoOG7LEyUJ0

Good Boys (2003): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_niLaDS6ec

A Rose By Any Name (2013): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XQO7Bmj1UA

Seymour Stein: Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2005

Rock Hall Bio: http://rockhall.com/inductees/seymour-stein/bio/

Stein helped found Sire Records in 1966. Stein signed a number of important acts over the years including:

The Ramones: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nlX7P0nhaI

The Talking Heads: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNnAvTTaJjM

The Pretenders: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YARxccf0Uno

Madonna: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSaC-YbSDpo

He renamed punk music “new wave” to avoid the negative connotations. His wife was murdered in 2007 and Stein has not remarried. He remains president at Sire to this day.

Duran Duran: Planet Earth (1981)

Duran Duran helped signal the end of the 1970s when they scored an immediate hit with “Planet Earth.” Electronic beat, synthesizer, and the New Romantic fashion style left disco in the dust. New Wave had arrived. The song hit #12 in Britain, #8 in Australia, and opened the door to America. In a year or so, Duran Duran would be one of the biggest bands in the world.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NF6Qa84mno

The Go-Gos: Our Lips Are Sealed (1981)

The Go-Gos emerged from the New York punk scene. When the public tired of the movement, the record industry repackaged artists like the Go-Gos into New Wave.  Despite the wholesome good girls image, the band could party like any other rock band. "Our Lips Are Sealed" was written by Jane Wiedlin  and The Specials' Terry Hall, who were in a relationship. However, Hall also had a girlfriend in England that he considered marrying making Wiedlin the "other woman."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3kQlzOi27M

866. The Metro by Berlin (1983)

"The Metro" is an archetypal New Wave song. It includes elements of punk, pop, and makes heavy use of synthesizer. Terri Nunn admits the song defined both the band and the period. Berlin released it as their third single off of Pleasure Victim. "The Metro" peaked at #58 on the charts, but the video received heavy MTV play.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UXtort76gY