Reviews (page 4 of 14)
I thought I knew what to expect from Blondie but I was wrong! Really fun punky pop songs like One Way or Another and the disco rhythm of Heart of Glass, but also more than a hint of 60s girl group and an unexpected Buddy Holly cover. Debbie Harry kicks ass.
Heart of Glass, One Way or Another, Sunday Girl and Hanging on the Telephone are all big favorites of mine - enough to earn this album a 5. How these great songs never lured me into listening to this album I’ll never know… this album is packed with songs I immediately love just as much! I thought I knew Blondie well enough, but turns out I was just licking the frosting while missing out on an incredibly delicious cake! Such delicious cake!
Hanging on the Telephone, One Way or Another, Picture This, Pretty Baby, I Know But I Don’t Know, 11:59, Sunday Girl, Heart of Glass and I’m Going to Love You Too. I love Debbie Harry’s voice. Catchy as fuck and energetic. Every song is a banger. Love it.
What a tour de force
I will not reduce my review to how attracted I am to Debbie Harry. I will not reduce my review to how attracted I am to Debbie Harry. I will not reduce my review to how attracted I am to Debbie Harry. God, I love her, but there’s so much more to this album than that. Anyway, let’s go. 1978’s “Parallel Lines” was Blondie’s multi-platinum breakthrough: the pin-point of when they tipped from a hustling New York band to international megastars. The winning formula? Sharp, snappy pop and rock songs, overflowing with charisma, bite and warmth. It’s a perfect alchemy and near-impossible to fault as a whole. We begin chomping at the bit with a Nerves cover: “Hanging on the Telephone” is hard-edged, bristling punk with a shiny pop surface. Concise, direct and straight to the point. “One Way or Another” doubles down on that, with a searing attitude and a chorus to lodge itself in the head of whoever hears it until the day they die. “Picture This” (with a flawlessly executed key change-into-guitar solo), “Pretty Baby” (vocal acrobatics abounding in the outro) and “Sunday Girl” are three of the sweeter melodies on here, surely enough to send the most po-faced of music snobs falling head over heels. Meanwhile, for any listeners hoping for a little more edge and experimenting in this “pure pop” album, “Fade Away and Radiate” departs from a love-song lyric or catchy melody, with an ambitious arrangement enlisting a certain Robert Fripp. Unsurprisingly, it’s pulled off with just as much style and artistry as the rest of the material. You get the idea- the rest of “Parallel Lines” is just as striking, memorable and charming. “11:59” and “Will Anything Happen” fizz and pop with unsuppressed urgency. “You’re Gonna Love Me Too” is an inspired choice of cover: Blondie recognising their musical heritage with the fun and brevity of Buddy Holly’s 1950’s rockabilly. It was chosen by the record label as a sure-fire hit, but it ultimately failed to chart and was wiped clean by the blockbuster originals. And all this before even discussing “Heart of Glass”, a genre-defining smash-hit which seals itself in as the jewel of the whole record- their whole career- and leaves the dying remnants of the 1970s choking in its wake. “Parallel Lines” is so consistently engaging, with song after song making waves through popular culture, that it’s impossible to dislike. Even when these aren’t the most stellar musicians you’ll have ever heard, the teeth on the songwriting reveal that all the artsy virtuosos in the world do not guarantee as good a time as this. Any quibbles? Well, for one, it’s always baffled me they didn’t opt for “11:55” to rhyme with “stay alive”, but such a quibble does not form reasonable ground to deduct a star.
Classic.
An album where every song is a banger? Yeah, that works as a concept.
Phenomenal listening experience. You get so much out of a tightly paced 39 minutes. Cool arty punk rock new wave rad badassery! It really does have it all. Definitely one for the record collection, you can pop this on and people will groove to it in any setting. And can we talk about Debbie Harry for a minute? Goddess! Unearthly treasure we do not deserve. She is the moment. She is the serve. The throaty raspy growl, my god, I'm in vocal heaven with her! This is an absolute knockout.
This album was a fantastic time! Made me want to put on roller skates and dance my heart out.
This album is dope. I had only really listened to one other LP from Blondie that wasn't a greatest hits album. 11:59 is an awesome track as well as the Buddy Holly cover.
Love this!
Ok but why was the album lowkey a banger?
Oh yeah! I usually just stick with the Best of Blondie compilation (judge me not) but this is a nice reminder that the non-hits were really good as well. It's just a great album for almost any mood, it's punky, it's poppy, it's got the new wave thing going on, it's kinda timeless in my opinion. I love it. It's a 5 for the music but secret bonus points for Debbie Harry being the hottest woman to front a band of all time. Fight me.
ok
Discazo 😍
Total surprise
great new wave
Slaps.
Solid; stands up. Of course, cool rhymes with fool.
J'adore Blondie. J'aime la voix, la présence, la personnalité de Debbie Harry, qui pour moi transparaît même quand on ne la voit pas. Le rock est mon genre favori, et je ne peux m'empêcher de bouger, danser, hocher la tête.
Contains the perfect pop song (Heart Of Glass), a perfect classic rock song (One Way Or Another), the perfect, iconic album cover (Debby Harry in justifiable super hero pose, but the dude on the far right is what closes it for me). But then again, every song is perfection in its own way. Just banger on top of banger, the album stands head and shoulders over everyone else trying to play in the same sandbox in 1978. This is the one that cemented Debbie Harry's legend.
Really a great album. Hit tracks and a great theme - For some reason I always associate it with Canada and not New York, even though I know that its all CBGBs and shit. Anyway, great album. 5/5
I remember being surprised when I realised that Blondie is a band, rather than just the blonde lady that sings their songs. Before listening today, I was already pretty familiar with a bunch of songs and would consider myself a fan. Songs I already knew: Sunday Girl, Heart Of Glass, One Way Or Another, Hanging On The Telephone Favourites: Sunday Girl, Heart Of Glass Firstly, I almost mistyped that as Heart If Gladys. I just found that amusing and worth mentioning. The music on this album is fantastic throughout. It’s was hard to pick a few favourites because every song here is great. There are ear worms throughout here, and I’ve found myself singing to myself throughout the rest of the day. I genuinely couldn’t say anything bad about this album. There is nothing that can be improved as far as I’m concerned.
I’ve already heard this. Love this album.
I've listened to One Way or Another before obviously, but it was on Rock Band so I know the song pretty well. I've also listened to a little bit of Heart of Glass but not the whole thing so we'll see. I do really like Blondie as a performer so I'm interested. I really love the growling she does in One Way or Another, I never paid attention to that before. I also really liked Pretty Baby, it was just really cute. 11:59 reminds me of Xray Spex somehow, I'm not really sure how to explain it.
спасибо этому рандомайзеру за то что я теперь знаю кто поет ту песню которая гичигичигичигичи и что блонди крутая (ван вэй если что даже не в моем личном топ три лучших песен альбома при том что она супер)
Nice, sweet, goes well with toks. One Way Or Another is the best 1/1
Fantastic new wave album and Debbie Harry's vocals are perfect.
This is a fantastic album, filled with chart toppers
Top Album
Amazing album
Excellent, I really love it
Love love love
Blondie - it's 11:59 and I'm running out of time. Among the greatest capture of the CBGB energy, grabbing early 60's rock'n'roll energy and giving it the punk treatment. Phenomenal!
Oozes cool.
Always liked this album.
Every song sounds brand new. Catchy, edgy, cool.
nice! I’ve already loved this album long before it got generated for me, but it’s nice to give it another listen yeah, every song is amazing I don’t know what else to say haha just a perfect, 10/10 album and Heart of Glass is one of my all time favorite songs mostly because it has that one section played in 7/4 lmao
Levy pelkkiä hittejä! Iskee!
Fantastic. Equal parts punk and pop, with a fun, breezy energy. The album cuts are excellent and “One Way Or Another,” “Sunday Girl” and “Heart of Glass” are absolute classics. Especially “Heart of Glass” — that’s one of those magic songs that sounds like nothing else. The backing vocals throughout the album are really playful. They added fun details to a lot of these songs. I feel like the more I listen to this, the more I’m going to love it so I’m smashing the 5 on this one.
Yessssss! I love this album!
Modern day classic
I REALLY loved this. It sounded like a poppier, more accessible version of Horses by Patti Smith, an album I love. Heart of Glass is a track I heard before and I still think it's the best song on it.
Iconic album and the best one ever released by Blondie. It takes a lot of talent to use styles as different as classic rock, punk and disco, and still create such a cohesive LP. And Debbie harry has sung a string of choruses for the ages here (Call Me, One Way Or Another, that Hanging By The Telephone cover...). Maybe not a 5/5, but a solid 4.5/5, at least. Number of albums left to review: more than 700. Temporarily lost count here. Keepers: half so far (including this one) Maybe I'll keep them: a quarter Stinkers: one last quarter
Fucking amazing!
Hitspäckat album och nästan inte en dålig låt. Toppbetyg!
Amazing album, no skips
A rough and tumble band creates their finest album that’s two parts punk and one part new wave. What’s not to love?
Good album 🫶
This was one of three albums that were played at almost every party I went to the year after school finished. The others were Rumours and Rocky Horror. Why Parallel Lines? Because it is full of bangers that force you to dance! It loses a little impetus with Pretty Baby and I Know... then side two roars into life with 11:59. Even the two lesser tracks are better than any power pop because THEY STARTED POWER POP. It's driven by Clem Burke's power which is then topped by layers of instruments which enhance but never get in the way of Debbie's golden vocals. This is unquestionably the best pure pop album of the '70s.
I was watching She Hulk Attorney at Law this afternoon, when all of a sudden I felt an enormous ache in my bum. It was a pain I hadnt felt since that cruise I took with Blondie back in the mid 80s. Then, I spent 42 hours straight, chained to the toilet shitting up a turd so powerful it registered on the Richter Scale. Today, it was different, my bowels rumbled and eventually fired out hundreds of spiders. I'm finally a dad.
I'm ashamed to say that I'd never listened to this album in full before. I knew the hits, but I hadn't listened to it the full way through. I regret not doing it earlier. This was fantastic and lots of great stuff has been added into the rotation. Debbie Harry's voice shines throughout and the riffs just hit me in the right way.
Excellent
Pop punk new wave masterpiece
Was mad into this when I first discovered it (2005?). Not a duff track.
Just utterly hilarious.
I have a soft spot for this album and was delighted to revisit. It has a fairly good breadth of tracks, not all gold, but enough so that it keeps you listening and represents a strong top-to-bottom album. Love the synth and punk and pop and proto new wave vibe.
I love it! I didn't realize all these amazing songs were on just ONE album.
I have this album on vinyl - it was one of my very first records. I was obsessed with Blondie from a very early age, and this is still one of my favourite albums today!
loooove Blondie, she's an icon!
Rock-pop perfection! Debbie Harry is a powerful sorceress of song. I was lucky to grab this on NM vinyl for only a few bucks!
Loved it!
Love love love this album. My favourite by Blondie, and every track a winner.
This album rips so hard. Nothing but bangers. 10 out of 10 forever!
all time classic!
I mean ... this album is stellar. Do I have to take notes? I saw it come up and smiled, clicked play and away I went. Unlike Eat to the Beat, this is a straight up all killer no filler album - I often find myself randomly singing bits of tunes off this for no reason; somebody saying it's 59 minutes past the hour is enough to get 11:59 firing off in my head.
Album full of classics. Love it.
Heart of Glass is a classic
I fucking love Blondie yeeeeeea booooi
Loved it. Fun album that brought up a lot of good memories.
Didn't know they covered "keep me hanging on the telephone" - love the cover. Debbie Harry is just excellent.
There’s pop music and then there’s Blondie pop music.
pretty good, with lots of good songs. the songs have some really good licks, and they sound really good.
5 fantastic singles on this album. The other tracks didn't excite me at all and it's not really my sort of music but undeniably a great album.
This album is chockablock with hits. It's sound more than stacks up today. It feels surprising that it came out in the late 70s. Debbie Harry is mesmeric and the band do the songs justice. Apparently the recording process was shambolic but you would never know when you listen to it.
Oh dude, I've listened to this album so many times. It's nice to have a reason to listen to it again. Heart of Glass is just so fucking good. The whole album is.
Excellent
One of the best from one of my favourite bands. What more needs to be said?
5/5
Absolutely iconic
the album is top!!
Auf RYM hab ich 4/5 gegeben aber im Kontext diess projekts und im vergleich zu allem was bisher dran war hat das ganz locker 5 verdient. so ein geiles album, es sind wirklich nur hits. Das ist das was das Pretnders album hätte sein können, wenn es sich auf der zweiten hälfte nicht so krass in belanglosen popsongs verloren hätte. plus ich liebe es wenn debbie harry's stimme so bisschen bricht das ist so geil rockig 🤘
obergeil, hammer, nice, tight und classic
Really fun album. Every song is pretty great for the most part. Doesn't really sound dated at all. There's a great balance of guitar and synth here and Debbie's voice is just the right amount of pop and punk. Definitely going to come back to this one.
Well I had her posters on my wall and the grooves of this record were worn. I thought it was me she loved. What a wonderful album. Blondie is a legend and all the female singers who have tried to emulate her haven't even come close.
So good!
Amazing album
This album is a classic, wide variety in the types of songs, witty lyrics and the best non-disco DISCO track of all-time in “Heart of Glass”. This album is in my top-10 all-time.
The greatest Blondie album
With this album, Blondie refined its formula for producing perfect pop songs. It is catchy and flows smoothly. Loved the harmonies and textures. Legendary!
A stonewall certified all-time classic, with one of the best opening tracks in rock 'n' roll history.
Never listened to the full album before. Really enjoyed it.
I enjoyed this album far more than I expected to. I feel like this album was probably highly influential on 80's pop.
Had a lot of songs that have appeared in movies and TV shows. Pretty great to know where those soundtracks came from. Partial to hanging on the telephone, one way or another, sunday girl and heart of glass.
Debbie Harry merece mas fama y popularidad de la que ya tiene
I had forgotten what a good album this is, even beyond the two hits that I know and love, "One Way or Another" and "Heart of Glass". Great guitar work on "Fade Away and Radiate". "I'm Gonna Love you Too" is a short but good song. Great album through and through. Surprised to be giving this a 5, but well there it is...
Love it, nice classics.
Pop at its best
Amazing album. One of my faves.
God, this was good. I'm gonna go through their discography now because of this.
Awesome
This album was great! Brings me back to the 80s but timeless.
This was my fav album in high school and it still slaps. Interesting how so many female vocal led bands still have the same sound.
Didn't realise so many bangers all came from one album, it's like a greatest hits
Lots of well known bops
Still fun :-)
Correct original album link https://open.spotify.com/album/4M6s2jbhKWEcOdXZ8WiHts
Many of the classicz
A classic, one I remember hearing on vinyl when growing up.
Top
Love it, classic.
Niceee
Perfect.
Didn't realise that this album was from the late 70's, I associated their main singles firmly from the 80's! An all round decent pop/rock album with instantly recognisable classics in "One way or Another" which has been endlessly covered, and "Heart of Glass" which was personally a staple in PlayStation 2's SingStar game. The album takes you on a journey and I think there are no real stinkers on the album which makes for a quintessential pop/rock album. Best: One way or Another; Heart of Glass Worst: no real outliers here!
Haaaaaaaaanging on the Telephone! Klassiker! Volle Punktzahl!
This album is a fucking banger.
Excellent first pick. Very catchy, and something I would love if released today. Can see how it influenced some recent indie pop. Stand out track "Heart of Glass".
Classic
This is just an excellent album. Almost none of the songs are just ok. Iconic!
Brilliant
Just amazing
El mítico de Blondie. Pop y rock garajero y glamuroso con Debbie Harry en todo su esplendor. Potentísimo y una de las portadas más icónicas.
Geil
Loved this!
A truly wonderful album.
absolute fire. such a great album, and it had a lot of Blondie's hits on it
"I'm in the phone booth, it's the one across the hall If you don't answer, I'll just ring it off the wall" (Hanging on the telephone) "All I want is a room with a view A sight worth seeing A vision of you All I want is a room with a view" (Picture this) "Today can last another million years Today could be the end of me It's 11: 59, and I want to stay alive" (11:59) "Don't be cruel Be a thing - sweet thing As a rule" (Just go away) El meme de Gordon Ramsay diciendo "Finally, Some Good Fucking Food".
Blondie is class
"Picture This" Released: August 26, 1978 "I'm Gonna Love You Too" Released: September 1978 "Hanging on the Telephone" Released: October 30, 1978 "Heart of Glass" Released: January 3, 1979 "Sunday Girl" Released: May 1979 "One Way or Another" Released: May 14, 1979
Perfect pop
Disco ameno y entretenido. Muy adelantado en su momento, lo que hace que siga sonando fresco a día de hoy. Incluye canciones que probablemente han sonado sin parar desde que se publicó el disco.
Was going for 4 stars, then Heart of glass came on late. Also liked Fade away and radiate, I know but I don’t know (Iggy Pop?). Diverse genres that rallies all pen types to write
I really like Blondie. Their lyrics straddle that line between playful, serious, and contemporary commentary. I also think it sounds like they're having a lot of fun when they're making their music. This album has no filler and is a great one.
Quality
My favorite Blondie album and one of Maya's favorite albums as well. It's in constant rotation at my house. Practically plays like a greatest hits album. Listened to non-remastered version and prefer it.
Best of new wave, banger after banger
Have this on Vinyl. Love it!
Awesome
Blondie’s awesome! Great album
Amazing
Classic
Incredible songwriting, brilliant arrangements, combining punk, pop, disco and a bit of prog. The Strokes were taking notes!
Debbie, will you marry me?
4/5 Favorite Songs: Hanging On The Telephone One Way Or Another 11:59 Will Anything Happen Heart Of Glass
★ one way or another! call me an uncultured swine but i didn't know this was a blondie song lol ★ fade away and radiate: a little synth moment, something about the tempo is feeding me rocky horror. i think if i was rly high this song would be kinda scary ngl
I was excited to hear this album, only to learn that I have heard a lot of it already. It's just a really good new wave record. A bit less consistent outside of the hits, but a lot of bangers on this one.
Hmm I’m kinda familiar with this album, I like it !! - Tuesday, 30th of June 2026
Great album
This is a great album: "Heart of Glass", "One Way or Another" and "Pretty Baby" are the best ones.
This was really good, I was getting Adalita (Magic Dirt) vibes, and the well known and shiny 'heart of glass' at the end was a perfect finish.
Best album so far. I had no idea all these hits were a) Blondie b) on the same album. One Way or Another and Heart of Glass are classics. The whole album has a good energy though and is immensely enjoyable. Will be adding to my collection. 4.5 stars
Wall-to-wall bangers and non-stop fun. Rating: 4.5
Always nice to have something recognisable on the list, great mix of stuff on here
Great album. Love Blondie. Why say lot word when few word do trick?
🤠
This is like the pinnacle of 70s pop. They have such a recognizable sound I feel like, and there are some really classic songs on here. Even the less popular songs still hit though, but the famous singles are really on another level. There’s a reason they still get played. Favorites: One Way or Another, 11:59, Heart of Glass
favourite song- heart of glass and Sunday girl
This whole album is good post punk pop fun! I had only heard the singles before, but enjoyed the whole album. Heart of Glass remains the standout.
fav songs: one way or another heart of glass catchy, stylish, pop 70/100
An album packed full of catchy pop hits. Some famous tracks to be found and some hidden gems. Would happily listen again.
Maybe the first pop punk record. But even if not, it's still a great time.
#976. I had heard a few Blondie songs before, but had never listened to any of their albums before. I thought it was pretty good. 4/5: neat
Oli paljon progempaa ja monimutkasempaa paikoitellen ku mitä olsin kuvitellu. Menevää musiikki ja vokalisti aina yhtä hurmaava, eihän tästä voi ku tykätä.
This was good!
Alright! One of the founding albums of new wave. Honestly, I really enjoyed myself with this album. I’d listened to it once before and I wasn’t big on the whole thing, even though I did like most of them, but this time I definitely caught some songs I liked more than I thought I would. Songs like Fade Away and Radiate with its cool, ominous synths, and Just Go Away with its 80s sounding outro caught me more on my second listen than my first. Debbie Harry’s singing ability is great as ever, defining herself as one of the great female rock vocalists with songs like Heart of Glass, one of the album’s standouts. The instrumentals on the album are also very well executed, with great use of effect laden guitar riffs and blistering solos on songs like Hanging On The Telephone, another highlight. The use of synths and keyboards is also impressive, creating great atmosphere on One Way Or Another, my final standout with its carnival style organ break down. There are some songs on the album that bring down the momentum a little, but overall the track-list is remarkably consistent. The album does stand as one of the great new wave albums, now one way or another, I’m gonna find the next good album!
Listened to this one a few times in the past year, and it's fairing better this time around for me compared to previous. Always was a solid new wave album, but previously thought it was kinda hit and miss, but the deep cuts are pretty good for me. Obviously the hits are great, One Way Or Another, Hanging on the Telephone, and Heart of Glass. Just damn solid new wave.
cool, but i dont really listen to music from them, in "fade away and radiate" there is a cool guitar moment
Some real filler in here but the highs are real high. One Way or Another and Heart of Glass are both all timers
Very good and energetic! In my opinion the best song from this album is Fade Away And Radiate.
Don’t care that this was released in 1978 — it’s a classic 80s album in my book.
Un album memorable, buen ritmo, canciones iconicas, cantable y bailable
Some classics on here! Great album
Liked this way more than I thought I would.
Great pop rock stuff, Heart of Glass is an absolutely amazing song
Not expecting it to be this good, but it was a great time. Obviously great singles, but the deep cuts were just as good.
I've heard pieces of this before (including plenty of exposure to "heart of glass", of course) but not sure I've ever sat through it front-to-back. Strikes me as interesting on this listen how... conventional so much of it sounds, even with the knowledge that some other pieces of it are so forward-thinking. I'd be curious to know how the band existed in relation to some other artists that are coming to mind while listening to this (Elvis Costello, Talking Heads) and realizing I don't know a ton about the actual backstory of the sort of birth of new wave in this time period except "lots of the American bands were hanging out at CBGB all the time, then new wave happened" which I would consider a sort of high school textbook analysis level of detail. Time to look for a book to read, I guess!
Loved the early new wave sound. Definitely something I could groove to more often.
This was not really what I was expecting and it was awesome. Didn't think it would be so loud and raw, and some of the chord progressions are honestly pretty dark (or at least darker than I thought Blondie would be). Also, her voice is amazing! Maybe could use a bit more variety in the deep cuts, but the standouts are real standouts. Favorites: Hanging On The Telephone, One Way Or Another, Fade Away And Radiate, Heart Of Glass
Nothing quite hits like Debbie Harry's voice. New Wave before it got polished and sanded down in the 80s. A fantastic record with a few weak spots (or are they only weak because they couldn't possibly match the peaks of the big hits?).
5 big singles. We were all in love with Debbie Harry at the time, with her sneering beauty
Pure fun! Loved it
Vilken hitkavalkad!
d e solid
Efter långa och nogranna överläggningar har jag tillsammans med huvudsaken kommit fram till ett betyg grundat på en samlad bedömning av materialet som presenterats. Vilken platta! Bara att slå på, öppna några kalla och du har en förfest. Men man känner femman när det är en femma.
Pretty good
debbie harry rainha
Esse álbum tem rock, punk, pop, disco... E tudo muito legal e nem feito. QoA Adonis New.
Pretty much everybody at my boys grammar school 4th form lusted after Deborah Harry. Except me - who very much wanted to get into Kate Bush's leotard even then. But I thought Debbie - and Blondie - were ok, purely for the music of course. Parallel Lines is like a greatest hits album. And i could give it 5* just for 'Picture This' and 'Heart Of Glass'. But the rest of the tracks aren't filler either. There's no duds here. 4½
The Spy Next Door is such a good movie, I wish One Way or Another by Blondie was real
I listened to this album as I was feeling strangely sick to my stomach, pushing through feeling like I was about to throw up. I recognized a few songs going into this album and got quite excited for what else was in store for me; luckily, I was not disappointed. Parallel Lines is a great example of some classic pop rock with incredibly strong female vocals, as Debbie Harry's powerful smoky voice serves as the centerpiece for every one of these songs. The instrumental performances are balanced perfectly between the sounds of cheesy pop groups and harsher punk bands, especially in the prevalent shredding guitars. The band seamlessly blends a classy and proper aesthetic with distortions and alternative flourishes, much like the cover art itself shows off. Walking the line between pop rock and punk in a way that doesn't surrender the catchiness of the latter or the cred of the former is an insanely commendable task, one which Blondie achieves beautifully. Highlights: Hanging On The Telephone, One Way Or Another, Picture This, Fade Away And Radiate, 11:59, Sunday Girl, Heart of Glass, I'm Gonna Love You Too
Blondie! Yeah this rocks. Maybe not perfect, but it’s 1978. I was barely alive. So no memory of it. Had to come to it later. And my appreciation has increased with time. Boolean: yes, glad to hear before I die
funky and expected
This is a great album, the only reason I didn’t read it a five is I’m not personally going to listen to it very much. I’ve known Blondie, but after listening closely to the illustration of the guitar work, it’s really really good. I also can see her influence on newer female rock stars. A couple of the songs could have been Gwen Stefani/no doubt songs.
Really like a couple songs, she has a great voice and sound, but not the only music I wanna listen to
4.5/5 Got some classic hits, it has a light 50s feel at times
Some big hits on a fun album.
Hubo una temporada en que Blondie me parecieron lo mejor; aquí hay grandes canciones. No son tan buenos, pero este disco está muy bien.
Album #164 Blondie: Parallel Lines Blondie are sort of overlooked amongst music nerds when it comes to the CBGB crew; Television, Talking Heads, and Patti Smith all get more artistic credit and cool points, whereas Blondie seem to be seen as the band who sold out and made commercial music. Whether that’s because they made new wave, or because Debbie Harry was an attractive blonde woman (no offence, Patti), their music is just not seen as being as impressive. However, at the time, they were undoubtedly the biggest act of the bunch, and in my opinion, they have aged just as well. I have always been partial to 80s cheese, give me some Spandau Ballet, give me some George Michael, I love it all; so for me, Blondie is high-brow if anything. Parallel Lines is by far my favourite of their albums, and probably their masterpiece. Wall-to-wall with bangers and iconic songs, even the deep cuts on this thing sound like timeless singles. The fact that 11:59 only has four million streams baffles me, as that song just has that hit factor. I really can’t imagine anyone listening to this album and not having a good time, and it ranks amongst my favourite new wave and simply favourite albums of all time. Best Songs: Heat of Glass, 11:59, Will Anything Happen? Worst Song: I Know, But I Don’t Know Score out of 10: 9.5
Some awesome songs with other bangers mixed in. 7.8/10
Not overly polished, but comes across like a true breath of fresh air.
Enjoyed this more than I expected. I hate "One Way or Another," but aside from that I had a great time listening to this one. "Hanging on the Telephone" was (and still is) a favorite, and "Fade Away and Radiate" was a lovely new discovery.
Loads of hits I'd forgotten about. Great album
Banger leider paar skips. 4/5
so many bangers
Banger. Some classics we all know, some real interesting pieces to bring the album together as a full listening experience.
I like Blondie songs. First time hearing this album.
Just solid from front to back. Love the hint of attitude but definitely has the mainstream sound to break out. I don't think I would call it single-heavy even though 2 of the tracks were pretty big for her
First crush
I saw her live and she rambled through some speech and said fuck like it was edgy. We all loved it.
Whole heap of bangers on here
I wanted to not like it because someone really annoying had it as his ringtone at work - sadly it is really good with a load of absolute bangers at the start. I would have preferred the original to the one that was recommended with the bonus tracks though.
I live and respect Debbie Harry. Her embrace of and support for hip hop culture in particular is legendary. I have also come to appreciate her more as I have gotten older. I didn’t purchase Blondie albums back in the day, so my knowledge of their catalogue is somewhat limited. I really enjoyed this record. Hanging On the Telephone, One Way or Another, and Heart of Glass are all hits. Sunday Girl and I’m Gonna Love You Too were surprise sleepers for me.
I have not listened to this album in a long time, going on 20 years, I think. My cd copy has bonus tracks which I am not seeing on the Apple Music version I'm listening to. There is an early version of Heart of Glass called Once I Had a Love (aka the disco ball song) which is really interesting. It's included on a collection of odds and ends called Blonde and Beyond. Worth a listen. This is a very good album. Four classics. I tend to forget how much I like Sunday Girl. Great song. Most of the rest is strong. Not a big fan of Fade Away and Radiate. The album tracks are good, but not sure I need to listen to this album start to finish very much. Robert Fripp's guest appearance on a Blondie song has to be one of the all time odd pairings, though he had this downtown NYC sojourn in the late 70s that produced League of Gentlemen, Exposure, and the Adrian Belew version of King Crimson, so it's all of a piece, perhaps. As much as I like Blondie, it's really all about the sharp, well crafted singles. Several of which are just great. The classic single disc greatest hits remains an all time great album of non-stop fabulousness. 296 / 357
Heart of Glass will always be a hit in my heart, and Debbie Harry will always be a star. But I have only a clinical interest in this music now. TYVM and thanks for all the fish.
cold as ice cream but still as sweet
Was looking forward to this, blondie has a lot of great songs. Think my expectations were a bit too high as while I did enjoy it, it's definitely not the classic I hoped for. The singles are obviously good but the album tracks were mostly not at the the same level, though I did enjoy a few. Doesn't change my opinion of blondie, still very good but wanted more. 3.5.
I'm a big fan of New Wave (and Blondie's particular vision for it). Cool album, still cool nearly 50 years later. Heart of Glass and One Way or Another naturally stand out, but the rest of the album isn't slouching. Pretty Baby and 11:59 were cool too. Debbie Harry is a super vocalist.
Heard a fair amount of Blondie from my parents growing up. Lots of hits on this album hey, and they are pretty great. Didn't really recognise any of the other album tracks though. Really great pop album overall 3.5
Pretty funny, I've heard these songs dozens of times without realizing it was Blondie. Good stuff! Best Song: Heart of Glass Rating: 7.5/10 Stars: 4
This is one of the best albums from all new wave. And it has great instrumentals, and even greater vocals. She is commanding, amazing presence. I liked this one.
Tag yourself, I'm a sidewalk social scientist
YEAHHHHHHHHHH eerste keer dat ik me kan herinneren dat ik dit album luisterde was door one directions cover van one way or another (matige cover verder. red nose day ding geloof ik)
Gear: Aür Audio Aurora Artwork: 🕴️👱♀️🕴️ Production (Remastered 2001): 🎧🙂↕️👌 Music: 🔀👩🎤🧨 Rating: || || || || (||)/5
Plenty of hits. Plenty of energy. Plenty of fun.
Heart of Glass is really amazing. But I am really partial to the vocals in Fade Away and Radiate and the sound of 11:59.
Fantastic opening to the album. Like a greatest hits but tails of a bit towards the back end. 4
I love Blondie!
cotidian album, but good
Just an all-around well cracted and incredibly fun pop-rock album. May not be anything revolutionary, but the album maintains a great energy all-throughout and really doesn't have a weak point. 4/5.
Essential new wave, obviously. “Heart of Glass” is one of the best songs of the ‘70s.
Love me some women in rock and roll and Blondie is one of the best of em all
absolutamente sólido, me sorprendió la cantidad de hitazos que salieron de aquí
Quite enjoyed this one. I knew a few but heard a few new ones.
This is THE Blondie album! Eat to the Beat has some good jam too but Parallel Lines is just packed with great songs, all the classics and then some.
Two major hits in one album yes girl
Ah, yes. The soundtrack for A Cappella Books. One of the best, obviously.
1001 albums to hear before you parallel with universe 90# I was kot expecting this to be this catchy and rich but yeah it hits.
A great album. It also contains all the Blondie songs I’ve ever heard before. It’s got instrumentation and music that feels very ahead of its time. The vocals and lyrics are iconic for good reason. It’s got a style all its own and really set off the new wave movement.
I know Parallel Lines, listened to it as a kid, one of the first older album I gravitated towards. That being said, there is very little nostalgia involved, and while listening to it I was thoroughly impressed. It has many different genres, catchy melodies, effortless charisma from Debbie. My main issue, would be that, while the sound is extremely enjoyable, it sometimes feels dated. What I mean by that is that it is not typically theirs, but very much of its time. While I do find that to be true, it is also helped by the lead singer singular powerful voice, and Debbie Harry was in a lane of very happy few. That does wonders to distinguish it from others, but it is also a bit sad. Also I sometimes think that the lyricism can be hit or miss, and sometimes is a bit simplistic.
What's not to like? Plays like a greatest hits and contains Heart of Glass which is an all time classic
A birthday treat - thank you RGP!!!!!! One of the all time great bands and albums of all time… 4 stars ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ Tom
It really not a genre of music that I listen to but surprisingly I really liked it
What an album. Banger after banger after banger - well, nearly. When it hits, it's fantastic, when it misses, it doesn't really, it's just the other songs can't compare to the top drawer ones. A heady mix of new wave, disco and pop perfection. Best Tracks: Hanging On The Telephone; One Way Or Another; Heart of Glass
Punk pop
Was ready to dislike this but most of the songs are good
love what debbit harry does with her voice!!!! didnt realise all the big songs were on the same album as well. the other songs are alright but not very memorable unfortunately
i really like debbie harry's vocals, i think she has a unique voice and her accent comes through in a charming way. musically, i also think these songs are really strong. also crazy that we start with hanging on the telephone and then go into one way or another. it surprised me how many Hits were on this one album. All in all, really good songs but just feels slightly disconnected, controversially for me... i think some of these songs could be longer.
a kind of 4.5 ngl, really like this but its not quite a 5. interesting range for having such a signature sound
Just a fun album all around. Debbie Harry has a voice unmatched and the whole band has this upbeat style even on the more mellow tunes. It's like if you took a band from the 50s and evolved it even more. Worth a listen with some obvious highlights would gladly listen through again. Also being mogged off on the cover.
Wel een vibe!!! 8/10
What makes Parallel Lines so strong is that it pulls off a balance most bands never manage: it is polished without becoming lifeless, catchy without becoming stupid, and stylish without becoming hollow. Producer Mike Chapman helped shape the album toward sharper pop form, and you can hear it everywhere.
Filled with classics
Fun mix of what sounds like 50s and 60s with some 80s rock. Really different sound than a lot of music. A lot of good songs.
Many of the hits here. Fun listening
Pop songs with hooks for days. The singles are so big that it’s hard to listen to them with objectivity. One Way or Another was used for commercials for a local windshield company. Unfortunately the song is more likely to remind me of rock chips than New York punk. Although I like this record, something about it feels light. Sort of bubblegum with a slight edge. That being said, good albums are hard to come by so it’s better than most.
Fun, but not exceptional.
Great album overall—just shy of a 5 I think since some tracks didn’t fully land for me. The singles really stand out. Debbie Harry is, as always, an absolute icon.
Some seriously sinister and industrial vibes in this. I fucking love it. This seems right in like 1985, not ‘78. Really good early summer album. Again, that air plane hanger open air (with just a hint of echo) production is like a decade ahead of its time
half great half a bit boring.
I enjoy this album a lot. Always a massive blast to listen to some Blondie. My issues with this album is it is very front-loaded and back-loaded, the middle is a bit naf. The best track is Sunday Girl, easily.
Oh dang. I didn't know this album had two of the most iconic songs ever.
3.6 I've never bothered with Blondie before this list, but you know what, it's alright. Very early new wave, a lot of future pop punk elements in this. In parts I thought they were ripping off the guitar sound of the Police then discovered this came out before the Police released their debut! My bad. Not many great tracks but barely any bad ones.
I really enjoyed this album, not really any complaints but didn't quite feel like a 5
Five great pop songs on this. My main complaint is that the mix is flat and lacks dynamics on both the original and remaster, with minimal separation between the instruments. With modern production and more low end, some of these tracks would be even better.
Me encantó. Es un poco más algo que escucharía y ya conocía dos canciones
Overall Rating - 3.83/5 (7.67/10). Feels very Punk-Adjacent. Excellent musicianship, and I can understand why the two hits on this album are the two hits.
Good goofy fun.
This is awesome. Skipped the singles I am too familiar with. 'Fade Away and Radiate' and 'Pretty Baby' were my favorites. Is Blondie my favorite band actually? Too early to tell.
Heel leuk album, een aantal liedjes kende ik al. Wat grauwere melodieën en zang. Punkachtige rock. Zeer van genoten
Esta Blondie es una lo qui ta. Muy divertido, muchos clásicos.
Nice, solid album
So many iconic songs on this albums. Loved almost all the tracks. And I'm so glad to have some albums from female singers.
Great pop rock album from a band that cut its teeth in the budding NYC punk rock scene. Just the right mix of catchy hooks, fun, and attitude. Songs are to the point, don’t overstay their welcome, and maintains consistent sound while differing enough to not get boring. Debby Harry is an icon and this album is a big reason why.
Esta muy guay, estilo animado y dinámico.
Just a really cool record. 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘭 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴 is full of sharp, catchy songs that move effortlessly between punk, new wave, and pop without ever losing momentum. Blondie keep things tight and direct, but there’s enough variety to keep it interesting all the way through. Nothing too complicated — just great songwriting and a lot of style.
Good album this! It’s sort of rock but also sort of pop. Minus one for a couple of covers, but at least they do them well. Cool album art too.
Sunday Girl and Heart of Glass are exceptional songs. The rest is very solid pop music. It’s a borderline 5-star album but I remember owning it and I didn’t play it quite as often as you might expect for a true classic.
classic, like classics
The intro track is such a banger dude. I won't lie I was sure I had heard at least one song from Blondie before and then listening to the album THAT song played and my suspicions were confirmed. I won't lie, as much as I LOVED The vibes from this album, some songs don't hit AS hard, but it's only a couple, the rest of the album is pretty solid. 4/5
4 de 5 Por momentos se siente muy pop y por otros es filoso como si fuera punk, una medianía bien balanceada. A destacar: Track 1 - Hanging on the Telephone Track 3 - Picture This Track 7 - 11:59 Track 9 - Sunday Girl Track 10 - Heart of Glass Track 12 - Just Go Away
me gustó pero igual esto no deja de recomendarme albumes de hace 60 años q estan guays pero a veces me apetece escuchar un poco de ñengo flow sabes
Un grupo realmente esencial, con una cantante impactante como Debbie Harry. Tenía sus complejos, sobre todo con otras cantantes con etiquetas más intelectuales como Patti Smith, ella guapa y lista como pocas tardó en darse cuenta de que no eran muy diferentes. Tremendamente influyentes (la más obvia en Madonna), y este tercer álbum es el mejor: 12 temas de los queb nada menos que 6 fueron sencillos. Entre ellos clásicos como Picture This, I'm Gonna Love You Too, Hanging on the Telephone, Heart of Glass, Sunday Girl y One Way or Another. El resto son radiantes como 11:510, I'm Gonna Love You Too y Pretty baby (con sonidos de los 50-60´s) o Fade Away And Radiate con Fripp a la guitarra. Desde la apertura con Hangin´ (una excelente versión de The nerves de los que hicieron también Will Anything Happen? es todo una buena mezcla de Power-pop y New wave. El cierre con Just Go Away te deja con muchas ganas de más, con esos coros y melodías tarareables. Es el disco que permitió el paso desde el CBGB al éxito masivo y al Studio 54. Del punk a la nueva ola. La portada así lo ejemplifica. A este nivel solo estaban los Pretenders y los Cars.
Tältä oli tuttuja ainakin puolet levyn biiseistä, vaikka ei ole bändiä tullut kuunneltua.
i love debbie harry this is good album
Pretty fun. A lot more recognizable than I was expecting
An Absolute masterpiece from start to finish
medios hits, mgta que voy cachando cual es el origen de algunos clasicos, energético, vivaz y disquero de epoca, 10/10
She's good at singing the most inane lyrics!
TE AMO BLONDIE
This album is great. Even the more famous tracks are improved when listened to in the context of the album. And Debbie Harry truly has a voice you can fall in love with.
Great stuff. Still a good listen.
Overall: 7/10 This is a really fun album! It has a lot of personality and there are parts of it that feel kind of like a throwback to the 50s or 60s. I know lots of people that would love this. Fav Song: One Way or Another
Příjemný poslech s příjemnou energii, rozhodně poslechnu znovu.
Me gusto no pensé que el álbum fuese así, y son sonidos que he escuchado en artistas contemporáneos.
Blondie - more synonymous with MTV than MTV itself. The singles from this album are classics. Most of the other tracks aren’t half as catchy, though “Sunday Girl” stood out.
Hanging on the Telephone: no es para nda del estilo de musica que escuhco pero el principio me copo mucho, despues ya fue decayendo. One Way Or Another: es un temon, no sabia que ella era la cantante de esta cancion, pero me re gusto mal, la agregue a just iconic. Picture this: muuuuy de dump pacifico, tranqui, primaveral, me gusto mucho. Fade Away and Radiate: es una de las que menos me gusto por ahora, no me parecio nada wow. Pretty Baby: me gusto ni bien empezo, depues fue decayendo, peor no esta mal. I Know but I Don't Know: me gusto, pero no se en que sitacione me pondria a escuharla. 11:59: me gusto, siento como que es un rocksito (hablando desde el desconocimiento total), pero es bien tranqui, tipo bien buenas vibras ochentoso me copo. Will Anything Happen: me gusto normalita, no se si me copo tanto como otras, Sunday Girl: Esta cancion puede ser, entre mega buenas vibras de verano o una cancion re turbia de juego de terror que meten una cancion feliz cuando aparece el bicho feo. Heart of Glass: TEMON, no sabia que era de esta mina, peor me re gusta mal. I'm Gonna Love You Too: siento que es muy de stranger things, me gusto la verdad. Just Go Away: me gusto, muy como las otras CONCLUSION: Son canciones muy clasicas que me gustaron a pesar de no ser de lo que suelo escuchar, pero me pasa que no sabria en que situacion escucharlas. le doy un 8/10
Zone out just a bit. Classic
This is a pop rock gem and Debbie Harry is insanely talented. There’s an infectious energy to this album that makes it a really fun listen, and it’s impossible not to bop along. Will definitely revisit.
Great album. Starts off really strong with only a few skips in the middle but also ends equally as strong. Some absolute classic heavy hitters in there and a couple I've not heard before. 4.5/5
This was not what I expected at all, but in a good way. I guess I never really knew or realized that Blondie were responsible for some of the absolute bangers on this record. Was also unaware of the power pop and punk influences on the band. Good stuff! Not quite a 5 for me but a solid 4.