Be One of Us #41 - "Heart of Glass"

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We are in the midst "of" what MyLot historians will someday refer to as one "of" the most epic music countdowns in MyLot history: 50 randomly placed songs with "of" in the title. Such a legendary series requires a few legendary groups in order to make it such a boffo endeavor, and tonight features one "of" those bands. We are at #41: "Heart of Glass" by Blondie. As @JohnRoberts says, "Blondie. Enough said!" Blondie's 1979 international smash hit, "Heart of Glass," was originally written by vocalist Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein around 1974/75, inspired by the Hues Corporation's hit, "Rock the Boat." The band toyed with it, trying it as a ballad, and even as a reggae tune, then shelved it because they couldn't get it right. When Blondie entered the studio to record their classic 1978 album, Parallel Lines, producer Mike Chapman had them play the songs that they had, then asked if the band had "anything else." According to Debbie Harry, they mentioned that they did have an old song, which Chapman liked when he heard it. (Chapman has alternately taken credit with suggesting making the tune a disco song, and also given Harry the credit for the idea.) Blondie was no stranger to disco, having covered Donna Summer's "I Feel Love" in concert, and both Harry and Stein were fans of the genre. On the other hand, drummer Clem Burke refused to play the song live, relenting only after it became a hit. And oh, what a hit! #1 in eight different countries, and Top 10 in six others. As of 2018, "Heart of Glass" ranked as the 66th all-time biggest selling single in the UK. Since you have more than likely heard the studio version about a million times, I have linked to a live performance on the classic television show, The Midnight Special. Because, well, Debbie! (Info verified by Wikipedia)