Blonde in NYC

Eat to the Beat by Blondie

When I write about the 70s, I often use the term the dawn of when referring to the genres that came about in that decade that are the basis for much of what is being created today (obviously, the origins go much further back, however, this decade you can see the connective lines more clearly). I speak of Punk, New Wave, Metal, Hip Hop, Disco.

All of these sounds have evolved over the decades, but the 70s was the birthing stage, and also the dawn of genre melding when bands started to be more comfortable with getting out of their lanes and incorporating elements of other musical styles. Today, that is no big deal, only because of the bold predecessors like Blondie.

New York City was a mecca of creativity in the 70s. Artists like Warhol and Basquiat popularized Post Modernism. The city saw the rise of American indie filmmaking, which was more realistic and grittier cinema.  Dance clubs like Studio 54 were celebrating individual expression and inclusivity. Kool Herc and friends were throwing their own unique neighborhood parties that became the groundwork for the Hip Hop machine starting with legends like Grandmaster Flash. Lou Reed, Patti Smith and The Ramones were laying down the sound that would be realized as East Coast Punk. And, there was Blondie, coming on the scene in 1974 and was discovered at the famous CBGB (the club closed its doors for good in 2006 but is credited with starting the careers of many legends). Blondie was somewhere between Punk and New Wave and incorporated early 60s Pop, Reggae, Disco and Hip Hop (“Flash is fast, Flash is cool”).

This one was released at the close of that influential decade, 1979. It features the Punk song Eat to the Beat, the New Wave jam Accidents Never Happen and the groovy dance track Atomic.