Nerdy Punks

Blondie defies definition. The legendary band is a little bit punk, a little bit reggae, a little bit rock, a little bit new wave, a little bit pop, a little bit hip-hop and a lot of downtown attitude. Already gold in Europe, Blondie: Greatest Hits--Sound & Vision was released March 7 by Capitol/EMI, one week before the band's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame. The new CD/DVD package contains 20 audio tracks and 16 video clips, including the band's biggest hits and previously unreleased remixes. Rapture Riders --a mash-up of the band's Rapture with the Doors' Riders on the Storm --and its accompanying UK music video make their release debut on the new collection. Blondie's influence on today's artists is undeniable. Debbie Harry and Blondie have been a major influence on superstars like Madonna, Garbage's Shirley Manson, and R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe, among many others. They were one of the first groups to emerge from New York's new wave/punk renaissance with an album (1976's Blondie); the first to chart a #1 single, a revolutionary blend of punk and disco ( Heart of Glass ); and the first to top the charts with both a rap song (1981's Rapture ) and a reggae tune ( The Tide Is High ). And now Blondie have added to their legacy by being selected for induction in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with Black Sabbath, Lynyrd Skynyrd, the Sex Pistols, and Miles Davis, as one of two first-time nominees (Davis is the other). This is a tremendous honor for us, said the band's lead vocalist Deborah Harry, who is celebrating Blondie's 30th anniversary this year. We're proud to take our place alongside some of our own idols. CD/DVD with 20 audio tracks and 16 videos, including Blondie classics: Heart of Glass, Atomic, Call Me, Rapture, Maria ; previously unreleased remixes of In the Flesh and Good Boys ; and special bonus audio and video tracks: Rapture Riders --Blondie vs. the Doors (debut release of the new mash-up of the band's 1980 hit Rapture and the Doors' Riders on the Storm ). DVD includes 13 music videos spanning 1977 to 1982, including groundbreaking conceptual clips for Denis and The Tide Is High, as well as their most recent productions for Maria and Good Boys, plus the new music video for the Rapture Riders mash-up.