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Remembering When Blondie Battled Their Record Label (And Won) to Release an Album With a Pair of No. 1 Hits in 1980
Blondie’s label, Chrysalis Records, doubted that their 1980 album *Autoamerican* contained any hit singles and was reluctant to accept it. The band backed its unconventional mix of styles, and the album went on to produce two US No. 1 hits.
Recorded after Blondie moved to California, *Autoamerican* ranged across genres, including reggae and hip-hop. Chris Stein championed a cover of the Paragons’ “The Tide Is High”, while Debbie Harry added a rap to “Rapture”; both songs were released as singles and topped the US charts.
In short
- Chrysalis doubted *Autoamerican* had a hit.
- Blondie released it as intended.
- “The Tide Is High” and “Rapture” both reached No. 1.
Explained simply
Blondie are an American band who rose to prominence in the late 1970s, with singer Debbie Harry and guitarist Chris Stein among their best-known members. In 1980, they recorded Autoamerican after moving to California, mixing pop and rock with styles including reggae and hip-hop.
Chrysalis Records, the band’s label, was unsure the album had songs that could become hit singles. Stein supported recording “The Tide Is High”, originally by Jamaican group the Paragons, and Harry added a rap to “Rapture”. Both songs reached number one in the United States, showing how the album’s varied sound found a broad audience.
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