3. Blondie Heart Of Glass
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGU_4-5RaxU The living embodiment of 70s New York glamour sprung from the CBGBs punk scene and the flagship was Blondie. The band, led by Debbie Harry made their name in the new wave scene, but really found their niche when they married pop, funk and disco into a beautiful whole. Heart of Glass is effortlessly cool, with Harry playing a punk version of Marilyn Monroe and laying down the template for the insouciant female vamp in pop - you can look but youd better not touch. This influenced pretty much everyone, The Strokes wouldn't have existed without this song, with its sharp hooks, not to mention what the band looked like. And think of how many women in modern pop have adopted Debbie Harrys sassiness and wedded it to Kate Bushs more ethereal moments. Blondie were total pioneers and at the centre of it all was Debbie Harry, a trailblazer for feminism in pop, for whom men were disappointing distractions, Once had a love and it was a gas, soon turned out it was a pain in the ass, seemed like the real thing only to find mucho mistrust, love's gone behind. Cementing a mind shift in gender roles, this wasn't the devoted wallflower of the sirens of the 60s a la Dusty Springfield, but a kick ass femme fatale, who like a Medusa could break your heart and turn it to stone with one look.
Ed Nash
Contributor
What makes music fantastic? Star quality, amazing music, breathtaking lyrics and the ability to bring something new to the table, even if that means a new take on the classics. That's what I love to listen to and write about.
As well as writing for What Culture, I occasionally write a blog http://tedney.blogspot.co.uk and sometimes use Twitter, but sparingly @TedneyNash
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Ed