Blondie
In contrast to the heroin-fueled, raw farage power offered by the Stooges, the stilettos-and-lipstick glam of the New York Dolls, and the turtlenecked, literary-minded experimentalism of the Talking Heads, Blondie were the embodiment of sweetly seductive, powder-puff pop wrapped in punk sandpaper. Built on a foundation of wistful '60s girl-group pop spiked with tough-chick lyricism, Blondie walked a fine line between innocent good girl/seductive bad girl imagery: in their songs, the dewy-eyed sex kitten may have been purring contentedly, but her claws were razor sharp. The formula worked well enough for the band to become a major mainstream force -- vocalist Debbie Harry's striking beauty was certainly no hindrance -producing new wave hits that appealed to types far beyond those who frequented CBGB's. The band continued to create new, inventive music by covering obscure artists (the Nerves, the Paragons) and delving into then-widely unexplored genres (ska, reggae, rap), cementing their reputation as founding punk figures and musical experimentalists.
Blondie Concert Films
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Blondie Live! The Farewell Concert 1982
Blondie
Year: 1981
Runtime: 56 min
As the most successful cross-over band ever, Blondie sold more than 15 million albums with a string of mega-hits. It is hard to understand why at the height of their worldwide success, Blondie abruptly called it quits. Before their break up, they performed one last spectacular concert and this is it! -
Live At CBGB 1977
Blondie
Year: 1977
Runtime: 48 min
This 47-minute concert captures an iconic band and front woman on the rise playing in their natural habitat: New York's legendary CBGB -
Live at The Enmore Theatre
Blondie
Year: 2010
Runtime: 1 hr 16 min
Blondie emerged from the late 70's New York punk scene and quickly became music, style and pop culture icons selling more than 40 million albums. They scored hits with reggae, rock/disco, hip hop and pop songs bursting with great hooks and brilliant, ironic lyrics. Here they are performing at The Enmore Theatre, in Sydney, Australia, on December 8, 2010. -
Live on Soundstage
Blondie
Year: 2006
Runtime: 56 min
Inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2006, Blondie is still putting out new music and rocking out for fans everywhere! Debbie Harry and her band bring their mix of pop, rock and punk sounds to Soundstage, performing hits such as “The Tide is High”, “One Way or Another”, and “Heart of Glass” in an electrifying concert. -
Queens of Pop
Blondie
Year: 2011
Runtime: 28 min
In January 2011, ARTE viewers voted for the ‘Queens of Pop’. 8 pop queens were chosen from 50 proposals and these are presented in a 26-minute documentary: From the 1960s: Diana Ross. From the 1970s: Donna Summer and Debbie Harry. From the 1980s: Madonna. From the 1990s: Britney Spears and Mariah Carey. From 2000-2009: Lady Gaga and Beyoncé. The title of the programme, ‘Queens of Pop’, in itself shows where the emphasis lies – none of those simplistic chart rankings, but instead a documentary series that looks at our cultural history, dealing with the women who shaped popular music over the past fifty years.
Blondie Top Tracks
Related Artists
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Certifiable
The Police
Year: 2008
Runtime: 1 hr 49 min
Filmed in Buenos Aires during the record-breaking 30th Anniversary World Tour, 'Certifiable' is the culmination of the phenomenal reunion of The Police. With a set list that reads like the ultimate Police greatest hits show, the legendary trio perform all their classic tracks including 'Roxanne', 'Every Breath You Take', 'Don't Stand So Close To Me' and 'Message In A Bottle'. -
Rock Case Studies
ABBA
Year: 2019
Runtime: 53 min
ABBA’s was an extraordinary journey through the pages of music history – it took them from throwaway Eurovision turn to highly respected pop icons. This programme provides a perfect career retrospective; it looks beyond the glitz and the glamour to get to the heart of what made ABBA so special. Also included is superb footage of the band in action performing their greatest hits. Featuring highlights from: Waterloo, Mamma Mia, Knowing Me, Knowing You, Dancing Queen, Thank You For The Music, and more... -
Live in London
Devo
Year: 2009
Runtime: 1 hr 2 min
Live performance of Devo's debut album, "Q:Are We Not Men? A:We Are DEVO" at the Forum, London. -
Queens of Pop
Donna Summer
Year: 2011
Runtime: 27 min
In January 2011, ARTE viewers voted for the ‘Queens of Pop’. 8 pop queens were chosen from 50 proposals and these are presented in a 26-minute documentary: From the 1960s: Diana Ross. From the 1970s: Donna Summer and Debbie Harry. From the 1980s: Madonna. From the 1990s: Britney Spears and Mariah Carey. From 2000-2009: Lady Gaga and Beyoncé. The title of the programme, ‘Queens of Pop’, in itself shows where the emphasis lies – none of those simplistic chart rankings, but instead a documentary series that looks at our cultural history, dealing with the women who shaped popular music over the past fifty years. -
Up Close and Personal
David Bowie
Year: 2007
Runtime: 1 hr 1 min
David Bowie remains the greatest enigma in rock music. Now at last we are able to discover the man behind the music. With some of rock music’s best loved songs as its backdrop, this unique documentary features in depth interviews with some of those closest to the man who gave us Ziggy Stardust and The Thin White Duke. Amongst others we hear from Angie Bowie, Trevor Bolder and Woody Woodmansey. Featuring highlights from: Starman, Rebel Rebel, Space Oddity, Ziggy Stardust, Suffragette City, Queen Bitch and more... -
Detour Live At Liverpool Philharmonic Hall
Elvis Costello
Year: 2017
Runtime: 1 hr 46 min
Elvis Costello brings his solo show Detour to the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. Combining classic songs performed with guitar or at the piano with reminiscences of his family, life and career, it is by turns touching, humorous, thoughtful and uplifting. The set features recent songs such as “Church Underground” and “Jimmie Standing In The Rain” alongside much loved tracks from across his career including “Watching The Detectives, ” “A Good Year For The Roses, ” “Accidents Will Happen, ” “Shipbuilding” and “I Can’t Stand Up For Falling Down” all given a new twist in their solo renditions. The show also features guest appearances by sister act Larkin Poe. -
Live in Chicago
Stevie Nicks
Year: 2008
Runtime: 1 hr 54 min
Soundstage captures a radiant Stevie Nicks in her first filmed solo performance since 1987. "Live In Chicago" includes all the timeless Nicks songs from her solo projects as well as songs written as a member of the legendary rockers Fleetwood Mac. Along with Stevie classics such as "Stand Back," "Rhiannon," "Dreams," "Gold Dust Woman," "Landslide" and "Edge Of Seventeen," the video also features stunning cover songs, including Dave Matthews' "Crash Into Me" and a tear-down-the-house finale of Led Zeppelin's "Rock And Roll." -
Live at the Royal Albert Hall
Iggy Pop
Year: 2016
Runtime: 2 hr 6 min
Iggy Pop’s show at the Royal Albert Hall on May 13th 2016 has been described as “the performance of a lifetime”. Joined on stage by something of a super-group featuring Homme, Fertita, Helders, Troy Van Leeuwen of Queens Of The Stone Age, and guitar legend Matt Sweeney, Iggy storms through a selection of tracks from Post Pop Depression and his 1977 David Bowie-produced albums The Idiot and Lust For Life. The Royal Albert Hall was packed to capacity and Iggy performed one of the standout shows of his career. The Post Pop Depression backing band supported Pop’s punk antics with a rock ‘n’ roll homage of their own to a true original. An unmissable musical event, which was hailed by The Sunday Telegraph as one of the best gigs the reviewer had ever seen. -
Viña del Mar 2003
INXS
Year: 2003
Runtime: 52 min
Australian rock band INXS bring their catchy hits to the stage of the 2003 Viña del Mar festival. Frontman Jon Stevens gets the crowd going wild with his infectious energy – join in on the fun! -
Friday the Thirteenth
The Stranglers
Year: 1996
Runtime: 58 min
Probably the most enduring band of the UK punk/new wave era, the legendary Stranglers perform live at Londons spectacular Royal Albert Hall. Accompanied by The Electra Strings -
Live at Last
Cyndi Lauper
Year: 2003
Runtime: 1 hr 45 min
Twenty years after She's So Unusual made her an icon, Cyndi Lauper’s Live...At Last captures an intimate night at New York's Town Hall in 2004, featuring dramatically reworked renditions of her hits from "Girls Just Want To Have Fun" to "True Colors." -
Classic Albums: Rio
Duran Duran
Year: 1981
Runtime: 52 min
This latest addition to the acclaimed Classic Albums series takes us to the early eighties and the release of Duran Duran's second album "Rio". Released against a backdrop of riots, record unemployment, and the Falklands War, this optimistic and celebratory album would generate a string of hit singles and groundbreaking videos and catapult Duran Duran to global stardom. This documentary tells the story behind the writing, recording, and subsequent success of the album through newly filmed interviews, musical demonstrations, and both new and archive performances. -
Live at The Enmore Theatre
The Pretenders
Year: 2010
Runtime: 1 hr 7 min
The classic rockers The Pretenders treated Sydney’s Enmore Theatre to an evening of big hits, proving their status as music legends. -
With The Wild Crowd: Live in Athens, GA
The B52s
Year: 2012
Runtime: 1 hr 37 min
The B-52s performed their first ever gig in February 1977. 34 years later, on Valentine’s Day 2011, they returned to their home town of Athens, Georgia to celebrate with this brilliant live show. Wig-wearing, boa-draped, glitter-covered fans came to join in and saw the band deliver a sizzling 90 minute set that turned Athens’ Classic Center into a cosmic dancehall. A B-52s live show is always the best party in town, yet here in front of their home crowd they even managed to turn it up a notch further. Packed with all their fan’s favorites, this is high spirited good time rock ‘n’ roll packed with great tunes, wild romance, blood pumping grooves and a lot of fun! -
Live at Montreux, 2005
Patti Smith
Year: 2004
Runtime: 1 hr 23 min
Patti Smith was one of the key artists in the breakthrough of New York City punk rock with her 1975 debut album "Horses" being hugely influential on the whole New Wave genre. Her distinctive blend of rock, punk and poetry combined with her uncompromising style has ensured that she has remained a credible artist throughout her career. This concert at Montreux from 2005 was part of the tour in support of her 2004 album "Trampin'" and the setlist features tracks from her first album right through to that release. Patti Smith remains a vibrant live performer and this first ever live concert is a long overdue treat for all her fans. -
Stop Making Sense
Talking Heads
Year: 1983
Runtime: 1 hr 28 min
Stop Making Sense is director Jonathan Demme's remarkable concert film that captures the enormous energy and joyous highs of the Talking Heads live performance. Band members David Byrne, Tina Weymouth, Chris Frantz and Jerry Harrison are joined by Bernie Worrell, Alex Weir, Steve Scales, Lynn Mabry and Edna Holt in this groundbreaking concert film that is packed with the Talking Heads most memorable songs. Wall-to-wall music, beautiful cinematography and the legendary "Big Suit" make this "one of the greatest rock movies ever made" (Rolling Stone). -
More Than This
Roxy Music
Year: 2005
Runtime: 52 min
Roxy Musics unique blend of avant-garde rock music and high style set the tone for the whole glam rock era. They were much imitated, but never equalled. This documentary tells the story of Roxy Music through new interviews with band members Bryan Ferry, Phil Manzanera, Andy Mackay, Paul Thompson, Brian Eno, and Eddie Jobson plus many of their contemporaries. The program covers their early years, the classic seventies albums, their re-emergence with a much smoother style in the early eighties, the bands break up and then their hugely successful reunion in the 21st century. The final 15 or so minutes is what fans will be looking forward to the most. From a London concert in 2006, Roxy Music are shown playing "Both Ends Burning," "Editions of You," and "Do The Strand." For anyone interested in the history of one of seventies most inscrutable bands, Roxy Music - More Than This is an excellent addition to your collection.
