Dancing on the Edge: How Blondie's "Heart of Glass" helped to change the trajectory of dance music.

The Twelve Inch 126 : "Heart Of Glass" (Blondie)

Welcome, I’m Pe Dupre and this is “The Twelve Inch”, a newsletter that tells the history of dance music between 1975 and 1995, one twelve inch at a time.

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Introduction: The Unexpected Fusion

What happens when you blend the raw energy of punk, the cool detachment of New Wave & Electro, and the irresistible pulse of disco? For Blondie in 1979, the answer was the groundbreaking track "Heart of Glass." This song became a global sensation, bridging musical worlds that, on the surface, seemed miles apart. But why did a band rooted in punk's gritty underground dive into the glitzy world of disco? Was it an accident, opportunism, or a bold conviction?

Blondie’s Early Days: Punk Beginnings and European Success

Blondie emerged in 1974, quickly establishing themselves as pioneers of New York’s New Wav…