The Best of Blondie

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The Best of Blondie
Greatest hits album by
Blondie
ReleasedOctober 1981 (1981-10)
Recorded1976–1980
GenreNew wave
Length43:37
LabelChrysalis
Producer
Blondie chronology
Autoamerican
(1980) 		The Best of Blondie
(1981) 		The Hunter
(1982)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideA−[2]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[3]
Smash Hits[4]

The Best of Blondie (released in Germany and the Netherlands as Blondie's Hits) is the first greatest hits album by American rock band Blondie. It was released in October 1981, by Chrysalis Records.[5] The album peaked at number four in the United Kingdom and number 30 in the United States, while becoming the band's only number-one album in Australia.

Background[edit]

The album was issued in several versions with different track inclusion and running order which varied slightly between North American and international editions of The Best of Blondie, highlighting the popularity of particular songs in different countries. The US and Canadian editions included "One Way or Another", which was not issued as a single in Europe. The international version of the album included three songs that were not on the North American release: "Denis", "Picture This" and "Union City Blue".[6][7][8]

Blondie's producer Mike Chapman remixed three tracks specially for this album. The special mix of "Heart of Glass" is a version that combines elements from the original album version (also the 7″ single mix in the UK) and the instrumental version. The special mix of "In the Flesh" is a Phil Spector-esque mix, with much echo. The special mix of "Sunday Girl" mixes vocals from the previously released French-language version of the song with the original English version. Additionally, "Rapture" appears in an edited version of the 12″ Disco Mix released in the UK and Europe and includes an extra verse that did not appear on the album Autoamerican, on which the song was originally issued.[citation needed]

The album cover was shot in June 1978 by British photographer Martyn Goddard on a rooftop in Midtown Manhattan.[9]

Video version[edit]

A video version of the album was released on VHS, featuring the band's music videos. The video was interspersed with footage of a New York City taxi driver who would see Blondie videos being played on television screens throughout the city. During the intro sequence the song "Call Me" is played, making it another music video. "Sunday Girl" (incomplete) is played during the end credits. The Best of Blondie video album was re-released on DVD in 2002 as a part of Greatest Video Hits to coincide with the release of the album Greatest Hits. The songs "Call Me" and "Sunday Girl" were omitted from the track listing, but not from the video itself. In addition to the entirety of The Best of Blondie, this DVD also includes three bonus tracks not on the original release: "The Hardest Part", "Island of Lost Souls", and "Maria".

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are produced by Mike Chapman, except "In the Flesh", "(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear", "Rip Her to Shreds" and "Denis", produced by Richard Gottehrer, and "Call Me", produced by Giorgio Moroder. All special mixes are produced by Chapman.

US and Canadian version[edit]

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)AlbumLength
1."Heart of Glass" (special mix)
Parallel Lines4:33
2."Dreaming"
  • Harry
  • Stein
Eat to the Beat3:06
3."The Tide Is High"John HoltAutoamerican4:41
4."In the Flesh" (special mix)
  • Harry
  • Stein
Blondie2:29
5."Sunday Girl" (special mix)SteinParallel Lines3:03
6."Hanging on the Telephone"Jack LeeParallel Lines2:21
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)AlbumLength
7."Rapture"
  • Stein
  • Harry
Autoamerican5:36
8."One Way or Another"
Parallel Lines3:33
9."(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear"Gary ValentinePlastic Letters2:42
10."Call Me"
  • Moroder
  • Harry
American Gigolo3:32
11."Atomic"
Eat to the Beat4:39
12."Rip Her to Shreds"
  • Harry
  • Stein
Blondie3:22
Total length:43:37

International version[edit]

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)AlbumLength
1."Heart of Glass" (special mix)
  • Harry
  • Stein
Parallel Lines4:33
2."Denis"Neil LevensonPlastic Letters2:18
3."The Tide Is High"HoltAutoamerican4:41
4."In the Flesh" (special mix)
  • Harry
  • Stein
Blondie2:29
5."Sunday Girl" (special mix)SteinParallel Lines3:03
6."Dreaming"
  • Harry
  • Stein
Eat to the Beat3:06
7."Hanging on the Telephone"LeeParallel Lines2:21
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)AlbumLength
8."Rapture"
  • Stein
  • Harry
Autoamerican5:36
9."Picture This"
  • Harry
  • Stein
  • Destri
Parallel Lines2:55
10."Union City Blue"
  • Harry
  • Harrison
Eat to the Beat3:21
11."(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear"ValentinePlastic Letters2:42
12."Call Me"
  • Moroder
  • Harry
American Gigolo3:31
13."Atomic"
  • Harry
  • Destri
Eat to the Beat4:39
14."Rip Her to Shreds"
  • Harry
  • Stein
Blondie3:22
Total length:48:37

Video version[edit]

No.TitleWriter(s)AlbumLength
1."Call Me"
  • Moroder
  • Harry
American Gigolo3:42
2."In the Flesh"
  • Harry
  • Stein
Blondie2:27
3."X Offender"
  • Harry
  • Valentine
Blondie4:31
4."Denis"LevensonPlastic Letters2:10
5."Detroit 442"
  • Destri
  • Stein
Plastic Letters9:34
6."(I'm Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear"ValentinePlastic Letters2:46
7."Picture This"
  • Harry
  • Stein
  • Destri
Parallel Lines3:04
8."Hanging on the Telephone"LeeParallel Lines4:31
9."Heart of Glass"
  • Harry
  • Stein
Parallel Lines4:31
10."Dreaming"
  • Harry
  • Stein
Eat to the Beat2:58
11."Union City Blue"
  • Harry
  • Harrison
Eat to the Beat4:39
12."Atomic"
  • Harry
  • Destri
Eat to the Beat4:03
13."The Tide Is High"HoltAutoamerican3:56
14."Rapture"
  • Stein
  • Harry
Autoamerican4:55
15."Sunday Girl"SteinParallel Lines3:21

Personnel[edit]

Credits adapted from the liner notes of the US and Canadian edition of The Best of Blondie.[10]

Blondie[edit]

Technical[edit]

Artwork[edit]

  • Peter Wagg – art direction
  • Martyn Goddard – front cover photography
  • Brian Cooke – back cover photography

Charts[edit]

Certifications and sales[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Australia — 200,000[20]
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[21] Gold 10,000*
New Zealand (RMNZ)[22] Platinum 15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[23] 2× Platinum 600,000^
United States (RIAA)[24] 2× Platinum 2,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "The Best of Blondie – Blondie". AllMusic. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  2. ^ Christgau, Robert (1990). "B". Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s. Pantheon Books. ISBN 0-679-73015-X. Retrieved August 17, 2020 – via robertchristgau.com.
  3. ^ Rolling Stone Album Guide
  4. ^ "Birch, Ian (October 15, 1981). "Album Reviews". Smash Hits. 3 (21): 25.
  5. ^ "The Best Of Blondie - 1981". rip-her-to-shreds.com. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  6. ^ The Best of Blondie (liner notes). Blondie. France: Chrysalis Records. 1981. CDL TV1.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  7. ^ The Best of Blondie (liner notes). Blondie. Australia: Chrysalis Records. 1981. RML-52003.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  8. ^ The Best of Blondie (liner notes). Blondie. Japan: Chrysalis Records. 1981. WWS-90110.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  9. ^ "Picture This - Blondie by Martyn Goddard". SNAP Galleries. Retrieved January 7, 2017.
  10. ^ The Best of Blondie (liner notes). Blondie. Chrysalis Records. 1981. CHR 1337.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  11. ^ a b Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. pp. 37–38. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  12. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0422". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  13. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Blondie – The Best Of" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  14. ^ "Charts.nz – Blondie – The Best Of". Hung Medien. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  15. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  16. ^ "Blondie Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved February 21, 2018.
  17. ^ "Top 100 Albums of 1981". RPM. Vol. 35, no. 22. December 26, 1981. ISSN 0315-5994 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  18. ^ Scaping, Peter, ed. (1982). "The Top 200 LPs: January–December 1981". BPI Year Book 1982 (5th ed.). London: British Phonographic Industry. pp. 50–53. ISBN 0-906154-03-0.
  19. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1982". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  20. ^ "Market Leaders Surveyed: Majors Fight Economics with Quirky Rock Originals". Billboard. Vol. 94, no. 23. June 12, 1982. p. A/NZ-4. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved February 23, 2020 – via Google Books.
  21. ^ "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1982". IFPI Hong Kong. Retrieved November 17, 2018.
  22. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Blondie – The Best of Blondie". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved June 6, 2019.
  23. ^ "British album certifications – Blondie – Best of Blondie". British Phonographic Industry. August 30, 1988. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
  24. ^ "American album certifications – Blondie – Best of Blondie". Recording Industry Association of America. November 3, 2005. Retrieved February 23, 2020.
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