Blondie, Heart Of Glass | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 126^th edition of Throwback Vibez (2025), we recollect and reflect on “Heart Of Glass” by Blondie.  

The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶! Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace this column are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome. In the 126^th edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2025), we recollect and reflect on “Heart Of Glass” performed by Blondie.

“Once I had a love and it was a gas,” Debbie Harry (1945 – ) sings, continuing, “Soon turned out had a heart of glass.” One of the biggest and most recognizable hits from Grammy-nominated pop/rock band Blondie is “Heart Of Glass”. Harry co-wrote “Heart” with guitarist Chris Stein.  Mike Chapman produced the track, which appears on the band’s 1978 album, Parallel Lines. A pop song with disco flavor, “Heart” marked the first of four number-one hits by the band. Blondie earned their first of four number-one hits with “Heart Of Glass.” Besides spending a week atop the Billboard Hot 100, the song was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America.

What makes “Heart of Glass” so iconic? Debbie Harry brings plenty of energy to her vocal performance.  The melody is quite distinct, catching the ears the first time you hear it.  Matters of the heart dominate. The love was once divine, but in her blindness, she discovered “Mucho mistrust, love’s gone behind.” The final verse of the song has a compelling case as the best: “Once I had a love and it was a gas / Soon turned out to be a pain in the ass.” Honesty is the best policy, Debbie.  The chorus can’t be neglected either, as Harry states what could’ve been – “Riding high on love’s true bluish light.” Beyond the memorable singing, lyrics, and melodies, the musical accompaniment is fire! A distinct percussive intro sets the tone.  The band cooks from the scintillating guitars (Stein and Frank Infante), electrifying bass line (Nigel Harrison), the anchoring drum groove (Clem Burke), and those picturesque keys (Jimmy Destri). Adding to the fun is some tasteful changing meter, which keeps the record engaging.  Blondie put their foot into “Heart Of Glass”, one of the best pop hits of the 1970s.