Although Blondie made several first-rate albums, most of their best songs were released as singles, which makes The Best of Blondie an essential collection. The Best of Blondie glosses over their punk roots — very little from the first album, apart from the vicious “Rip Her to Shreds” and the seductive “In the Flesh” — but the band’s pop hits are among the finest of their era and encapsulate all of the virtues of new wave. Apart from genuine chart hits like “Heart of Glass,” “One Way or Another,” “Dreaming,” “Call Me,” “Atomic,” “The Tide Is High,” and “Rapture,” Best of Blondie picks up several of the group’s best album tracks, like “(I’m Always Touched by Your) Presence, Dear” and “Hanging on the Telephone.” The Best of Blondie isn’t all you need to know, but it is an excellent introduction to one of the best new wave bands. – Stephen Thomas Erlewine
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