My Billboard Moment
Harry photographed by
Meredith Jenks in 2016.Debbie Harry
ARTIST(^)
As frontwoman of Blondie, Debbie
Harry has been a pop culture
fixture for nearly half a century. The
new wave pioneer co-wrote the band’s
biggest hit, 1980’s “Call Me,” with
Giorgio Moroder for the Paul Schrader
film American Gigolo — then watched
the single reach No. 1 on the Billboard
Hot 100 40 years ago this April. Harry
recalls the song’s unexpected rise.
The Billboard Hot 100 was the bottom
line for the industry at a time when labels
ruled. Airplay was the main goal for a
commercial band, and the charts favored
a blues-rock sound [at the time]. We had
come out of a club scene, but tastes were
slowly changing. When “Call Me” hit No. 1
in April 1980, we were on the road. I was
doing a lot of promo, going out to radio
stations, and we did a lot of appearances
and performances of that song, which
was really exciting and fabulous.
To spend six weeks at No. 1 was a
complete amplification of everything
we had achieved outside of the Unit-
ed States. We didn’t expect it, but it
legitimized us in this country and made
people realize that we were adventurous
and had a vision that could transcend the
styles of the day. We embraced the punk
attitude — we were happy but belliger-
ent at the same time. Music either works
or it doesn’t work. It was the right place,
right time, right sound. It all just sort of
fell into place. What could be better?
What more could you ask for, really?
—AS TOLD TO NICK WILLIAMS
THE LEGACY
Blondie has released 11
studio albums and sold an
estimated 40 million albums
worldwide, according to Sony.
“Call Me” finished 1980 as
the No. 1 single of the year in
Billboard’s year-end issue.
In 2006, Blondie was inducted
into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
“As soon as
I heard Deborah
Harry singing a
rough version of
‘Call Me,’ I knew
we had a hit.”
—MORODER
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