Blondie Back On Top In The U.K.

02/09/1999 4:00 AM, Yahoo! Music
Craig Rosen

(2/9/99, 1 a.m. PST) - Those doubting that the reunited Blondie would be relevant in the '90s can guess again. Although the band's new album, No Exit, won't be released in America until Feb. 23, Blondie is already burning up the charts in the U.K.

"Maria," the first single from the album, debuted at No. 1 on the Musicweek singles chart, selling 128,000 copies in its first week of release. The feat also earned Blondie a place in the history books, as the group is the first band to score at No. 1 single in the U.K. in the '70s, '80s, and '90s.

Back home in America, "Maria" is No. 26 with a bullet on Billboard's Top 40 Adult chart. The reunited band made its first U.S. television appearance last month at the American Music Awards. Blondie will return to the small screen on Feb. 18 when the band guests on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.

Renewed interest in Blondie began to surface last fall when cover versions of the band's 1979 hit "One Way Or Another" coincidentally turned up on Sabrina, The Teenage Witch--The Album and The Rugrats Movie soundtrack (LAUNCH, 10/16/98).

Look for a Blondie feature on LAUNCH.com soon.

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