Blondie makes the top of the Hot 100 with their groundbreaking song “Rapture” in 1981
The song was notable for being one of the first Pop/Rock blends with Rap and Hip Hop
Blondie makes the top of the Hot 100 with their groundbreaking song “Rapture” in 1981
Released in January 1981 as the second and final single from the album “Autoamerican”, “Rapture” is one of Blondie’s most groundbreaking songs. Written by Deborah Harry and Chris Stein, the combination of disco, funk, and hip-hop with the rap section introduced one of the first Pop/Rock blends with Hip Hop and Rap, name-checking on the lyrics the hip-hop pioneers Fab Five Freddy and Grandmaster Flash, and while it was not the first single featuring rapping to be commercially successful, it was the first to top the charts. The music video made its TV debut on January 31, 1981, and not only became the first rap video ever broadcast on MTV but was part of its first 90-video rotation. A notable presence on the music video is of the artist Jean-Michel Basquiat who makes a cameo appearance. Basquiat was hired when Grandmaster Flash did not show for the filming. The song peaked to No.1 on the US Hot 10 on March 28, 1981. In 2005, “Rapture” was “mashed” with The Doors’ 1971 single “Riders on the Storm” into “Rapture Riders” by Go Home Productions. This unofficial mashup remix was later approved by both bands and released as a single credited to Blondie vs. The Doors. It was also included on Blondie’s 2005 Greatest Hits: Sight + Sound compilation. “Rapture Riders” made the top ten on the U.S. Hot Dance Club Play chart and was a Top 40 hit in Australia and Europe decades after the original releases of both songs.
Look back at the 1981 music video for “Rapture” by Blondie
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