Parallel Lines (studio album) by Blondie

Parallel Lines by Blondie
Year: 1978
Overall rank: 274th   Overall chart historyOverall chart history
Average Rating: 
81/100 (from 954 votes)
  Ratings distributionRatings distribution   Average rating historyAverage rating history
Accolades:
Award Top 5 albums of 1978 (2nd)
Award Top 100 albums of the 1970s (69th)
Award Top 500 albums of all time (274th)
Product Details
Availability

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Blondie Parallel Lines (Vinyl) 12" Album
Condition: New


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Blondie – Parallel Lines - 1978 Chrysalis CHR 1192 New Wave Vinyl LP - EX/VG+
Condition: Used


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Blondie Parallel Lines (CD) Album (UK IMPORT)
Condition: Brand New


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Blondie bestography

Parallel Lines is ranked as the best album by Blondie.

Blondie album bestography « Higher ranked This album (274th) Lower ranked (1,703rd) »
-Parallel LinesEat To The Beat

Upcoming concerts

Nov
30
Mon
00:00
Like A Material Girl - Madonna Tribute & Heart Of Blonde - Blondie Tri
Ace of Spades, Sacramento, United States. United States
Tickets from $16.00 (Ticketmaster) Get tickets
 
Dec
31
Tue
19:00
Prince, Madonna, Blondie tributes & more - New Years Eve Concert
Garden Amphitheatre, Garden Grove, United States. United States
Tickets from $23.06 (Ticketmaster) Get tickets
 
Jan
11
Sat
20:30
Sunday Girl - Blondie Tribute
Suquamish Clearwater Beach Rock Mus, Suquamish, United States. United States
Tickets from $15.00 (Ticketmaster) Get tickets
 
Discover more upcoming concerts

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Parallel Lines track list

  Track ratingsTrack ratings The tracks on this album have an average rating of 83 out of 100 (all tracks have been rated).

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Track
Rating/Comments
3.
Rating: 85 (200 votes)Comments: 4
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5.
Rating: 81 (166 votes)Comments: 2
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7.
Rating: 81 (164 votes)Comments: 1
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9.
Rating: 85 (197 votes)Comments: 1
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10.
Track pick
Rating: 91 (337 votes)Comments: 5
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12.
Rating: 81 (160 votes)Comments: 1
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Track pick Top-rated track as rated by BestEverAlbums.com members.

Parallel Lines rankings

Parallel Lines collection

Parallel Lines ratings

Average Rating: 
81/100 (from 954 votes)
  Ratings distributionRatings distribution Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AV
where:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.

Showing latest 5 ratings for this album. | Show all 954 ratings for this album.

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RatingDate updatedMemberAlbum ratingsAvg. album rating
 
85/100
 Report rating
4 days ago djrodo  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 87481/100
 
85/100
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5 days ago davidleewrong  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 2,13381/100
 
85/100
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12/05/2024 21:39 CokeBabies  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 42482/100
 
80/100
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11/24/2024 21:41 C0NB9NN  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 21479/100
 
90/100
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11/13/2024 08:32 slatsheit  Ratings distributionRatings distribution 1,93482/100

Rating metrics: Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some albums can have several thousand ratings)

This album is rated in the top 1% of all albums on BestEverAlbums.com. This album has a Bayesian average rating of 80.9/100, a mean average of 80.3/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 81.0/100. The standard deviation for this album is 12.9.

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Parallel Lines comments

Showing latest 10 comments | Show all 61 comments |
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Rating:  
95/100
From 04/29/2024 00:39
Perhaps the greatest new wave album of all time. All songwriters and band members have a cohesive style that is endlessly enjoyable and unique. 9.5/10!
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | +1 votes (1 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
60/100
From 11/29/2023 07:18
I could do without their sorry attempts at metal in the first side. The latter side is a return to the simple rock tunes we love, but it doesn't hold up to their debut.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 03/27/2023 05:25
Tracks 1-2, 4-6 👍🏻
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 09/06/2022 17:07
Solid record
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 06/09/2022 07:20
Very good album, influential for its time, I love One Way Or Another, Picture This and Heart Of Glass, but overall this album is not my thing.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
100/100
From 05/18/2022 03:26
Parallel Lines is a landmark album and more than forty years later it still rocks. Critic Robert Christgau was accurate when he called it "a synthesis of the Dixie Cups and the Electric Prunes"

This album is a killer synthesis of fast-paced rock with the sweetness of old school doo-wop and girl groups. The band and Debbie Harry's vocals have a slight retro sound, coming off as classy rather than musty. I especially love the Crickets / Buddy Holly cover, a very fitting choice for the group.

Harry's vocals are stunning and powerful. She has a confident, gentle delivery with a tasteful ragged edge, very reminiscent of Nanci Griffith.

The influence of Blondie on later bands is easy to spot, especially rock groups with a lead female singer like No Doubt and especially Paramore. Parallel Lines is a pivitol New Wave album.

Essential.

Condensed to a 7" Single:
A-Side: Heart of Glass
B-Side: Picture This
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
75/100
From 04/27/2022 13:38
Album Rating: 73.33
(880/12)

1. Hanging On The Telephone. 73
2.One Way Or Another. 78
3.Picture This. 84
4.Fade Away And Radiate. 79
5.Pretty Baby. 71
6.I Know But I Don't Know. 69
7.11:59. 72
8.Will Anything Happen? 69
9.Sunday Girl. 70
10.Heart Of Glass. 78
11.I'm Gonna Love You Too. 67
12.Just Go Away. 70
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
Rating:  
80/100
From 01/06/2022 20:11
Aside from a couple of dogs (I Know But I Don’t Know and Just Go Away), this is a really fun and well constructed record. There’s a lyric in 11:59 that captures the mood of the entire album: “Take me down the highway like a rocket to the ocean”.

That’s the essence. Fast, carefree, here to have a good time. Debbie Harry is perfect in the role of the girl who would give you so many headaches but is irresistible nonetheless.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (0 helpful | 0 unhelpful)
Rating:  
85/100
From 09/16/2021 16:48
Heart of Glass and One Way or Another are superb, the rest are adequately enjoyable.
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | 0 votes (1 helpful | 1 unhelpful)
Rating:  
65/100
From 09/08/2021 17:06
decent enough couple of major hits
Helpful?  (Log in to vote) | -1 votes (0 helpful | 1 unhelpful)

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Best Albums of 1978
1. Darkness On The Edge Of Town by Bruce Springsteen
2. Parallel Lines by Blondie
3. The Cars by The Cars
4. This Year's Model by Elvis Costello
5. Die Mensch·Maschine [The Man-Machine] by Kraftwerk
6. Van Halen by Van Halen
7. Some Girls by The Rolling Stones
8. Music For 18 Musicians by Steve Reich
9. The Kick Inside by Kate Bush
10. More Songs About Buildings And Food by Talking Heads
11. Hemispheres by Rush
12. Dire Straits by Dire Straits
13. Ambient 1: Music For Airports by Brian Eno
14. 3rd by Big Star
15. Chairs Missing by Wire
16. Outlandos D'Amour by The Police
17. All Mod Cons by The Jam
18. Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! by Devo
19. The Modern Dance by Pere Ubu
20. Powerage by AC/DC
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