On this date in 1980 the Punk/New Band 'Blondie' hit number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with the song Rapture, making it the first rap song to hit top of the charts. Written by Debbie Harry and Chris Stein of Blondie, this seemingly unlikely pairing of Punk and Rap is the product of the two genres being born and brought to popularity in 1970s New York. The two genres shared early champions such as Malcolm McLaren, Bruce Springsteen, and Rick Rubin.
The video for Rapture spotlights graffiti artist Fab 5 Freddy, as well as early hip hop visionary Grandmaster Flash. The video for "Rapture" was also the first rap video to air on the MTV channel.
