On This Day – January 31, 1981: Blondie lands their third number one with “The Tide Is High”

On this day, January 31, 1981…

Blondie’s single “The Tide Is High” became their third number one song. The track was a remake of a 1967 rocksteady song originally recorded by Jamaican group The Paragons.

In addition to the U.S., “The Tide Is High” also went on to top the charts in the UK, Canada and New Zealand, and landed in the Top Five in Australia, South Africa, and several European countries.

Blondie’s previous number ones included “Call Me” and “Heart of Glass.”

“The Tide Is High” was the lead single from Blondie’s fifth studio album, Autoamerican, which later produced another number one hit, “Rapture.”