The 1999 hit that Debbie Harry believes America never truly appreciated

Debbie Harry has made no secret of her frustration with the way one of Blondie's biggest hits has been received in her own country. The song is "Maria", released in 1999 as the big single from the album "No Exit", a work that marked the band's return after more than 15 years without releasing studio albums. The song became a huge international hit. In the United Kingdom, for example, it reached number one on the charts and helped put Blondie back in prominence on the world music scene. In the United States, however, performance was much more discreet. According to Debbie Harry, the song never received the recognition it deserved in the American market, despite the excellent reception it received in several other countries. The singer believes that "Maria" had all the elements that made Blondie become one of the most important new wave bands: a strong melody, striking chorus and the vocal identity that has always characterized the group. Even without repeating the American success of the 1970s and 1980s, the track remains one of the most important songs from Blondie's late phase.