Blondie - Punk or not?

Elsewhere the debate of whether Blondie are, or are not, a punk band has reared its ugly head again.
The answer is 'of course they bloody are', but some will still dispute the evidence sticking firmly to their view that they were a pop band.
This misses the point entirely.
Did Blondie have pop hits? Yes.
Did the mainstream music lovers catapult them into the stratosphere fame wise? Once again yes.
Does this mean that they aren't a punk band? No.
They were there when the scene was blossoming in NY City and their credentials as pioneering punk rockers are impeccable. The opposition argument is as flimsy as the reasons for going to war in Iraq.
If anyone really doubts how punk rock they are then here's some proof.
San Fransisco in 1977 at the Waldorf and they're rockin'.
http://rapidshare.com/files/343321555

As requested here's some more Blondie. This time it's their main stage slot from 1999's Glastonbury Festival. The quality is pretty good, as you would expect from a radio/television broadcast, and probably because it was around the time of their return to the charts with Maria the set is a timely reminder of how many hits they actually had. Bit of a greatest hits package really. Enjoy Mr Explode.
http://rapidshare.com/files/343574580/Blonglast.rar

Live at the Continental Vol 1

The origins of punk as a movement, genre or even state of mind are hotly debated and the fact that people can’t nail it down to a specific time or place is proof positive that no one has the right to claim ownership of a definitive answer.
Yet there is no doubt that globally there were hotspots and one of them was New York City.
The illustrious list of bands that this city spawned still hold a great deal of power, and like the colossus their influence straddles a whole genre and casts a very large shadow across music in general.
The big guns like the Velvet Underground, NY Dolls, Ramones, Blondie, and Television is just the tip of the iceberg. This was/and is a hugely vibrant scene that has enjoyed an equally huge impact around the world.
If any city could lay a claim to being the punk capital of the world then who would argue that New York wouldn’t be in there with a shout to claim the title.
While this compilation is by no means a definitive representation of the city it does have the essence.
The glitter and the dirt. It’s all here.

1. Victim in Pain - Agnostic Front
2. Last Warning - Various Artists
3. Faded Flowers - Bellvue/Jesse Malin
4. Quick Check Girl - The Bouncing Souls
5. Sluts - The Bullys
6. Better Than U - Candy Ass
7. Sonic Reducer - Cheetah Chrome
8. Street Justice - Cro-Mags
9. Building Is Crumbling, The - The David Ellis Group
10. I Am the King - Furious George
11. Puerto Rican Girl - Heap
12. V8 - Honky Toast
13. Liberate - H2O
14. I Wanna Be Sedated - Joey Ramone
15. Going Local - Lenny Kaye
16. Disgusted - L.E.S. Stitches
17. Cross My Heart - Lunachicks
18. Panty Raid - Murphy's Law
19. Cretin Hop - The Remains
20. Psychotronic Roller Boogie Disco Queen Sock It to Me - Sea Monster
21. Volume 4-Way - Suicide King
22. Another Day in the Life - Toilet Boys
23. One Man Lady - Karen Black
24. Sorry - Waldos

http://rapidshare.com/files/338479366/Live_at_Continental-_Best_of_NYC__Vol._1.rar