By Gregg Shapiro

Contributing writer

As the colorful and charismatic front women of their respective bands, Blondie and Eurythmics, Deborah Harry and Annie Lennox blazed their own distinctive trails in the world of dance music. After establishing themselves in the punk scene, Blondie crossed over to the disco charts with their 1978 smash hit “Heart of Glass,” and the rest is history. Just a few years later, Lennox (and partner in crime Dave Stewart) entered a similar realm with their breakout new wave classic “Sweet Dreams Are Made of This.” In their solo careers, both Harry and Lennox could be found on the dance charts.  Lennox was present by virtue of songs such as “Walking on Broken Glass” and “Little Bird,” while Harry scored a few times with “French Kissin’,” “Rush Rush” and “I Want That Man.”

“Necessary Evil” (Eleven Seven Music), Harry’s new disc, is her first solo effort in nearly 15 years (and only the fifth album of her solo career). With all that time to make up for, she doesn’t waste a moment in getting the dance party started with the vibrant “Two Times Blue,” inviting us to call her “Miss Calculation” and confirming that we’ll be “two times blue” if she goes. The track bounces along on a friendly dance-beat and listening to her unmistakable vocals is like having a reunion with a long-lost friend. The political-leaning “School for Scandal” has a slightly rockier edge, along with an equally dance-friendly beat. Take Harry’s advice and “don’t be afraid” of the “Deep End”—dive right in and do the swim. “Dirty and Deep” recalls Harry’s pioneering contribution to early hip-hop and “Whiteout” combines her punk and new wave history. The dance direction continues on “Charm Alarm” and “Jen Jen.”

On “Songs of Mass Destruction” (Arista/Sony BMG), her fourth solo album in 15 years and her first new studio release in four, Annie Lennox has lightened up (if you could call it that) following the nearly relentlessly bleak mood of her previous disc “Bare.” But the focus of “…Mass Destruction” is on less dance-oriented material. That said, Lennox does pull out the stops on a few tracks, including “Love Is Blind,” the Cajun-gospel spiced “Ghosts in my Machine,” the funky “Womankind,” the electro-swathed “Coloured Bedspread” and the celebrity chorus-driven AIDS-benefit track “Sing” (featuring k.d. lang, Melissa Etheridge, Martha Wainwright, Bonnie Raitt and a host of others) that would all sound perfectly marvelous pumping through the speakers of your favorite dance spot.