Jimmy Destri’s intention with “Atomic” was “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly”(Against the Odds 84), where new-wave meets Spaghetti Western. Frank Infante borrowed Bruce Springsteen’s whammy-bar guitar for the three-note intro. Ellie Greenwich, who had worked with Blondie on their debut for girl-group backing vocals, returned with her girls on “Atomic”.

The tingling bass solo was impromptu, a reflection of producer Mike Chapman making up for how strict he was towards the lower third on Parallel Lines. Nigel Harrison remembers:

when we were recording the track, we sort of spaced out on the arrangement, so Mike Chapman shouted in the headphones, “Bass solo!” If you listen closely to it, you can almost hear him say it…I love that sound and that song so much."

Uncharacteristic of a Destri work, Debbie Harry came up with the lyrics on the spot. She has also said that the bridge is inspired by Dean Parish’s “I’m On My Way”.

The music video, which depicts a party, features the late Gia Carangi who is considered the “world’s first supermodel”, who is seen dancing in a few frames. She was a big fan of the band and attended their shows in New York frequently, even befriending certain members of the band like Jimmy Destri.