The Best Of: Duran Duran
Click the cover art for the music videos.
The year was 1981, and although fellow New Romantics Spandau Ballet and Visage beat them onto the Australian chart, Duran Duran would soon establish themselves as the biggest and best band to emerge from that super stylish scene. Regular placings inside the Australian, UK and US singles top 5, platinum albums, sell-out tours, successful spin-off projects, film-quality music videos shot in exotic settings... there was no band more quintessentially '80s than the five-piece comprised of singer Simon Le Bon, keyboardist Nick Rhodes, bass player John Taylor, guitarist Andy Taylor and drummer Roger Taylor.
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The classic triple Taylor line-up of Duran Duran
Four decades and several line-up changes later, four of the five members from the classic line-up — Andy Taylor hasn't been with the band since 2006 — are celebrating 40 years releasing records with a new single, "Invisible". Here are my picks for their top 25 best singles so far...
25. Nice
Released: 2005
Album: Astronaut
With the initial fanfare around the '80s line-up putting out a new album in 2004 having died down, this third single from reunion record Astronaut ended up being download only and a planned music video was shelved. I like it enough for it to make the cut over singles like "Save A Prayer", "Skin Trade" and "All She Wants Is".
24. Girl Panic!
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Released: 2011
Album: All You Need Is Now
By 2010, a download only release was much more normal, with All You Need Is Now being made available digitally a good three months before the album's physical release. Although not a chart hit, the album's second single gained attention for its video featuring models Naomi Campbell, Helena Christensen, Cindy Crawford, Eva Herzigova and Yasmin Le Bon as the band.
23. Electric Barbarella
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Released: 1997
Album: Medazzaland
Charts: UK #23, US #52
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The late '90s and early 2000s were a funny time for Duran Duran. Following covers album Thank You and the exit of John Taylor, the remaining members (which included Warren Cuccurullo) released Medazzaland in the US but not in the UK, where the '80s-sounding "Electric Barberalla" single would surface a year-and-a-half later. Another track from the album, The Saint soundtrack song "Out Of My Mind", just misses a place on this list.
22. What Happens Tomorrow​
Released: 2005
Album: Astronaut
Charts: UK #11
After the upbeat energy of comeback single "(Reach Up For The) Sunrise", Duran Duran opted for something a bit more staid and serious for the follow-up. Another cracking song from an underrated album.
21. All You Need Is Now
Released: 2010
Album: All You Need Is Now
The title track from the band's 13th studio album became their first lead single not to chart at all in the UK, although that was due to its status as a free download. After a scheduling conflict meant I missed out on seeing Duran Duran's reunion shows in Australia in 2003, I finally caught them live in 2012 on the Sydney leg of the All You Need Is Now tour. Better late than never.
20. Union Of The Snake
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Released: 1983
Album: Seven And The Ragged Tiger
Charts: UK #3, Australia #4, US #3
The first song on this list from the band's classic era was also the first single released from third album Seven And The Ragged Tiger, which was mixed here in Sydney. Meanwhile, the video for "Union Of The Snake" was shot in the beachside suburb of Cronulla. Unsurprisingly, the track was an instant top 10 hit, charging onto the Australian chart at number 8 before moving up to become one of three songs by the band to peak at number 4.
Read more here.
19. Violence Of Summer (Love's Taking Over)
Released: 1990
Album: Liberty
Charts: UK #20, Australia #59, US #64
After barely putting a foot wrong throughout the '80s, Duran Duran (which now included Warren Cuccurullo and Sterling Campbell as official members) hit a speedbump as they entered the '90s, with this lead single from their sixth album being met with an unusual amount of disinterest. While I can understand why it wasn't more successful, I still enjoy it as a pop tune.
Read more here.
18. Come Undone
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Released: 1993
Album: Duran Duran (The Wedding Album)
Charts: UK #13, Australia #19, US #7
Three years on from Liberty and Duran Duran were embraced with open arms again thanks to career highlight Duran Duran, which was given the subtitle The Wedding Album so as not to be confused with their debut. A last-minute addition to the tracklisting, "Come Undone" was being worked on by Nick and Warren for potential use elsewhere when Simon heard it and helped them complete it.
Read more here.
17. The Wild Boys
Released: 1984
Album: Arena
Charts: UK #2, Australia #3, US #2
Fittingly, Duran Duran's highest-charting single in Australia was a massive production — the only studio recording on concert album Arena. Accompanied by an iconic, big budget, Mad Max-inspired music video, "The Wild Boys" was the sound (and vision) of a band who could command anything.
Read more here.
16. Too Much Information
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15. Careless Memories
Released: 1993
Album: Duran Duran (The Wedding Album)
Charts: UK #35, Australia #93, US #45
I know everyone thinks "Come Undone" is a better song, but I slightly prefer this rockier track. With its self-referential lyrics about MTV and ABC, "Too Much Information" saw the band comment on how commercialised the music industry had become.
Read more here.
Released: 1981
Album: Duran Duran
Charts: UK #37, Australia #60
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Duran Duran's second single was a chart disappointment in the UK and Australia. Indeed, despite being released here in October 1981, "Careless Memories" didn't chart locally until 1982 following the success of "My Own Way" and the launch of their Rio tour on our shores. Given its lowly chart peaks, it's one of their most overlooked '80s singles. Undeservedly so.
14. New Moon On Monday
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Released: 1984
Album: Seven And The Ragged Tiger
Charts: UK #9, Australia #48, US #10
For this second single from Seven And The Ragged Tiger, Australia was the exception to the rule, with "New Moon On Monday" noticeably under-performing here compared to its UK and US success. By all accounts, the music video was a disaster, featuring dancing scenes at the end the band have never lived down. Good chorus, though.
Read more here.
13. Pressure Off
featuring Janelle Monáe & Nile Rodgers
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12. Ordinary World
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11. Girls On Film
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Released: 2015
Album: Paper Gods
The only single on this list with credited collaborators — it was 2015, after all — including Nile Rodgers, who had been a part of some of Duran Duran's biggest hits in the '80s and peripherally involved in The Power Station. Like so many other veteran acts, the band no longer scored chart hits, but 14th album Paper Gods did reach the UK top 5, the US top 10 and the ARIA top 20.
Released: 1993
Album: Duran Duran (The Wedding Album)
Charts: UK #6, Australia #18, US #3
Many would rate this among Duran Duran's best ever singles, but its placement here at number 12 tells you two things: 1) I've always preferred their more upbeat tracks (thus the absence of "Save A Prayer") and 2) the top 11 is all bloody brilliant. A triumphant return after the commercial disappointment of Liberty, "Ordinary World" represented a shift into a more mature sound that sat alongside the grungier, more serious direction rock music had taken in general.
Read more here.
Released: 1981
Album: Duran Duran
Charts: UK #5, Australia #11
The band's third single established that even before they could expect massive budgets for their music videos, Duran Duran would use the format for maximum impact, as evidenced by the highly sexual overtones of the clip for "Girls On Film". The video coincided with the arrival of MTV in the US, where a substanially edited version of the Godley & Creme-directed clip was played. As a song, "Girls On Film" teamed issue-driven lyrics (about the modelling industry) with a deceptively playful pop sound.
10. Notorious​
Released: 1986
Album: Notorious
Charts: UK #7, Australia #17, US #2
1985 was a turning point in the Duran Duran story, with the band's division to explore side-projects Arcadia and The Power Station punctuated by a soundtrack single and an appearance at Live Aid. When they regrouped for fourth album Notorious, Duran Duran had slimmed down to just Simon, Nick and John, and evolved their sound, as demonstrated by the funk-influenced title track. Otherwise, it was business as usual with another worldwide hit.
Read more here.
9. My Own Way
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Released: 1981
Album: Rio
Charts: UK #14, Australia #10
The band might hate it, snubbing it for both concert set lists and compilation tracklistings, but I do like this single, which was released between Duran Duran and Rio to keep interest in the band going — and so did Australia, sending it into the top 10 here. And I prefer the swirling strings single mix over the revamped version that was later included on Rio.
8. I Don't Want Your Love
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Released: 1988
Album: Big Thing
Charts: UK #14, Australia #23, US #4
Australia had long championed Duran Duran, but the reaction to this lead single from fifth album Big Thing was lukewarm at best. "I Don't Want Your Love" was better received overseas, and for my money proved the band had what it took to stay relevant even when music was so dramatically changing due to the rise of dance music and the indie scene. And they could still write a killer chorus.
Read more here.
7. Rio
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6. Is There Something I Should Know?
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5. (Reach Up For The) Sunrise
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Released: 1982
Album: Rio
Charts: UK #9, Australia #60, US #14
At the time of writing, I'm yet to revisit 1982 in my chart recaps, so I haven't spent much time trying to work out why the title track of Duran Duran's second album flopped so badly here. I've always assumed the album was such a strong seller that fans didn't feel the need to buy the single. But still. It's "Rio"! Not even another of their iconic music videos — those yacht scenes were the height of excess! — was enough to boost interest in what, visuals aside, is a bona fide classic.
Released: 1983
Album: stand-alone single
Charts: UK #1, Australia #4, US #4
After seven top 40 hits in the UK, Duran Duran scored their first chart-topping single with this track, which came out between Rio and Seven And The Ragged Tiger. By contrast with predecessor "Rio", the ploy of not having the song available on an album also worked locally, with its number 4 peak the band's highest chart position up until that point.
Read more here.
Released: 2004
Album: Astronaut
Charts: UK #5, Australia #22, US #89
Everyone loves a reunion, and the classic line-up of Duran Duran was rewarded for coming back together with their biggest hit in a decade. A joyful celebration that moved away from the dark undercurrent of many of their songs, "(Reach Up For The) Sunrise" was released on the back of sell-out concerts around the world in 2003. The band returned to Australia in 2004 to promote Astronaut, including a media party at which a colleague and I ticked off photos with all five members amid a sea of (other) giddy fans.
4. Planet Earth
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3. A View To A Kill
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2. The Reflex
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Released: 1981
Album: Duran Duran
Charts: UK #12, Australia #8
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The song that started it all, with Australia going one better than the UK to give Duran Duran their first top 10 single. With lyrics that reference the New Romantic movement for which they would become poster boys, "Planet Earth" set the standard of quality new wave pop that would define the band's early output.
Released: 1985
Album: stand-alone single
Charts: UK #2, Australia #6, US #1
As mentioned, Duran Duran spent much of 1985 focused on other projects, with this soundtrack single their sole new release during the year. The only Bond theme to reach number in the US (and the one that marked a shift towards more contemporary tunes and away from old fashioned ballads), "A View To A Kill" was the product of a happy working relationship between the band and composer John Barry, with Godley & Creme hired to helm the extravagant Eiffel Tower-set music video.
Read more here.
Released: 1984
Album: Seven And The Ragged Tiger
Charts: UK #1, Australia #4, US #1
Establishing the power of a good remix, the single version of the third cut from Seven And The Ragged Tiger was overhauled by Nile Rodgers — his first of many collaborations with the band. A chart-topper on both sides of Atlantic, "The Reflex" is the biggest single of Duran Duran's career. So why-y-y-y-y isn't it number 1 on this list?
Read more here.
1. Hungry Like The Wolf
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Released: 1982
Album: Rio
Charts: UK #5, Australia #5, US #3
The first single proper from Rio, "Hungry Like The Wolf" signalled Duran Duran's breakthrough in the US thanks to the song's Indiana Jones-ish, Sri Lanka-set music video, which went into high rotation on the nascent MTV. Everything worked on "Hungry Like The Wolf", from that clip to the championing of new music technology by the band to that explosive, insistent, urgent chorus. Although I've come to some songs from the '80s later in life, I have clear memories of watching the video on TV as a seven-year-old and being enthralled. I still am.
Top 5 Album Tracks
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Over 14 studio albums (with another one due later in 2021), countless B-sides and remixes, Duran Duran have created an impressive body of work. Here are my picks from their extensive collection of album tracks:
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1. "Hold Back The Rain" from Rio
2. "Shelter" from Duran Duran (The Wedding Album)
3. "First Impressions" from Liberty
4. "Want You More!" from Astronaut
5. "Skin Divers" from Red Carpet Massacre
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You can listen to Duran Duran's top 25 singles and top 5 album tracks on my Spotify playlist: