Duran Duran: All you ever needed to know about the Wild Boys
We love Duran Duran songs here at Greatest Hits Radio 80s!
Duran Duran helped define the look and sound of 80s pop music. Dating back more than 40 years, the band, who started in Birmingham, have not only had incredible songs, but their style pretty much led the outfit choices of most young adults throughout the 80s.
Despite starting out four decades ago, the band are still going strong with new albums and reissues, including their self-titled 'Duran Duran', which was affectionately known by fans as the 'The Wedding Album' and 'Thank You'. Before they headline BST Hyde Park this summer, take a moment to get to know the iconic British band...
When did Duran Duran form?
The classic line-up of Duran Duran that we’ve come to know and love – singer Simon Le Bon, bassist John Taylor, keyboardist Nick Rhodes, guitarist Andy Taylor and drummer Roger Taylor – came together in 1980.
The band’s origins go back to 1978 when John Taylor and Nick Rhodes worked as doorman and DJ respectively at the Rum Runner nightclub in Birmingham. Inspired by Roxy Music and David Bowie, the nascent Duran Duran went through a number of line-up changes. At one point, their singer was Stephen “Tin Tin” Duffy who’d later score a 1982 with The Lilac Time’s ‘Kiss Me’.
Originally a part of the New Romantic scene, Duran Duran became the subject of a bidding war between EMI and Phonogram, after they were spotted supporting Hazel O'Connor, who released her Top 5 single 'Eighth Day' in 1980.
How did Duran Duran get their name?
They took their name from the character Dr Durand Durand, in the 1968 Jane Fonda–starring cult sci-fi classic Barbarella.
Where are they from?
Duran Duran are from Birmingham, England.
The band's early success
Key to Duran Duran’s success was their attention to their visual presentation. They worked with stylist Perry Haines and fashion designers Kahn and Bell, and Antony Price.
Right from the beginning, Duran Duran harnessed the power of the emerging medium of video. Though their debut single, ‘Planet Earth’, went Number 12 in the UK charts, it was the infamous video for ‘Girls On Film’ that helped them crack the Top 5.
Directed by Godley & Creme, the video generated plenty of controversy thanks to its images of naked girls pillow fighting and mud wrestling. Banned from TV, the video became a huge hit in nightclubs.
Duran Duran: Global success
Their second album, ‘Rio’, became a global smash and spawned the Top 10 singles, ‘Hungry Like The Wolf’, ‘Save A Prayer’ and the title track. In an interview with The Guardian, Duran Duran admitted they're still trying to work out what their song 'Rio' is about.
Already superstars in Europe, they began to break through in the US with a succession of videos that were put on heavy rotation on MTV.
The band scored their first UK Number 1 single with ‘Is There Something I Should Know?’ And with Princess Diana declaring them her favourite band, there really was no stopping them.
In 1984, Duran Duran topped both the UK and US charts with ‘The Reflex’, and its follow-up, ‘The Wild Boys’, hit Number 2 on both sides of the Atlantic.
Solo projects
John Taylor and Andy Taylor felt like rocking out so they formed The Power Station with singer Robert Palmer and Chic drummer Tony Thompson. Simon Le Bon and Nick Rhodes formed the somewhat artier Arcadia.
Were they in Band Aid?
All members of Duran Duran took part in the recording on Band Aid’s ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas?’ in November 1984. They then went on to perform in front of 90,000 at the American leg of Live Aid concert at the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia on July 13th 1985.
Which James Bond theme did Duran Duran record?
Working with long time Bond composer John Barry and Chic’s Bernard Edwards in the producer’s chair, Duran Duran recorded the theme to ‘A View To A Kill’. It remains the only James Bond theme song to have topped the US charts.
By a strange coincidence, not only was it Roger Moore’s last outing as the suave super-spy, it was also the last single to feature the classic five-piece line-up for almost 20 years.
Duran Duran's later years
Drummer Roger Taylor retired, suffering from exhaustion and Andy Taylor wanted to move into rock music and embarked on a solo career. They were eventually replaced by guitarist Warren Cuccurullo and future David Bowie drummer Sterling Campell, but despite hits like ‘Notorious’, Duran Duran’s popularity was on the wane.
It didn't stop the band though, as they scored a huge international hit with ‘Ordinary World’ in 1992.
The original classic line-up reunited in 2003 for a successful world tour, and the following year they released ‘Astronaut,’ their most successful album since 1983’s ‘Seven And The Ragged Tiger’.
Are they still together?
Andy Taylor left the band again in 2006, but the remaining members got together to release a new albums, including ‘All You Need Is Now’, ‘Paper Gods’ and 'Future Past'. They toured Europe and the US in 2017.
In July 2019, Nick Rhodes revealed that the band were working on their 15th studio album, working with Mark Ronson, Erol Alkan and Lykke Li. He said: "There's one song so far that's a frontrunner to be the first single. It's just so different from anything I've heard from us before, or actually anyone else. There's a dance element to it. The construction of it, the melodic content, the lyrics, some of the sounds... they're very different for us."
In March 2020, the album was slated to be released in Autumn 2020 - but production was halted due to the Coronavirus pandemic. 'Future Past' was eventually released in October 2021.
In November 2020 Duran Duran celebrated 36 years since their album 'Arena' was released. 'Arena' was their first live album and reached Number 6 in the UK, featuring their massive hit 'The Wild Boys' amongst live recordings of a number of other songs.
In 2022, Andy revealed that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer. In 2023, speaking to BBC Breakfast, he told how he had recently started to receive treatment which would extend his life for five years.
He told the hosts: "It kills stage four cancer in your bones. And so what it's effectively done is extend my life for five years."
Album reissues
Over the years, Duran Duran have reissued several albums, including their first five albums ('Duran Duran', 'Rio', 'Seven and the Ragged Tiger', 'Notorious', and 'Big Thing') back in 2024, on LP and CD.
In 2026 they reissued two of their iconic albums, 'Duran Duran' and 'Thank You'. The albums will be available on vinyl and CD from 10th April and it will feature hits such as 'Ordinary World' and 'Come Undone' on 'Duran Duran'. Their 'Thank You' album, which featured the band's covers of classic songs, is presented in a gatefold sleeve, with a poster replicating the original release.
Album 'Danse Macabre De Luxe'
Duran Duran released their 16th studio album 'Danse Macabre' on 27th October 2023, in time for Halloween. The album saw the current members of Duran Duran reunite with former members Andy Taylor and Warren Cuccurullo on some tracks. The album also featured their covers of other well-known songs in addition to new tracks including 'Black Moonlight.'
In October 2024, Duran Duran premiered their cover of Electric Light Orchestra’s seminal 1975 anthem ‘Evil Woman.’, which was featured on 'Danse Macabre De Luxe'. The reinterpretation of Jeff Lynne’s timeless ELO tune saw Duran Duran add disco vibes complete with exuberant strings, synths, guitar from axeman Dom Brown and Simon Le Bon's unmistakable vocals.
Duran Duran’s version of ‘Evil Woman’ also comes with a horror-tastic animated video directed by Juan Pinto. You can feast your eyes on it here...
Alongside the ELO track, the extended version is also bolstered with a remake of the band's 1984 single ‘New Moon on Monday,’ retitled ‘New Moon (Dark Phase).’
Are Duran Duran on tour?
They were on tour in the summer of 2025, along with dates in Manchester and Nottingham in the autumn.
BST Hyde Park 2026
Duran Duran are set to take over the Great Oak Stage on Sunday 5th July 2026. They’ll be joined by fellow legends and special guests Scissor Sisters, with the full lineup yet to be revealed!
Duran Duran documentary: A Hollywood High
To celebrate their amazing career and very impressive 2022, Duran Duran released a docu-concert film called A Hollywood High, with exclusive interviews and unseen archival footage. The film hit cinemas worldwide on 3rd November 2022.
Are Duran Duran in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
Duran Duran were nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the first time in March 2022, and in May of that year, they were announced as one of the 2022 inductees.
In a video Roger said: "We are truly honoured and delighted to be part of the 2022 class of inductees, we'd also like to congratulate all of the other artists as well.
"We know we couldn't have done it without the fans, with their tireless support for us, your passion kept us at number one in the fan vote almost from the start, so thank you so much. It's such an amazing journey to share with you all."
Ahead of the official induction ceremony, which took place on 5th November 2022, Duran Duran shared photos of the signature panel in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Shortly after they were announced as part of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class of 2022, Simon Le Bon confirmed that former guitarist Andy Taylor would be joining the band at the induction ceremony.
He added that former guitarist Warren Cuccurullo might also join them for their performance, and commented: "We’ve always maintained a decent relationship with these guys. We didn’t have so-called ‘acrimonious splits.’ It was gentlemanly and it was understood. And pretty much mutual."
Speaking about what songs they might perform at the ceremony, he added: "We’ve got Andy on the first three albums, so you have songs like ‘Hungry Like the Wolf’ and ‘Rio’ and ‘Planet Earth. We’re not struggling for good songs, that’s for sure."
You can hear songs by Duran Duran on the Greatest Hits Radio 80s playlist.
Take a look through the Duran Duran's amazing career:
1978 - Duran Duran career beginnings
Duran Duran formed in Birmingham in 1978, and underwent a few line-up changes before settling on the group made up of Simon Le Bon, John Taylor, Roger Taylor, Andy Taylor, and Nick Rhodes.
They became the resident band at their local nightclub Rum Runner in 1980, as well as performing in other clubs in Birmingham and London.
1981 - Duran Duran release their first single
After joining Hazel O'Connor on her tour in 1980, Duran Duran gained more popularity which led to them signing a recording contract with EMI. They released their debut self-titled album in 1981. It included tracks 'Girls On Film', 'Planet Earth', 'Anyone Out There' and 'Careless Memories'.
Music videos released for the songs helped boost the album's popularity and commerical success, and it made it to Number 3 in the UK Album Chart. While 'Girls On Film' is known for its music video, it was highly controversial when it came out.
1982 - Duran Duran bring out 'Rio'
A year after their debut record, Duran Duran brought out their album 'Rio' which was a global smash hit for the group.
As well as the popular title track and song 'Save A Prayer', it features their song 'Hungry Like The Wolf' which received a joint Grammy Award for Best Short Form Video along with 'Girls On Film'.
1983 - Duran Duran top UK Chart
Things really picked up for the band in 1983, and Duran Duran got their first UK Number 1 single with 'Is There Something I Should Know?'. From the same album, 'Seven and the Ragged Tiger', their song 'The Reflex' also topped the chart the following year.
At the time, Princess Diana even revealed that they were her favourite band.
1984 - Band Aid
In 1984, the charity single 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' was sung by a huge celebrity group including Duran Duran members John Taylor, Simon Le Bon, Roger Taylor, Andy Taylor and Nick Rhodes. The song went straight to Number 1 and became the fastest-selling single in the UK.
1985 - Duran Duran write theme song for A View To Kill
Duran Duran wrote the theme song for James Bond film A View To Kill which stars Roger Moore and Grace Jones. Their track, which is named after the film, became hugely popular in the UK when it was released in May 1985, and is the only Bond theme to top the charts in the US.
Following the song's release, the band took some time off from writing music to work on other projects, but they found time to get together for Live Aid that summer.
1985 - Duran Duran perform at Live Aid
Duran Duran were one of the talented acts to take to the stage as part of Live Aid in July 1985. They performed at the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia to a crowd of 90,000 people.
They played their new track 'A View to a Kill' as well as 'Union of the Snake', 'Save a Prayer', and 'The Reflex'.
1986 - Duran Duran release 'Notorious'
After a break, Duran Duran reconnected in 1986 to create their fourth studio album 'Notorious' which was produced by Nile Rodgers.
However, Andy Taylor and Roger Taylor left the band before they recorded 'Notorious', with Roger performing for the last time at Live Aid.
1993 - Duran Duran release second self-titled album
In the early 90s, guitarist Warren Cuccurullo and drummer Sterling Campbell officially joined Duran Duran in place of Andy and Roger.
The group's second self-titled album which is often called 'The Wedding Album' was released in 1993 and made it into the Top 10 in the UK album chart. The single 'Ordinary World' went on to win an Ivor Novello Award for songwriting.
1993 - Duran Duran receive star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
In August 1993, Duran Duran was awarded a star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame.
2001 - Duran Duran reunite
Much to fan's delight, in 2001 the best-known line-up of Duran Duran - Simon Le Bon, Roger Taylor, Andy Taylor, John Taylor and Nick Rhodes - got back together again.
As well as working on new music together, the group also bagged the MTV Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003 for their success and innovation in video.
2004 - Duran Duran win BRIT Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music
Fans couldn't get enough of seeing the band back together which helped their success for years to come. They got an amazing response to their following concert tours as well as their 2004 album 'Astronaut' which got to Number 3 in the UK Album Chart.
In 2004, Duran Duran also won a BRIT Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. This was their second BRIT Award, having won Best British Video for 'Wild Boys' in 1985.
2006 - Andy Taylor leaves Duran Duran for the second time
Although he rejoined the group in 2001, Andy Taylor left Duran Duran again in 2006. He has since pursued a solo career as well as working with numerous other musicians, while musician Dominic Brown became a full-time guitarist for Duran Duran.
During this time, Duran Duran had been working on the album 'Reportage' however they eventually decided to scrap it and instead go in a different direction for their next release. They recorded 'Red Carpet Massacre' which came out in 2007. 'Reportage' remains unreleased and none of the songs have ever been performed or shared.
2007 - Duran Duran perform at Concert For Diana
Organised a decade after her sad passing, Concert For Diana was a charity concert that took place at Wembley Stadium in 2007 on what would have been the Princess Of Wales' 46th birthday.
The line-up included Elton John, Tom Jones, Rod Stewart, Take That as well as Duran Duran, who played '(Reach Up for the) Sunrise', 'Wild Boys' and 'Rio'.
2011 - Duran Duran win Lifetime Achievement prize
In 2011, at the GQ Men of the Year Awards, Duran Duran was awarded the Lifetime Achievement prize.
2012 - Duran Duran perform at Olympic Games Opening Ceremony
The 2012 Summer Olympics Games was hosted in London and Duran Duran was part of the Opening Ceremony where they represented England, with Paolo Nutini representing Scotland, Stereophonics representing Wales and Snow Patrol representing Northern Ireland in the show.
2015 - Duran Duran's 'Paper Gods' album and world tour
2015 saw the release of Duran Duran's 'Paper Gods' album which they had been working on since 2013. The album got to Number 5 in the UK Album Chart and included songs 'Pressure Off' (ft Janelle Monáe and Nile Rodgers), 'Only In Dreams' and 'Paper Gods' (ft Mr Hudson).
The group headed on a tour of the same name which lasted from 2015-2018 with shows across Europe, the UK, North America and Asia.
2021 - Duran Duran release 'Future Past'
Duran Duran released their 15th and most recent studio album in October 2021 called 'Future Past'.
They promoted the album on a tour which began in 2022, with Nile Rodgers and Chic performing as the opening act on the North American leg of the tour.
2022 - Duran Duran join the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
In 2022, Duran Duran was nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the first time. When it was announced that they had been chosen to be inducted, the band said that they were "honoured, and thrilled, and happy" about the news.
They were inducted in a special ceremony on 5th November by Robert Downey Jr and they performed 'Girls on Film', 'Hungry Like the Wolf' and 'Ordinary World'. John Taylor, Roger Taylor, Nick Rhodes and Simon Le Bon were in attendence and sadly Andy Taylor could not be there.
Sad news was revealed on the night as part of Duran Duran's speech, as they shared that Andy had been battling cancer for the past four years. They read a letter written by Andy which said: "Just over four years ago I was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer. Although my current condition is not immediately life-threatening there is no cure. However, none of this needs to or should detract from what this band (with or without me) has achieved and sustained for 44 years. I often doubted the day would come. I'm sure as hell glad I'm around to see the day."
2022 - Duran Duran perform at Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee Concert
Duran Duran performed at Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee Concert on 4th June 2022 along with other incredible artists including Elton John, Queen and Adam Lambert, and Diana Ross.
The band were joined on stage by Nile Rodgers and singer Ms Banks, as they sang their song 'Notorious'. They also performed their hit song 'Girls On Film' complete with models walking the catwalk in extravagant, colourful outfits.
2022 - Duran Duran headline the 2022 Commonwealth Games
Duran Duran also headlined the Opening Ceremony at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games on 28th July 2022. They played their incredible tracks 'Save a Prayer', 'Planet Earth', 'Tonight United' and 'Ordinary World'.
2022 - Duran Duran release A Hollywood High
To celebrate more than 40 years together, Duran Duran took a look back at some of the most memorable moments from their career and created concert documentary film A Hollywood High, Duran Duran Live in Concert.
The film includes: 'Exclusive new interviews, behind-the-scenes video and unseen archival footage' and follows: 'Their rise to become one of the most influential and successful groups of all time.' The film came out in cinemas in November 2022.
2022/23 - Duran Duran's 'Future Past' tour
In promotion of their 'Future Past' album, Duran Duran played shows across the UK in June and July 2022 and in 2023.
2023 - Duran Duran release their 'Danse Macabre' album
In August 2023, Duran Duran announced their 16th studio album called 'Danse Macabre', as well as releasing the title track. The album was released on 27th October, just in time for Halloween.
2024 - Duran Duran premiere cover of ELO classic 'Evil Woman'
In October 2024, Duran Duran premiered their cover of Electric Light Orchestra's seminal 1975 anthem 'Evil Woman.' The reinterpretation of Jeff Lynne's timeless ELO tune sees Duran Duran add disco vibes complete with exuberant strings, synths, guitar from axeman Dom Brown and Simon Le Bon's unmistakable vocals.
'Evil Woman' is lifted from the new 'De Luxe' version of Duran Duran's Halloween-themed 2023 album 'Danse Macabre.' Alongside the ELO track, the extended version is also bolstered with a remake of the band's 1984 single 'New Moon on Monday,' retitled 'New Moon (Dark Phase).'
2025: Duran Duran announce outdoor shows with Nile Rodgers & Chic
In 2025 Duran Duran will be joined by Nile Rodgers and Chic for two outdoor shows. They'll play at the Powderham Castle in Exeter on 3rd July and City Racecourse in Chelmsford on 5th July.
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