Duran Duran: All you ever needed to know about the Wild Boys
We love Duran Duran songs here at Greatest Hits Radio!
Emerging from the New Romantic scene to become one of the dominant bands of the video age, Duran Duran helped define the look and sound of 80s pop music. Not only do they have incredible songs, but their style pretty much led the outfit choices of most young adults throughout the 80s.
The Brummie boys may have risen to fame over 40 years ago, but they're still going strong! They are currently on tour, with dates in Manchester and Nottingham recently added. In 2022, they released their own concert film A Hollywood High, have a Halloween-inspired album 'Danse Macabre'; and in February they re-released 'The Wedding Album' and 'Thank You' as newly remastered editions. Want to know more about their incredible rise to fame? We've got you covered...
When did Duran Duran form?
The classic line-up of Duran Duran that we’ve come to know and love – that’ll be 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’Conner.
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. Their photogenic looks didn’t hurt them either.
Right from the beginning, Duran Duran harnessed the power of the emerging medium of video. Though their debut single, ‘Planet Earth’, went No. 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.
In an interview with The Guardian, Duran Duran admitted they're still trying to work out what this song 'Rio' is about.
WATCH: Duran Duran - 'Planet Earth' (Official Music Video)
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. Already superstars in Europe, they began to break through in the US with a succession of videos that were put on heavy rotation on the nascent MTV.
The band scored their first UK No. 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 No. 2 on both sides of the Atlantic.
In 2016, Billboard.com reported the band to have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, so we can only imagine it is A LOT more now, at the time of writing in 2025.
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 Duran Duran 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 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 at 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. 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.
Not that it stopped the band. 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, and the band confirmed this in a Q&A on Twitter in April.
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.
Duran Duran's album 'Future Past'
Duran Duran released their 15th studio album ‘Future Past’ on 22nd October 2021, having released their song 'Invisible' on 19th May 2021.
They also released the song 'Anniversary' and its music video ahead of the album on 19th October 2021. The music video shows a wild party with A-list celebs, from Kim Kardashian to Queen Elizabeth II, as well as Duran Duran as their current line-up, held in an 11th century castle.
Their latest album 'Danse Macabre'
In March 2023, it was revealed that the band were set to reunite with their terminally ill former guitarist Andy Taylor for a new studio album. Andy revealed that he had been diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic prostate cancer.
Duran Duran released the single 'Black Moonlight' in September 2023.
Duran Duran then released their 16th studio album 'Danse Macabre' on 27th October 2023, in time for Halloween. The album sees the current members of Duran Duran reunite with former members Andy Taylor and Warren Cuccurullo on some tracks. The album also features their covers of other well-known songs in addition to new tracks including 'Black Moonlight.'
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).’
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:
Are Duran Duran on tour?
They're on tour in the summer of 2025, visiting Dublin, Cork, Exeter, Essex and wider Europe. In a post uploaded to Instagram in January, the band wrote: 'Duran Duran have announced a special run of shows this summer, hitting Finland, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Ireland and more.'
They've also now announced their special Halloween show will be coming to the UK for the first time in October 2025, preceded by a new date for their tour in Nottingham.
Speaking ahead of the show, keyboardist Nick Rhodes said: “We are devilishly delighted to announce that we are bringing our annual Halloween extravaganza to the UK for the first time. It will be a unique, themed show unlike any of our other performances, overflowing with shocks and surprises — so even we do not know what may happen on the night...
"We invite you to dress for the occasion and Danse Macabre with us at Co-op Live in Manchester on October 31st.”
Frontman and lead vocalist Simon Le Bon added: "I’m so excited to be coming to Manchester for this special Halloween concert. In fact, I’m thrilled — and, frankly, a little terrified!"
Did they tour in 2022?
They did! In support of their 15th studio album, Duran Duran went on their 2022 tour which included performances in the UK and Ireland. In December 2021, they added two more dates to include Yorkshire and Inverness in their line-up.
The band also announced that they would be putting on a three-day immersive experience in Ibiza. Called 'Duran Duran: Touch The Sunrise’, the show took place during the Ibiza Music Summit in April and May 2022.
In April 2022, the band shared a video about the experience saying: 'The Exhibit takes place from 30 April - 1 May during Duran Duran: Touch the Sunrise. A variety of packages and VIP options to suit all fans are available'.
Did they perform at the Queen'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.
Duran Duran 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.
Watch Duran Duran at the Platinum Party at the Palace:
What songs did Duran Duran perform at the 2022 Commonwealth Games?
Duran Duran 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'.
After the ceremony, they shared a video of their performance and wrote: 'An epic, awe inspiring night. Thanks to all who came on the ride with us. 🎶'
They later uploaded a behind-the-scenes video, showing the band backstage after their set, clearly showing all the emotions they were feeling after the performance, which seemed to be a mix of appreciation and adrenaline - according to Simon.
Duran Duran: 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.
Watch the trailer for Duran Duran: A Hollywood High:
How do Duran Duran come up with their performance setlist?
In an interview, Simon Le Bon spoke about how Duran Duran create the setlist for their shows, saying: "We try and give the show a dynamic. So, we start off with a banger, and then two or three bangers in a row is a great way to start the show.
"Then we go and try some new music out, and after you've done that then maybe do something a bit esoteric and maybe take it down, take the tempo down, take the energy down, and have like a dark, more introspective part of the show.
"After that, I prefer to come back suddenly with something that's really high energy and maintain that until the end of the show. And you go out and give those songs to the people in the audience. It's about giving the songs that people love back to them."
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 they were announced as one of the 2022 inductees.
When the news broke, they took to Twitter to share their excitement and posted a video thanking fans.
In a later 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, Duran Duran shared photos of the signature panel in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Did Andy Taylor reunite with them for their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction?
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 in November.
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 playlist.
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