TOP 40 GREATEST DURAN DURAN TRACKS

RIK FLYNN

Duran Duran in jovial mood at a photo studio in Tokyo, 2 May 1982

In all honesty, this is a list that almost writes itself. Duran Duran are, after all, amongst the finest singles bands of their day. From within the grooves of 14 studio albums, containing just short of 40 for the most part magnificent singles, there’s a wide array of nailed-down perennials at our disposal. And while most commentators would suggest the band’s early period – at the vanguard of both New Wave sounds and New Romantic style – as the outright pinnacle, we’d propose that there’s a range of lofty musical peaks dotted throughout their later career (and one later single, in particular, that outdoes them all).

From shining pop classics that are impossible to ignore to moonlit treasures that are far subtler in their persuasion, there’s plenty here for most tastes. Beyond the album hits, there’s a singular chart-topping satellite single, album tracks revamped with cutting-edge producers (and then put through the Duran mould) and a few B-sides that were plainly as good as any of those carefully-selected album choices.

We’ve chosen to disallow both covers (skilfully circumnavigating the much-maligned Thank You LP) and side-projects to avoid any squabbling, and there’s a lengthy list of cuts that were reluctantly consigned to the ‘bubbling under’ category. Those that almost made the grade but deserve an honorary mention include luscious B-sides Faith In Colour and Like An Angel; the subtler end of Duran balladry in Too Late Marlene (Big Thing), Starting To Remember (Pop Trash) and Point Of No Return (Astronaut); as well as pop highpoints I Take The Dice (Seven And The Ragged Tiger) and Too Much Information (the ‘Wedding Album’). A few moments from Rio are also absent (well, we couldn’t include them all), and newer fare such as Face For Today and Paper Gods also just missed the boat.

Nonetheless, this chronological list encapsulates a body of work that – despite the ever-changing line-ups – shows a band that survived and thrived thanks to that rare ability to adapt, and with unabated confidence.

At times they could do no wrong; at times the critics bayed for blood and at times fans were left scratching their heads, but storms were ridden and dog days overcome. In our mind’s eye, a reunited Fab Five are, at present, toasting these past 40 years on the deck of a luxury yacht moored in some far-flung paradise (awaiting their copy of Classic Pop). Fantasy it may be, and while those days of rude excess are all but consigned to history, it’s our vision, and we’re holding on to it. Stubborn, ostentatious, experimental and above all very, very talented, Duran Duran will no doubt surprise us once more when the next project

01 PLANET EARTH RECORD LABEL EMI RELEASED 1981

This sci-fi-loving debut announced a band transmitting miles away from Terra Firma. Commandeering a headline (about Spandau Ballet) entitled “Here Come The New Romantics”, Planet Earth installed the five-piece as white-hot poster boys for the movement. After EMI won the bidding war, Birmingham’s high hopes went direct from tourbus to studio. Colin Thurston came in to man the controls off the back of successes with Bowie and The Human League, and a Blitz club classic – and a UK No.12 – was born

02 LATE BAR RECORD LABEL EMI RELEASED 1981

Written about their roots as underground braves of the Brummie scene, this holds the zeal of a band feeling for their sound. The now-familiar ingredients are all in evidence: tight, pulsing funk patterns from John and Roger, Andy’s manic riffing, voluminous keys from Nick, and a shadowy, goth-tinged bellow from Simon. Partitioned away from the album as the B-side to Planet Earth, Late Bar made for an essential 7”. As EMI A&R man Dave Ambrose said: “This was going to be a very, very important band.”

03 CARELESS MEMORIES RECORD LABEL EMI RELEASED 1981

Fresh from the Rum Runner’s New Year’s Eve party, the band were thrust sleep-deprived into the studio to complete their LP. According to John Taylor’s memoir, it was EMI big-wigs that chose this feral dispatch as Planet Earth’s successor. Sadly, where their debut cut through, its angsty twin faltered, and was soon forgotten outside of fan circles. While for many B-side Khanada was better, this menacing cult favourite borrowed the best bits from The Cure’s Boys Don’t Cry album and ran with them.

04 GIRLS ON FILM RECORD LABEL EMI RELEASED 1981

It’s viewed as the track that helped secure stratospheric fame, but Girls On Film was fashioned earlier in the band’s history, and the original demo (made with ex-singer Andy Wickett) has recently surfaced. While that gritty post-punk jam displays the band’s innards, the later reboot shows Le Bon in career-best form. The notorious Godley & Creme video might suggest otherwise, but behind the sexual imagery lie lyrics that call out the fashion industry for exploitation of women. An MTV staple, it made UK No.5.