I don’t think that Duran Duran ever set out to create Art, the way many of the bands of the New Wave of the late '70’s and early '80’s intended to. Instead, they used the styles created by the earlier, more influential recording artists to inform their approach to creating pure pop for the masses.
That they were so commercially successful isn’t an indictment, but a testament to how talented and smart they were. I think of their music as a sort of high quality bubblegum.
See, I don’t really care if they’re making “Art” or not. All I know is that I can mentally climb into “New Moon On Monday” like it’s an emotional jungle gym. “Hungry Like The Wolf” is impossible for me not to try to sing along with. And “The Reflex” makes me dance involuntarily in my chair.
I really liked them when I was younger, and I still like them now.
Between 1984 and 1994 I’d seen them in concert 7 or 8 times, including one very intimate show in a small theatre in NYC that was my favorite.
I still listen to the old stuff, but I haven’t checked out anything new. I think they were touring recently, but I really had no desire to see them again.
And I’m not saying you should. There’s a lot to be said for the idea of just making people feel good for a few minutes, and I think that’s a lot of what they were trying to do. 
I didn’t mean to make that sound like I was accusing you of saying that…it was aimed pretty much as a general statement.
[whine] Yes, but what does it MEAN?![/whine] “The Reflex” is probably the single most perplexing song I’ve tried, and failed, to wrap my brain around ever. It’s like word salad that sounds like it should have meaning but just doesn’t. It’s probably about sex, eh? 
I loved Duran Duran, although I was a bit young for their heydayest time. I think I became a Duranie in junior high, 1986 or 7 or so. I only got to see them live once, in 1993, far after their peak, but they were still fantastic. They still get me squealing a little.
I’m kind of glad to see that they get some actual respect nowadays. I took a lot of flak for loving them back in the day.
I was in high school when Rio and Seven and the Ragged Tiger came out. I was, as far as I knew, the only heterosexual male on the planet who would admit to liking them.
Like others in this thread have said, their stuff has aged better than many bands who got more respect at the time.
Sorry, you misspelled hairstyle*.
Actually, back then, they were just another band with an interesting hairstyle, a yearn to emulate Ferry’s vocals from the first Roxy albums and seemingly being more interested in picking the right posture in favour of actually playing an instrument (e.g. Haircut Onehundred, [del]A heap of Guano[/del] A Flock of Seagulls).
I’m of the same age group and spent the early 80’s smoking non filtered Camels, picking them from an old battered cigarette case and lighting them with a Ronson, posing in leather pants, tux shirt and a bandana. We were mixing *film noir * and pirate style and Adam Ant was the coolest thing outside Antartica
Looking back, it’s quirky and silly and so I tend to think of the bands from the era in the same way. Listening to DD today, I will say theat they stand the test of time. Some of the sound is a bit dated, but as **Green Bean ** noted, not as dated as some of the groups with serious cred who fooled around with a Yamaha DX7 or a Roland D50. A lot of the r’n’r of the 80’s is hopelessly dated due to an almost masturbatory use of gated drums and polyphonic synths.
*sorry about the misquote. It’s a joke.
My favorite band of all time. Great music!
Random Duran Duran anecdote.
When my Aunt was a teen, she was obsessed with them. She had posters plastered all over her walls and a 5-inch thick binder in which she’d copied and pasted every newspaper and magazine reference to them that she could find.
What this basically means is that one of the very first phrases I ever learned to speak was ‘‘I love Duran Duran!’’ (She was 13 when I was born.)
Personally I think they are a pretty good band. It’s often been said that they are one of the most underrated. I’m not familiar with very many of their songs, but overall I would have to agree, they are underrated.
When DD peaked during the mid 80’s, I was in junior high in Southern Cal and a big MTV diehard fan. I would watch the channel most of the time that I was at home. I would even write a list of each week’s “Top 20 Video Countdown” complete with song title, artist, album title and record label.
Well, I was a big DD fan (and I’m straight!) complete with the posters in my room, DD shirts, faux-leather “Seven and the Ragged Tiger” jacket and matching painter’s hat. In fact, the “Sing Blue Silver” tour was my first live concert. I hardly understood most of their lyrics but the music was just danceable. The videos were awesome (at the time) and let’s just say I watched “Girls on Film” (night version) and “The Chauffuer” alone many times!
At school, I would even tease these two really cute classmates of mine about their obsession with George Michael and Wham! (oh puhleeze!). Everyone in their right mind knew that the DD boys could blow them away. Hahaha.
I followed the band even through the solo projects and bought up as many releases as I could including imports. When I entered college, I still followed them but my music tastes had expanded to other genres. I have seem them perform in Los Angeles a few times this decade. I usually go with my younger sister, who seems to appreciate them more nowadays.
If they do a tour in Japan, I’m there!
For the record, my favorite song of all time is The Reflex.
Obligatory link to an awesome (IMO) cover version of “Come Undone” (she’s a huge Duran Duran fan herself).
It’s a losing proposition to find meaning in their lyrics.
“Shake up the picture, the lizard mixture” starts “New Moon on Monday.” Brilliant song and video, but what the fuck, Simon?
“Don’t say you’re easy on me, 'cos you’re about as easy as a nuclear war” - When I heard this line from “Is There Something I Should Know?” as a 13 year old, even I was embarrassed.
Favorite tracks: “New Religion,” “My Own Way,” “New Moon on Monday.” But so many others.
That hits the nail on the head, in the 80s I was into heavy metal and hated DD, now I’ve got older and mellowed and I quite enjoy their music and that of a number of other bands form the 80s that I’ve given a second chance to.
Apropos of nothing, I love listening to Duran Duran with my daughter because it’s still eminently danceable, and I don’t worry about “inappropriate” language because neither she nor I will ever know what the lyrics are actually about. And watching a 15-month-old and her fast-approaching-elderly mother sing and dance to the same song has got to be worth something, right?
A presenter on tv this morning said they were going to be guests on the show tomorrow, so I assume they’re still touring…
Back when they had only had 2 or 3 UK hits, I didn’t really like them much but I remember saying that I thought they’d be like the Beach Boys…
By that I meant that decades on, their star might have waxed and waned a couple of times but their songs would still be played on the radio and that they’d probably still be touring with a greatest hits package!
Prety much right, I reckon.
Duran Duran is rock? Since when?
I like Duran Duran; there is nothing wrong with their music. It’s fun. “Rio” (by Duran Duran) is a joy to listen to, as is “Hungry…” and plenty of others. Great Karaoke songs, too.
My Duran Duran story, which has little to do with Duran Duran:
When waiting in line overnight for Star Wars Episode 1, the group behind us warned everyone that they’d be rocking all night and playing loud music. They were a bit older than those of us in front of them, probably early 30’s, and not geeks. By “music” they really meant “Rio” by Duran Duran* repeatedly.
Unsurprisingly, they were first to crash. Don’t try to out-stay-awake geeks.
*: That would be “Rio” by Duran Duran.
What are the lyrics about? i recall the MV was interesting-something about guys plotting a revolution!
As for the ‘pretty boy" looks-DD were sharp dressers-quite the opposite of the "grunge’ rockers who came later.
Did they not realize that geeks are Mountain Dew powered?
I think the point of many songs from the 80’s was to make the lyrics as incomprehensible as possible. It was about the sound of them, not the sense of them. At least, that’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.