History Music / DuranDuran

* RealSongThemeTune :''Girls on Film'' was used as the ''Anime/SpeedGrapher'' OP. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2_nz2K2S4A Watch it here]]

* OneSteveLimit: Simon Le Bon vs. Simon Colley, Andy Taylor vs. Andy Wickett.

Duran Duran are an English pop rock band famous for a long series of popular singles, albums and [[MusicVideoTropes vivid music videos]], for which they've won two Grammy Awards. They were one of the most commercially successful of the NewRomantic bands and a leading band in the {{MTV}}-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States. They are named after the character of Professor Durand Durand from the 1968 movie ''Film/{{Barbarella}}''.

* {{MTV}}: Duran Duran's popularity was partly due to this channel.
** That's only because in the U.S., MTV were pretty much the only place the band could catch a break. The only American DJ willing to play the band's music at the time was KROQ's Rodney Bingenheimer, as their music didn't fit the narrow parameters American radio demanded prior to the "Second British Invasion". OTOH, in their native U.K., the band had already been embraced by BBC Radio 1, taping a couple of sessions for popular radio personality Peter Powell and even being played by the ''extremely'' influential John Peel, so their music videos were just bonuses over there (meant to be played at rock clubs).

** The song ''Electric Barbarella'' isn't really about an "electric" ''{{Barbarella}}'', but the title is a shoutout to the band's naming origin.

Duran Duran are an English pop rock band famous for a long series of popular singles, albums and [[MusicVideoTropes vivid music videos]], for which they've won two Grammy Awards. They were one of the most commercially successful of the NewRomantic bands and a leading band in the {{MTV}}-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States. They are named after the character of Professor Durand Durand from the 1968 movie ''{{Barbarella}}''.

** ''Zoom In'' is about SecondLife; the band has performed in-game before and have their own land based on their music.

* ItsPersonal: A white British pop band deciding to cover Grandmaster Flash's gritty proto-rap hit "White Lines" seems to be a ridiculous exercise in poor taste...until one remembers that the band had numerous struggles with cocaine abuse. John Taylor's cocaine problems were so bad they nearly killed him and broke the band apart. In light of that, it appears they picked the most blatant [[TheVillainSucksSong "fuck you" song about the drug to vent some anger]].

Several of the band's contemporaries, including Music/TheBangles, Music/EltonJohn, Music/KylieMinogue and Paul Young, have named themselves fans of the band's stylish, uplifting pop. Simon [=LeBon=] described the group as "the band to dance to [[WorldWarIII when the bomb drops]]". Successors like BarenakedLadies, Beck, Jonathan Davis of Music/{{Korn}}, The Bravery, Gwen Stefani and Pink have all cited Duran Duran as a key band in their formative years. The newest crop of performers to name Duran Duran as influences include Dido, Franz Ferdinand, Panic! at the Disco, Lostprophets (who took their name from the title of a Duran Duran bootleg tape), Goldfrapp and TheKillers, and ScissorSisters, who first came to wide notice while touring as DD's opening act.

Several of the band's contemporaries, including Music/TheBangles, Music/EltonJohn, Music/KylieMinogue and Paul Young, have named themselves fans of the band's stylish, uplifting pop. Simon [=LeBon=] described the group as "the band to dance to when the bomb drops". Successors like BarenakedLadies, Beck, Jonathan Davis of Music/{{Korn}}, The Bravery, Gwen Stefani and Pink have all cited Duran Duran as a key band in their formative years. The newest crop of performers to name Duran Duran as influences include Dido, Franz Ferdinand, Panic! at the Disco, Lostprophets (who took their name from the title of a Duran Duran bootleg tape), Goldfrapp and TheKillers, and ScissorSisters, who first came to wide notice while touring as DD's opening act.

Several of the band's contemporaries, including TheBangles, EltonJohn, Music/KylieMinogue and Paul Young, have named themselves fans of the band's stylish, uplifting pop. Simon [=LeBon=] described the group as "the band to dance to when the bomb drops". Successors like BarenakedLadies, Beck, Jonathan Davis of Music/{{Korn}}, The Bravery, Gwen Stefani and Pink have all cited Duran Duran as a key band in their formative years. The newest crop of performers to name Duran Duran as influences include Dido, Franz Ferdinand, Panic! at the Disco, Lostprophets (who took their name from the title of a Duran Duran bootleg tape), Goldfrapp and TheKillers, and ScissorSisters, who first came to wide notice while touring as DD's opening act.

* Bowdlerise: Did you know there was a time when the music video "Girls on Film" was too steamy and "Wild Boys" was too violent and had to be censored?

* Bowdlerization: Did you know there was a time when the music video "Girls on Film" was too steamy and "Wild Boys" was too violent and had to be censored?

-->-- ''Edited audio from an ad for a Duran Duran concert''

--> "You've gone too far this time,
--> But I'm dancing on the Valentine,
--> I tell you somebody's fooling around
--> With my chances on the dangerline"

* RealSongThemeTune :''Girls on Film'' was used as the ''SpeedGrapher'' OP. [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2_nz2K2S4A Watch it here]]

The group were generally considered part of the New Romantic scene, with other style-and-dance bands such as SpandauBallet, Japan and Music/{{ABC}}. In 1980, they recorded two demo tapes and performed in clubs around Birmingham and London. In late 1980, when touring as an opening act for Hazel O'Connor, the band attracted critical attention, resulting in a bidding war between the record companies EMI and Phonogram Records. "A certain patriotism" toward the label of Music/TheBeatles led them to sign with EMI in December. However, Nick Rhodes said in a 1998 interview with Deluxe magazine, that the band felt they were "appallingly ripped off" by the EMI contract.

* TheRival: The music press developed a sort of friendly rivalry between Duran Duran and SpandauBallet, although members of both groups have said that they enjoyed listening to each others' records.

Not to be confused with the creature named "Duran" in Anime/{{Mai-HiME}} (who was named after a dog who was named after the band). Southeast Asian tropers, they are not ''Film/DurianDurian'', either.

!!'''Duran Duran has examples of:'''

Not to be confused with the creature named "Duran" in Anime/{{Mai-HiME}} (who was named after a dog who was named after the band). Southeast Asian tropers, they are not ''DurianDurian'', either.

* FanNickname: The Fab Five.

* NamesTheSame: The groups first drummer was called [[{{Queen}} Roger Taylor]]. There was also a guitarist named [[TheAndyGriffithShow Andy Taylor]].

* ThePeteBest: Andy Wickett, one of the lead singers they had before Simon Le Bon. Another of the early vocalists, Stephen Duffy, might also qualify, but he had success as a songwriter and producer in partnership with Robbie Williams later on and also released some albums of his own.

* ViralMarketing: They seem to be trying for this with the music video for ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zgNZEP3Rbo Girl]]'' ''[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJbsTOzIA3k Panic!]]'', [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw3fqlff5KA having]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATdtu434_ws released]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEJakdSVIEE a]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPOg4imnVxo grand]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyufQhulA94 total]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DANT7U-GXVw of]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiaJ8AQ4yBI eleven]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCOfhfSZeEw teaser]] [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va-PZEusfgI trailers]] onto Youtube, as well as encouraging people to spread the word on twitter with the hashtag #girlpanic. Seems to have worked.

* BreakawayPopHit: The song "A View To A Kill" is still the only James Bond song to go to #1 on the Billboard charts. (The previous best, topping out at no. 2, was "Live and Let Die" by [[Music/{{Wings}} some guy named Paul]]...)

* ItsPersonal: A white British pop band deciding to cover Grandmaster Flash's gritty proto-rap hit "White Lines" seems to be a ridiculous exercise in poor taste...until one remembers that the band had numerous struggles with cocaine abuse, to the point of almost destroying the band and the band members' lives.

* ''Duran Duran''[[note]]Alternately referred to as "The Wedding Album"[[/note]] (1993)

->''"Her name is Rio, and I'm hungry like the wolf."''\\
—-''Edited audio from an ad for a Duran Duran concert''

Although they began their career as "a group of art school, experimental, post punk rockers", the band's quick rise to stardom, [[{{Bishonen}} polished good looks]], and embrace of the [[FanGirl teen]] press, almost guaranteed disfavour from music critics. During the 1980s, Duran Duran were considered the quintessential manufactured, throw-away pop group. However, according to the Sunday Herald, "To describe them, as some have, as the first BoyBand, misrepresents their appeal. Their weapons were never just their looks, but self-penned songs." As Moby said of the band in his website diary in 2003: "... they were cursed by what we can call the 'BeeGees' curse, which is: 'write amazing songs, sell tons of records, and consequently incur the [[DeadHorseGenre wrath or disinterest]] of the rock obsessed critical establishment'."

'''Duran Duran has examples of:'''