Duran Duran was formed in Birmingham, England, in 1978 and soon became one of the most iconic pop groups of the 1980s. Named after a character in Roger Vadim's sci-fi classic Barbarella, they were signed by EMI Records in 1980.
Their self-titled debut album sold more than 2.5 million copies in 1981, staying on the charts for 118 weeks and spawning the hit single Planet Earth. That same year, they released a controversial video for the dance mix of Girls on Film, that was subsequently banned by both MTV and the BBC.
Duran Duran shot to fame as part of the "Second British Invasion" of the 1980s that included groups like Spandau Ballet, Human League, Ultravox and Culture Club. Chart-toppers such as Hungry Like the Wolf and Save A Prayer followed on their multi-platinum release Rio, as the band shot to another level of success with their exotic and groundbreaking videos.
By 1983 Hungry Like the Wolf had become one of the most played videos on MTV. Later that year Is There Something I Should Know went straight to #1 in the UK and hit #4 in the US.
The band's third album, 1984's Seven and the Ragged Tiger earned Duran Duran their first US #1, with The Reflex. That same year, Rolling Stone magazine christened the band "The Fab Five", as their single Union of the Snake exploded around the world.
In 1985, an invitation to write for the movie "A View to a Kill" earned the group another first when their song became the only Bond theme tune to make it to #1 (an accomplishment that still stands today).
In July 1985, after some time apart, the five members of Duran Duran got back together to play in Philadelphia at the historic Live Aid concert. Although no one knew it at the time, this would turn out to be the final performance of the original lineup and would mark the end of an era.
Over the years, Duran Duran sporadically released albums with differing line-ups, but it wasn't until 2000 that conversations were initiated. The original line-up returned to the studio in 2001 and Astronaut was released in October. A two-year world tour followed, performing to sold-out arena audiences, breaking box office records and playing to more people than they ever had before.
The band returned to the studio immediately, but guitarist Andy Taylor left the group a year into the process. In September 2006, the remaining members, Simon, Nick, John and Roger, flew to New York to embark on a week-long collaboration with top producer Timbaland, Nate 'Danja' Hills and Justin Timberlake. The sessions produced three new tracks, following which they continued to work with Danja - with whom they are currently completing a new album in the UK.
