Duran Duran's Signature Song

I just asked my wife who has little interest in music and she said Rio instantly - for what that's worth!

 

From my 1st post:

 

A very narrow criteria for an international band. Would be okay if the title ended with "in the US". Also an artists signature song isn't always a hit. Poll options at least should include songs that made top 20 in the US and their native country.

 

That's a surprise for me too! "Notorious" did seem to get a lot of airplay on MTV and on the radio when it came out, but I never thought anyone actually liked that song! I always figured its ubiquity was a result of the record label greasing the palms of all the radio programmers and not because of popular demand. But I could be wrong.

 

As an American, I'm personally also surprised that "Hungry Like the Wolf" is so far ahead of "Rio." "Wolf" was huge in the US when it came out, but these days I hear "Rio" much more often on 80s radio stations. And I'm incredibly surprised that the poll has no choices from the first album. I can't tell you anything about chart placements or sales, but I know MTV was playing the video for "Girls on Film" quite a lot as late as 1983, and you could hear it on the radio in the US about as much as any of their other hits from the period. "Planet Earth" seemed to be less popular, but you could still catch the video now and then, and occasionally hear it on the radio.

 

Precisely.

 

Well... apparently the band likes it. Just like it's parent album it has grown on me.

 

Same thing here. Although that time frame is my wife's favorite for music.

When I read the thread title, it was also my first thought.

 

Here in Brazil I do remember Save a prayer as a smash hit. Notorious and Wild boys too, but in the end the only DD heard very eventually in comercial radio is Save a Prayer and Notorious. So I pick the first.

Thinking in wide representation, Rio is a more acurate choice IMO. But I still choose SaP because it's their iconic song down south.

 

The Reflex. Because it made me long for the relief that my death will bring me.

 

It’s hard to go with anything other than Wolf, but like others, I believe that the first album has a number of great tracks. And I am also a fan of many other eras of the band (e.g., Notorious, S/T, etc.) Anyway, cheers to DD!

 

Fair point. Outside of the "top 20" criteria, I shy away from including songs I don't think have a shot at winning - I might make some goofs at times.

I did expand my usual criteria, as I normally restrict the poll to top 10 singles - but I knew "Rio" had a strong claim to "Signature Song" status so I broadened to top 20.

Did feel conflicted by the absence of a couple of other songs, but I still feel pretty sure the poll results would be similar...

 

Here in the UK they really hit the heights of popularity with 'Is There Something I Should Know', although as it was a non-album track it it has kind of paled in comparison to the other obvious choices. I have nevertheless voted for it for that reason, it truly established them as the biggest pop band at that time. Prior to that Girls on Film would be the obvious choice, and would have been more successful without the racy video.

 

Seems there are a lot of “casual Duranies” on this forum then. Apparently nobody knows what they’re talking about unless they vote for “Rio” eh?

I think you did fine with your selections. Outside of getting a better perspective of the popularity of say “Planet Earth” or “Girls On Film” neither is a true contender regardless.

 

Thanks! These are supposed to be fun polls, so we shouldn't get too hung up - unless I really screw the pooch and leave out something truly monumental.

If I did a Police poll and left off "Roxanne", I'd deserve the complaints!

 

They didn't chart but anyone who spent any time watching MTV in 1981 and 1982 probably knows them by heart.

 

True - and "Girls on Film" gets a boost because of its semi-infamous "unrated" music video.

DD didn't really become a viable commercial entity until late 1982 or so, though. I think that's when the MTV influence became more prevalent and actually started to help "shift units".

Speaking anecdotally, my neighborhood didn't get cable until the late date of fall 1985 - some weird territorial disputes, IIRC - so I had to make do with "Friday Night Videos" and various local music video shows for years. On those, I don't think DD made a dent until "Hungry Like the Wolf" which climbed the charts in late 1982/early 1983...

 

Yes, "Hungry like the Wolf" was the commercial breakthrough, by which time I think every video from "Rio" had already been played on MTV.

Even the beloved "Save a Prayer" wasn't a chart hit in the US until the live single in 1985.

 

Indeed. "Rio" is IMO the only plausible contender, but a contender is all it is.

When Duran Duran played my college reunion last year, "Hungry" and (to a lesser extent) "Rio"were the two songs that got the biggest reaction from the 50-ish crowd. Also, I'm happy to report that the chorus of the "The Reflex" was much less annoying in live performance than it was on record -- I actually enjoyed the song, for the first time.

 

Oh man - "Reflex" is the song that made me a DD fan! Though only the remix version - the album cut is kinda leaden...

 

I went 'Hungry Like The Wolf' Colin
That's one I've heard ad nauseam on the radio for the last 36 years.

 

I can't deny that the song is an utter earworm. Every time I hear it, it plays in my head for hours, if not days.

 

I'd say Planet Earth and Girls On Film should be on the list, but Hungry Like The Wolf and Rio are the two they are probably best known for in the UK.

 

It’s Electric Barbarella:

1. The band’s name comes from the film Barbarella.

2. As by far the best single the band had released in over 10 years (and they’ve never really topped it in the 20 years since), it is very representative of the band, who just keep coming back with quality new material for far longer than anyone in the early 80s might have predicted.

 

The TV film Small Sacrifices is what always comes to mind when I hear Wolf. I voted for it.
Small Sacrifices - Wikipedia