We can hear the groans with this selection already. Chances are that if you were a music lover in the 80’s you either loved this band or despised them. If you loved them, you likely had teased hair and envisioned “LeBon” as your future last name. If you hated them, you likely spent a lot of time in the smoker’s pit with a cheap ghetto blaster blaring Heavy Metal. Coincidently, the NIHOF committee had both representatives.

Behind the legions of the teen girls who worshiped them in the 1980’s, lays a solid band that always fought against their pretty boy image for respect. Ironically, it was the band itself that perpetuated their all style and no substance image with their iconic videos in the 80’s. It can be argued that they were the first to truly understand the medium as their look was copied more often than their sound. Twenty five years later Duran Duran is still going strong selling concerts and albums successfully and they show no sign of slowing down. One of the best quote of the 80’s was from frontman Simon LeBon who when asked why rock stars date supermodels, his answer was simply because we can! What is more Rock and Roll than that?

The Bullet Points:

Previous Rank:

2010: #40

Eligible Since:

2006

Country of Origin:

United Kingdon (Birmingham, England)

Why They Will Get In:

They have a solid body of work and long lasting career.

 
Why They Won’t Get In:

Not always critical darlings and may be considered to “poppish”.

Nominated In:

Never

Essential Albums:

Duran Duran (1981)

Rio (1982)

Seven and the Ragged Tiger (1983)

The Wedding Album (1992)

Our Five Favorite Songs as Chosen by Each Member of the NIHOF Committee:

Planet Earth (From Duran Duran, 1981)

Rio (From Rio, 1982)

Hungry Like the Wolf (From Rio, 1982)

All She Wants Is (From Big Thing, 1988)

Electric Barbarella (From Medazzaland, 1997)