The other thing about our band that’s perhaps a little different than a lot of bands is … well, everybody that’s ever been a member has always had a very strong musical personality of their own. Rhodes: It was defining our musical personalities. That’s a crucial song for us, because everybody stepped back and said, “Well, I’m very comfortable with my part in this sound.” And then with “Planet Earth,” the next song we wrote. Andy came into the room, and he started playing these chords, then Simon came into the room on a different day and started singing. We’d work through a few different singers and guitar players, and we had this one piece that seemed to say what we were wanting to say. It was crucial, because Nick, Roger, and I, we’d been busying away - refining this melodic, rhythmic beat that we had going. Taylor: I’d push it one stage further and say “Sound of Thunder,” which was the first song we wrote together. That was the most important song to us in many ways. We were on Top of the Pops for the first time because of it. But also “Planet Earth,” our first single, was a big success, because it meant that we’d actually written a song together and it became a hit. It’s a complete success as a song for us.
It’s a song of hope that seems to touch a nerve and means different things to different people. I could say “Ordinary World” because, musically, the atmosphere of the song and the melodies match the lyrics perfectly. Rhodes: That’s always a difficult question. “You look rocking!” Rhodes greeted his fellow co-founder, setting the cheery tone for an hour-long discussion about their legacy, how they defined the ’80s, and what certain people just don’t understand about them. With the future past covered, Rhodes, John Taylor, and I gathered in the present on Zoom to reflect on Duran Duran’s four decades in the music industry. The heartthrob and Tiger Beat factor was an added bonus for the eyes.
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(Don’t worry, they’ll attend and perform at the induction ceremony in November.) The lads are about to embark on an international arena tour in support of their 2021 album, Future Past, which, like the rest of their discography, transcends the idea that music can be a never-ending art project - right down to how to approach the band’s cinematic videos, studio technology, and, yes, sartorial sensibilities. Still, it’s a celebratory time for the band - divisive institutions or otherwise. But it doesn’t make it any less interesting.” For what it’s worth, Le Bon has echoed that general ambivalence, admitting last year that he wasn’t “waiting with bated breath,” because “it’s just not really a big deal for me.” Over here in England, only so many people are aware of it. “I mean, I should be careful what I say about it, shouldn’t I? I think it’s probably much more of a big deal in America, where I know it’s very significant. “It’s nice of them,” Rhodes recently told me about the Rock Hall induction. Fifteen years after becoming eligible for the honor, the New Wave polymaths - Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, and the unrelated Taylor trio of John, Roger, and Andy - are one of the many inductees in this year’s class, winning the “fan vote” by an absurdly high margin. You’re finally getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Photo-Illustration: Vulture Photo by Randy Bachman/Getty Images
“We had to really fucking work hard to stay in the game.”