DURAN DURAN UK Singles Rate 1981 - 2022 WINNER REVEALED

Wow - all my low scorers are exiting at the right moment for me!

 

Union and New moon felt like such a drop in quality from the 4 preceeding singles but yeah in hindsight they weren't that bad. Poor new moon didn't even get a place on 'Decade'!

 

I guess there just wasn't room for New Moon on Decade. I know many criticise 7 & the Ragged Tiger but I still think Shadows On your Side, Of Crime and Passion, and Seventh Stranger could all have been singles.

Serious so didn't deserve to flop but clearly radio and TV in the UK had little interest in playing it. Tess Daley in the video obviously put people off. 1990 was a cruel year for your 80s faves.

Union of the Snake video is definitely taking its inspiration from Indiana Jones films. I think the band were shocked it didn't go to no.1 after the success of their previous single.

Only 15 singles left and I have a feeling my 12 will be next. Hoping my 11 will stay in a bit longer too. Neither will be winners in this rate though.

 

Serious reminds me of The Police in Synchronicity mode. It's that good.

Union... actualy sold LESS on its 2nd week, when inching up from 4 to 3 on the UK chart. So it was even more of a flop than I thought. It's brilliant though.

As is New Moon, though I only grew to love it as much as I do now about 10 years ago. Perhaps not being on Decade made me think less of it.

 

Although Duran had massive success, I wonder if they would have sold numbers in the same league as peak Culture Club or Wham! If Simon wrote more directly about love and relationships as they did so their songs were more relatable?
Not saying I would have wanted him to as I like his slightly abstract lyrics which allow you to make your own mind up on what it could be about.

 

For me the Duran lyrics were an essential part of their thing.

 

It is!

 

Exactly - see my comments for all the 80s singles!

 

Let's into the Top 15, and it's time to head to Big Thing now this took a few listens for me to fully appreciate just how clever and good it is, worming it's way into your Psyche without you ever realising it.

All She Wants Is
Score 111.50 Average 8.57 Highest Score 11 (Blaahh, Auntie Beryl) Lowest Score 5.5 (MylesAngel)
Other Scores 10 (Untouchable Ace, Eric Generic) 9.5 (RaggedTiger) 9 (JonBCN, Remorque, Simes1970)
7 (Letuinmybackdoor, Hairycub1969, Epic Chocolat) 6.5 (Unnameable)

Comments Include
"Warm Leatherette and Love Is The Drug mashup anyone? Still their most out there single, fabulous piece of electro with brilliant Pettibone remixes." *Blaahh)
"Maybe of its time but it just doesn't sound like any other Duran song and I love the various mixes too." (RaggedTiger)
"Sci-fi funky workout with lots of moaning and screeching!" (Hairycub1969)

 

And at 14 a new era begins with a funky single, a grower for me.

I Don't Want Your Love
Score 113.40. Average 8.72 Highest Score 11 (Remorque) Lowest Score 7.2 (Epic Chocolat, Untouchable Ace)
Other Scores 10 (Blaahh, Eric Generic, Unnameable) 9 (Letuinmybackdoor, RaggedTiger, Simes1970)
8 (JonBCN, Hairycub1969) 7.5 (Auntie Beryl, MylesAngel)

Comments Include
"Very noisy and funky! Key lyric: “I like noise 'cause I like waking up the house
I cannot sit down. I can't shut my mouth” (Hairycub1969)
"Great late 80s track from Duran. The album version is as flat as they come. No idea why they didn't replace it with the amazing Shep 7" mix." (RaggedTiger)
"Duran desperately tried to find a way through the late 80s and this Public Enemy sampling funk effort was certainly a great track, best in its Pettibone mix and still rocks but was out of step with acieeed Britain." (Blaahh)

 

Pleased to see that late 80s Duran has done so well. Although their chart positions aren't as high it's still impressive they could crack the top 10 when a lot of their contemporaries were struggling (eg Spandau).

Having seen the 10s Eric has been dishing out, I know realise I probably over thought my scores a bit and could have been more generous To my fave band.

 

I was seriously worried about what would happen to the next DD single after Meet El Presidente flopped. So the #20 debut felt like a triumph to me. I love this track to bits. As for All She Wants, it's a bit rude and a bit weird yet it was the standout uptempo track on the album...and it felt surreal to see it climb 25-9 on the charts.

 

Yep, compare the naff Raw (#47) with I Don't Want Your Love. Different class.

 

You of course are right and I think Duran generally are in a different class to Spandau but for all its naffness, I quite enjoy Raw. Was just nice to hear them do something uptempo rather than another ballad.

I guess there are a few obvious reasons that Duran were not the hottest band in town anymore in 86, people grow up, move on or just get bored that it's hard to maintain that excitement for more than 5 years.
As a-ha came along to steal their crown, I think it's interesting to compare their image. Both bands had members of the same age but Duran just looked older and less relatable in their expensive suits, whilst aha were in their ripped jeans, t-shirts and leather wrist bands. A look kids could copy.

 

I was surprised that I was the only 10 for 'My Own Way.' But I was scoring based on the album version, as the single version doesn't work for me. The only non-10's on Rio are 'New Religion' and 'Last Chance on The Stairway,' but they're still 9.5's.

 

I actually bought Raw as well. And then the CD single turned into a coaster.

 

Last Chance would get a 10 from me ( and New Religion). It's just so beautifully melodic and catchy that I bloody love it, but I appreciate it's on an album full of gold so does get overlooked.

 

I loved both "Raw" and "Be free with your love" and was gutted when both stopped short of the UK Top 40!

 

Let's countdown to 11 beginning with 13. An expensive video here for a cracking track.

Wild Boys
Score 115.00 Average 8.85 Highest Score 10 (Remorque, Simes1970) Lowest Score 7 (Epic Chocolat)
Other Scores 9.5 (RaggedTiger, MylesAngel, Eric Generic, Unnameable) 9 (Blaahh, Letuinmybackdoor, JonBCN) 8 (Auntie Beryl, Hairycub1969) 7.1 (Untouchable Ace)

Comments Include
"Still a surprising change of style by Duran, trailered as a dance track, more leaden rock to these ears but has stood the test of time to be anthemic." (Blaahh)
"A £1m movie video and 5 individual 7" covers couldn't get this to no.1. I definitely loved this song a lot more when I was younger. Its still great though." (RaggedTiger)
"A very strong and different sounding single – moving them in more Rock direction? Morrissey made it his single of the fortnight in Smash Hits when he was guest reviewer! Great drumming and Andy Taylor is starting to express his guitar work a bit more on this single. The very expensive music video was the one where Simon Le Bon was tied to a windmill and had to do some waterboarding!
Key lyric: “And your telephone’s been ringing while you’re dancing in the Rain”" (Hairycub1969)

 

Oh i'm glad I'm not the only one who quite enjoyed them. I was worried that there was something wrong with my ears if Eric was using them as coasters and Frisbees at the time. I don't think they deserved the flop. Not that I bought them at the time. I was busy buying Five Star and Bangles flops instead.