Rio

3/5

Some songs are super catchy, and some are super corny, but it catches the 80s vibe perfectly! A few songs even sound like something current (I’m thinking TwentyOne pilots or similar). Good album overall. Listen again: yes Purchase for my collection: nah Favourite Song: My Own Way

A bunch of pretty fun pop songs. Probably the most 80s album I've ever heard, too. The very danceable track 2 stands out, but I also enjoyed track 1 for the sax solo, and tracks 4 and 6 for catchiness. Don't think I'll be listening to this record again, though - pretty one-dimensional, and definitely not a fan of the aesthetics.

Most of my knowledge of Duran Duran is their singles, which I pretty much universally enjoy, so I was a little let down by this album. I liked it well enough, but nothing was spectacular about it. “Rio,” “Hungry Like The Wolf,” and “New Religion” were my favorite songs, and while none of the other songs were bad, they were just kind of middling. This is definitely a 3.5 to me, but I have to ultimately give it a 3. It wasn’t bad but wasn’t great either.

Kaks kovaa hittii ja loput meh

Listened to when driving home from CO 8/12/24

That was alright I liked hungry like the wolf and the chauffeur the rest was background

Het is, zeker achteraf gezien, aardig cheesy, maar dat hoort denk ik ook een beetje bij dit soort jaren '80 synthpop. Ik blijf moeite hebben om me daar helemaal bij neer te leggen. Ik zet dit niet snel uit mezelf op, maar in z'n genre vind ik dit wel een van de betere albums die ik tot nu toe heb gehoord. Ik heb geen idee van de precieze chronologie maar ik heb wel het idee dat veel bands deze band een beetje hebben proberen na te doen. Of deze band heeft geperfectioneerd wat al die andere bands liepen te doen, dat kan dus ook. De funky baslijntjes redden dit album voor mij. Ik sta nog steeds verre van juichend op de banken, maar een drie vind ik dit wel waard.

Favourite Song: My Own Way

Good album, very fun

Chill, maar niet speciaal

Classic 80’s, synthesizers cute guys with pretty hair playing music targeted at teen and preteen girls. 2.5

2024-07-26...

Essential 80s. Cheesy synth and slappy bass in tact.

Hungry like the wolf 10/10

Classic 80s New Wave. 3.75

Pretty good listen. Familiar with \"Hungry Like the Wolf\", but the rest was a pleasant surprise. Kind of what I expected Depeche Mode to sound like but without the disappointment. 3.5/5

I like it, I think. With fresh ears, this era and genre can feel a bit corny, but under that is a pretty solid album. Still, not a huge fan.

Good songs are good but the rest sound the same

I struggle to say a whole lot here besides just that it is an admirable, easy to listen to 80s pop album. A few earworms, a few duds too. Very typical.

Xylophone bit in “Last Chance on the stairway” is neat, but “The Chaffeur” is a stand out. Sounds modern, but like it couldn’t exist if this song didn’t exist. I guess that means it’s timeless?

Hits are bangers, other songs are good but forgettable. Didn't not like any of the songs on the album. Classic 80s pop. Also never heard of Save a Prayer but surprised it has more listens than Rio.

Better than I expected. I lived some of the other tracks after hungry like the wolf

The albums more bass forward and musical than I expected. I liked it but didn’t love it. It seemed like the production and vocal delivery were holding it back a bit. Rio and hungry like the wolf were obvious standouts. Everything else was a bit of a blur. The Chauffeur being the exception. I found that song very interesting

Decent pop album. I never listened to a whole album of theirs because the hits were enough for me to only be mildly interested.

This is pure youth sentiment. Lot's a great Duran Duran songs on this album. I haven't heard this album in a while and am happy that this album appeared in this list. Difficult to believe this album is more than 40 years old.

Save a prayer... En af mine ynglings sange, men med Eagles of death metal.... Anede faktisk ikke at det var et cover. Orginalen er også fed! Albummet er sådan set fint nok. Men fik ikke lyst til at høre den forfra.

Got a couple good songs on there but the 80's sound just blended together after a while. I think the hits on this album show you don't need to do all of that to write good songs. I'll give this another go since I did enjoy a lot of the songs individually, just not as a complete run time.

The 80’s were a vibe

It did grow on me but it sounds kinda cheesy 80s. Hungry like the wolf is a banger

It’s great! It’s good. It’s OK

Started stronger than it ended, loved the bass. 3/5

I’m not a big Duran Duran fan, but this is definitely peak if you do. I see why the big hits are so big. Also Save A Prayer is low key one of the best tracks on the album

Nice bassline

Раньше кроме Come Undone ничего у них не слышал. Неплохая попса, приятно послушать на один раз.

Not a bad album. Not the sort of music I’d choose to listen to, but not in any rush to switch it off either. Good for a little bop!

Pretty gutted for the most part, pretty forgettable in some.

It was the Eighties. The fuckin' 80s. These guys were MTV darlings, and this was the sound of the times. It's not my cup of tea, but it does have some fun basswork, and a few of the tracks get credit for what they were for that generation. Always loved their use of Nagel, graphically clean and what the 80s wanted to be.

It makes a ton of sense that this album was produced by the same guy (Colin Thompson) that helped produce Bowie’s “Heroes”. None of the songs absolutely caught me as a whole but I loved a number of the synth opening. As much as this album is called Synth-pop for its time, it far less resembles pop music today both in quality of production as well as character in the lyrics. I will always enjoy Rio and Hungry Like the Wolf for their place in music history but aside from that, I mostly would get caught up in great opening synth tracks and then the rest of the song would kinda lose me (New Religion, Save a Prayer, The Chauffeur).

I didn't know "Save a Prayer" was on this album. Love the Eagles of Death Metal cover. A lot of catchy ones here. Chauffer sounded pretty familiar to me too

A fine album with some good songs on it. Not my favorite kind of music, but it's pretty decent and I like it well enough.

I like how bass forward this album is. I knew two songs going into it. The title track I never minded, I won’t put it on, but if it comes on I’m not upset. I’ve never cared for hungry like the wolf. The rest of the songs were fine, nothing too crazy, but solid pop songs with some cool bass lines.

Litt typisk 80-tall. Ellers ganske kul rock 😊

Liked most of them, they’re a classic

80thies

Interesting Synth instrumentals, Lively Upbeat

Not my cup of tea. Liked a couple of songs, hard to downrate cause I can see it's influence but just didn't really do it for me outside of Rio, HLTW and Chaffeur

It's okay just not really my style.

Easy enough to listen to but I always find depeche mode a bit flat.

Puro suco dos anos 80.

Certainly a time capsule, nothing hooking me in though, hungry like a wolf really stand outs, can see this growing on me though

Forgetable

Started out pretty good, but did not end well.

This is Duran Duran at their best. If you like this kind of music, this is the best you get. It’s not bad, but it doesn’t inspire me to do anything- not dance, not sing, not run through a brick wall. “Hungry Like a Wolf” is the strongest song on the album.

Good example of MTV driven synth pop, with a bit more depth than a lot of other acts at the time.

Iconic album by a band I don't really like. Having said that, there are a lot of decent singles. It wasn't really my thing then, and it certainly isn't now. Interesting story...I once won the Duran Duran catalogue - at that time five albums - from a local radio station, by identifying that the lyrics "In touch with the ground/I'm on the hunt I'm after you." came from Hungry Like The Wolf and being the 4th caller or something. It turns out that Rio was the best of the bunch, and it's still only worth 3 stars!

Pretty good; few toe-tappers. Overall, not my cup of tea.

Bit of fun 80s nonsense, singles are the highlights.

"I smell like I sound:" One of the funniest 80s pop lyrics courtesy of Hungry Like the Wolf, one of the couple of huge hits from Rio the album. While this album is not higher than a 3 for me, it stands on its own as a fun 80s pop record and help to pave the way for the MTV music video era (may it Rest in Peace). 3 stars: I see why this is on the list, something worth revisiting. Interesting Factoids from Wikipedia: *Duran Duran shot music videos for many of the album's tracks, all of which helped spearhead the 1980s MTV revolution. *The success of Rio electrified the already-rising Second British Invasion. With their contemporaries the Human League, A Flock of Seagulls, Culture Club and Thomas Dolby, Duran Duran dominated the American pop charts throughout 1983 and led to the rise of other would-be successful British acts, including Tears for Fears, Eurythmics, Naked Eyes and the Rhodes-discovered Kajagoogoo. Standout Tracks: Rio, Hungry Like the Wolf, Save a Prayer

This was ok, Rio and Hungry Like the Wolf annoyed me (but only because they’re overplayed to death) but the rest was amiable enough. Nothing that made me want to buy a frilly shirt, hairspray and eyeliner though.

Really strong and fun opener, this sense continues with the perhaps flatter and repetitive My Own Way, but love the synths and especially guitar sounds on that track too. The vocals really do their job. Starts and has moments that are sonically interesting but gets a bit repetitive, and that ultimately is the downfall. I'd love to listen to a couple tracks on here over and over, but am I putting the album on for that same vibe?

Quintessential 80s. This is a great album and nostalgic for me growing up with parents who listened to 80s and classic rock. A few of the tracks are skips for me but love the radio hits.

hungry like the wolf save a prayer the chauffeur

While Duran Duran isn't my first choice to listen to, this album is full of absolute classics.

I love me some Duran Duran. Bunch of bangers on this album, but a few that drag it down. Good listen.

Great, fun stuff. Surely one of the best party albums of the 80's. Never really gave it much of a chance, as it lacks depth for me (I'm more of a Tears for Fears guy) but I can definitely see the attraction at that time.

I used to always make fun of Duran Duran, probably because I was listening to Iron Maiden and Judas Priest when this came out. I still don't like them nearly as much as their new wave peers that I later came to love (INXS, Talk Talk, Simple Minds), but I shan't make fun of them anymore.

Low 3 for me

Solid 80's pop rock. Rio and Hungry were definitely the right singles to pick from the album.

Proper 80s sound and good songs as well

OK album. This is just 80s synth-pop. Its kind of fun and catchy and nostalgic for a time I never experienced. It's got energy, pop, and pizzaz, but, at the end of the day, it's just bad lyrically and offers no depth. Fun to dance to in a car as a teenager in the 80s I guess. I checked out the original review for fun--all mixed or negative pretty much. The contemporary re-appraisals say it's actually a great album apparently. I think there's much more interesting 80s synth-pop, and a lot of these retrospectives are a bit disingenuous with the rave for albums that were commercially popular or may have been mentioned as "inspiring" for future artists. This album is what it is: fun, silly 80s pop. ***

Didn't realise I had bauhaus in the que when I played this album. I was thinking wow I don't normally like duran duran but rn this is going hard!!!! And then I realised Bass is impressive

Felt vapid? Was excited to listen to Duran Duran because I love Japan but it's not for me

Dammit. I wanted to hate it. Couldn't do it.

Not bad.

Son los 80, graban la misma canción de la misma manera y pese a todo se puede escuchar un ratito.

Best: Hold back the rain Prayer Worst: Last Chance on the Stairway

Eighties

#201. Decent, almost stereotypical new wave album. A few great hits on there that I really liked. 3/5: good shit

Not a big Duran Duran fan. Decent power pop though with a few popular songs.

La banda es legendaria en la música disco y el final del siglo XX. Creo que tienen algunas canciones de otros discos que me parecen mejores, pero está bastante bien. El disco está bien.

its ok. not my favorite 80s new wave album but it has some hits and catchy songs.

Cool 80s album that makes me feel like I'm waiting for my haircut at Regis in the mall, especially with that album art. Some hits, but nothing super remarkable here.

That was the 80s. I'm so far removed from it now that I can't do much with it anymore. It was ok to listen to the album. But I probably won't do it again. 3/5

I’m happy Duran is on this list, some very enjoyable 80s new wave music.

The two big hits are great and the sound is very definite, self-assured, and often convincing. It’s also pretty busy and over-produced, and while the album itself is a good length several of the songs overstay their welcome. I think 80s synthpop just struggles to land for me in general, but as far as that genre goes this is pretty strong. Best song: Hungry Like the Wolf

Really strong and fun opener, this sense continues with the perhaps flatter and repetitive My Own Way, but love the synthetic and especially guitar sounds on that track too. The vocals really do their job. Sonically interesting but gets a bit repetitive.

74/1001

The chauffeur was a new one to me. Loved it. Great fun overall.

first listen lots of 80s stereotypes, didn't quite catch my fancy

The singles are miles above the rest and are among the best Duran Duran songs.

My main reference point for Duran Duran was the Moldy Peaches song "Boyfriend". The hits are hits, the rest was blah.

This is an album from which many of Duran Duran's most well-known hits originate. Those tracks ('Save a Prayer', 'Hungry Like the Wolf', 'Rio') are hits for a reason and prime examples of 80s synth pop. The rest of the tracks aren't all that bad, but also fail to live up to those heights.

I really appreciate the pop sensibility in the arrangements of these songs, and the very prototypically 80’s production. It’s a very representative look at the trends that we’re shaping British pop in the early MTV era. The singles are really strong songs. The biggest weakness to me is that the album cuts just feel like reiterations of the singles.

Goes in two ways. Some of their most famous hits are absolutely brilliant given the era they were released in. But at least half of the tracks make my ears bleed.

With the exception of Save a Prayer, if you’ve heard one some you’ve basically heard them all. There’s some fun variation in the last 1/3 of some of the songs, but the structures are very similar and rely far too heavily on a repeated hook. Still, enjoyable enough. Favorite tracks: My Own Way, Save a Prayer

I was in high school in 1982, and I heard "Rio" and "Hungry Like the Wolf" ad nauseam. But I had never heard the rest of the album, so I was happy to see this pop up. I hadn't missed anything. It's fine, but not particularly interesting.

# 200 : Good album, I like it and it has a hit or two.

One doesn't get much more New Wavey than Duran Duran. It's been a long time since I've listened to this full album. There were some sleepers on here that I forgot about. There's several huge hits on here too. All in all, I enjoyed it and will come back to it... But probably years from now. I want to give this a 3.5 so that I have to round up to 4, but it feels more accurate to give it a 3.4, to round it down to three. It's better than average, but doesn't quite hit excellence for me.

During the first half of this album, I was worried that I might have a brain tumor as I found myself really enjoying some 80's pop. The latter half definitely brought things back down, so the limit of 3 for an 80's pop album remains unbreached.

Remind me, what decade is this from?

Pretty boppy pop music. I preferred the songs I didn't know before. 3.5 stars. Stand-out: Rio

Competent pop music.

It sure does sound like the 80s

Good for what it is!

3/5 80s synth pop... hm... it's okay. A very boomer-esque opinion, to be sure, but what else can I say? It certainly had potential to be lower, but the tight instrumentation (particularly in that sexy, sexy bass part) made up for the overused, overhyped, overrated genre. In fact, the bass is so integral to the album's quality that I only ended up saving tracks that (in retrospect) had great basslines: Lonely In Your Nightmare, Hold Back The Rain, and The Chauffeur, to name a few. The title track and Hungry Like The Wolf were also quite strong, presenting some pretty catchy vocals and harmonies. The remaining instruments are either straightforward (drums, vocals) or very irritating (synths, saxophone (seriously, what is with that weirdly artificial sax sound?)). Best track: The Chauffeur Worst track: Last Chance On The Stairway

not bad. not my style too much, 1-2 songs

repetitive and cliche but it has good catchy parts

I hate 80s music, so I always thought I’d hate Duran Duran! Au contraire! I really enjoyed this album— totally unexpected.

Ha...it's on the list. Doesn't hold up super well & I find LeBon's vocals hard to listen to anymore. That said, once upon a time I loved their vibe & it was actually pretty innovative. Gonna be merciful for nostalgia's sake if nothing else. IMHO the oft maligned "Lonely in Your Nightmare" might very well be the most progressive track on the album.

Catchy upbeat new wave pop. Love John Taylor's funky basslines and the slightly more experimental stuff they do with synths in the last two songs. Nothing life changing for me but I enjoyed it.

3+ Save a prayer

Duran Duran is where new wave really started to separate itself from punk in my opinion. Some good post-punk elements on this, but the whole image of the band and the focus on fashion, etc. really puts me off. For songs only, however, it's a strong album.

Melkosta lätkyttelyä. Pari aika kovaa biisiä

Couple of hits. The ones that aren’t really didn’t deserve to be. Didn’t help its rating that the music Spotify played for me after the album ended was more enjoyable (I had dozed off and woke up thinking “wow, that’s Duran Duran?” No, it’s not). Overall album average despite it probably being a top seller in its time.

Wel een chill album, weet alleen niet echt de aandacht vast te pakken. Wel goeie hits op met Hungry like the wolf en Save a prayer. Het laatste nummer pakte me wel echt en toen was het opeens voorbij, beetje jammer. Verder wel gwn lekkere 80s hoor.👍

Dit album heeft een vrij bepalende rol gespeeld als het gaat om het definieren van de new wave sounds van eind 70's begin 80's. Een aantal megahits staan op dit album die de mainstream zeker bereikt en beinvloed hebben. Denk aan Hungry Like The Wolf en Rio. Het album heeft wat weg van glamrock, maar is in essentie new wave. In combinatie met interessante pingeltjes en geluidjes. Dat levert hier leuke muziek op. Eentje die er tussenuitspringt voor mij is The Chauffeur. Een nummer dat de introspectieve kant op gaat, a la Talking Heads. Een aparte songstructuur wel. En dromerig, op een goede manier. Ook Save a Prayer vind ik een fijne. De synths op het begin doen het meteen al voor mij. En de stem van Simon Le Bon mag er ook wezen. Natuurlijk zijn ook Rio en Hungry Like The Wolf uitstekende songs, die het op menig feestje het nog goed zouden doen. Of gewoon lekker in je woonkamer. Rating: 8/10 Highlights: The Chauffeur, Save a Prayer, Rio

Een meer 80's new wave geluid dan DuDu bestaat er eigenlijk niet. De new wave zit vastgeplakt in de jaren 80 en is voer voor TikTok-revivals. Weinig genres zijn zo geroest aan een paar jaren in de muziekgeschiedenis. Toch hoor ik op Rio best wat leuke experimentele en artistieke dingetjes. Blazers, meerstemmig, gekke geluidjes diepe baslijnen (die zijn erg lekker). Alles natuurlijk met de holle drums en onder een laagje synths. Het blijven de 80's. Maar hiermee wordt Duran wel wat vernuftiger en interessanter dan veel wave-collega's. Oh en shout-out naar de cover. Veel beter dan al die 80's band die zichzelf op de hoes posteren. Heel herkenbare en iconische album art. 7,5/10 Highlights Rio Hungry like the wolf

I liked some album tracks better than the singles, Last Chance On The Stairway especially

Bara klassík auðvitað

Good enough, catchy although a little cliche. Will I listen to again: 20%

I have always found this album uninspiring. Which is why that I've started this review by copying-and-pasting excerpts from two existing reviews, plus writing a somewhat more elaborate comment on a third. 1. "It’s hard to believe I used to love this band, I must have listened to this record a thousand times when it first released. I even had a nice Patrick Nagel print hanging in my bedroom. But now I find Simon Lebon’s voice annoying AF and the arrangements very cheesy, esp that 80’s sax, ugh. (...) The other new wave pop groups of the era did better work and don’t sound nearly as dated now, eg OMD, The Cure, Tears for Fears, The The etc." Yep. I could have added The Human League, Heaven 17, Eurythmics... Heck, I could even have added A-Ha and Alphaville for that matter. Because all those bands had that thing, what was its name again...? Jeeze I had said name at the tip of the tongue... Er... Oh yeah, I remember now! They had *truly epic choruses*. In comparison, it *first* seemed to me that Duran Duran only had holes in its swiss cheese. Hackneyed repeated vocal lines, mostly driven by annoying major keys. Also, it's extremely rare to find a reviewer who says he used to love an album, and that he now hates its guts. Evidence enough for me that trying to love this overrated and obviously *dated* record once again would probably be another complete waste of time for me. At least at first. 2 "Almost want this on my best albums just for the cover." Indeed a reason why I *did* try to love this record in the past. Yet that didn't work. You can't judge a book (or an album) by its cover? 3. Not starting with a quote this time. It's just that, in a couple of positive reviews, I've noticed that unsound obsession with MTV in its very early days underlying all that queasy nostalgia (at least two positive reviews in mention it). When the album came out, there were families that indeed had MTV and families that did not. That person mentioning how their own family did not have MTV, and how this created a particular kind of desperation in the reviewer, had me smirk with disgust. The latter indeed reminisced on when their family visited the home of one of their dad's work colleagues, and "when the kids all shuffled into the living room, where the host's kids were watching TV". The oldest daughter was controlling the remote, amd clicked on MTV where the video for Rio was starting. But she said, "oh, I've seen this" and clicked away and the future reviewer "died a little inside" and still remembers it a full 40 years later. Well... That's a personal memory that's evocative of a certain day and age, I'm gonna give it that. Yet maybe what really happened here was that this elder daughter had... taste? Maybe that was something to feel jealous about, instead of the fact that this other family had MTV, probably because it was more loaded (or the parents were somewhat...superficial?). It's a litlte laughable that this reviewer expresses no "distance" with their feelings at the time. Gives you the impression that they were interested in Duran Duran for all the *wrong* reasons--there are no "objectively" right or wrong reasons to like a band (or not), it's all subjective. But there are *wrong* ways to convey your love for a band, and this is one example here. Even if the memory itself is interesting and evocative. Endnote: I don't know how or why, but when I've listened to *Rio* this time, something *kinda* clicked. It's probably because I felt more attuned to its peculiar instrumentations and arrangements (especially for the last, more "atmospheric" tracks). And maybe to some of its pop choruses on side A. I don't know why... And I don't have much more time to express my suddenly ambiguous feelings. It's been a long day and I feel quite queasy, right now. With its barrage of daily records, is the 1001 Albums app turning me into some sort of cheesy pop slob? Do others users feel like that sometimes? Only time will tell... In the meantime, 3/5 for the purposes of this list. And 8/10 for a more "objective" assessment (5+3)??? Number of albums left to review: 259 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 324 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 185 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine (many other records are more important to me): 238

It’s giving 1982 hard. Rio is actually the best song on the album by miles. I love this song god damn. Pretty ez 3

Rio, and Hungry Like the Wolf are classic tracks off this album. It's 80s pop music, but the bass playing on every song is insane. It just sits there in the mix unnoticed until you listen for it and realize how much is there. It did not need to go that hard for the style of music this is.

Pretty good

So much filler. But godamn do I love those hits.

This is 80s pop music, top to bottom. I think I'd only heard the chorus hook for "Hungry Like the Wolf," so I didn't know that that songs rips, actually. I like the verse melody even more than the refrain, which is a rare feat. The breakdown on the bridge is a bit melodramatic for me. This came out in 1982, which makes me wonder when the 1980s Sound came about. Was this the daddy of all 80s gloss? Surely they weren't the first New Romantics band. With this list, I keep running into massively influential, blockbuster albums that I come away from thinking are totally fine. Maybe there's too much distance between then and now and I can't hear exactly what's special here, like playing a video game from 2005 that was groundbreaking then merely enjoyable now. Maybe I'm putting too much stock into it. I never thought I'd spend this much time thinking about Duran Duran. Highlights: Lonely In Your Nightmare, Hungry Like the Wolf, Save a Prayer

It's Duran Duran...

Not necessarily for me but it had its moments.

The bass guitar stands out on this album more than anything. I've heard Rio and Hungry Like the Wolf way too many times to be able to enjoy them properly. New Religion is a really cool song. I love the guitar sound on this track, and the bass hooks sound superb. I wouldn't say that this album is something I'd sit and listen to religiously. It's a good album and very true to the time it was released.

3/5. I love Rio and Hungry like the wolf. The rest of the album did not stand out for me.

So so

Not my fav, too overly stylized. 3/5 fav track: “hold back the rain”

This wasn’t bad. I didn’t love it either. Good melodies overall. Notable tracks include Rio and Hungry Like the Wolf.

The bass is boss

Ihan kasari meininkiä, ok vähän elektronisempaa rockia. Parhaat: Hungry Like A Wolf, Last Change On The Stairway

Duran Duran - a staple of 80s synth pop and early MTV. Rio is a solid album with a couple hits (Rio, Hungry Like the Wolf). Overall, enjoyable to listen to although not necessarily an album for the regular rotation.

Thought I would've liked it more but very dancy songs.

Rock, wave, 80s, synths, male, mid, album breathes and has space - not too packed, good melodies, like it somehow surprisingly

Good 3.5

Buster and I are not a fan. Buster said: "it sounded like a mix of Joy Vision and The Smiths, without even being good. He would rather just listen to them instead."

I grew up with a fair amount of Duran Duran, as my parents were fans. There are some bangers on this record for sure, but the whole thing is quite sonically similar. The bass-lines are the highlight for me. Favourite tracks: Hungry Like the Wolf, Save a Prayer, The Chauffeur

A nice collection of pop and new wave songs. Rio is a great song with nearly impossible bass guitar playing. Hungry Like The Wolf, Save a Prayer and The Chauffeur are good too. The rest is filler, making this album more a seven than an eight on a scale of ten.

No view to a kill

Not my favorite style of music but iconic nonetheless. A couple really special songs on here.

So 80s. Am I hugely influenced in this rating of the glee cover

I hated this band in the 80s but I forced myself to listen to the album. Now, fourty years later, they are not as bad as in my memory but still, I wouldn't voluntarily choose an album from this band.

Not bad. Not my favorite band.

I dont really care for Duran Duran at all BUT this album is produced really well. The hits on this still didnt do it for me, but its a good glimpse into 80's synth pop rock

Hungry like the wolf is a banger. I wasn’t a big fan of the direction most songs took. Well produced and sounded tremendous though!

I like the soundscape Duran Duran creates on this album, where it feels like you're floating in space, and every so often an instrument or sound floats closer to you before sinking into the background. I will say though, this album kind of felt like 42 minutes of the same song. It was a good song, but it got tedious after a while. My favorites were lonely in your nightmare, save a prayer, and the chauffer. Least favorites were new religion and my own way.

Variations on a musical theme. 3-3-3

From the first few bars you can tell that this is a talented group, but I just can never bring myself to care about the music. It's good for sure, but New Wave music is just not my bag.

Pop music is always evolving but this is exactly what it sounded like in 1982. Duran Duran should be commended for flawlessly capturing the sound of the moment and making it memorable and catchy enough to still resonate 40 years later. This is way better than a lot of the generic 80’s British synth-pop on this list that is a chore to slog through (I’m looking at you Human Leaugue’s Dare and Japan). The cover is iconic, the hits are absolute monsters (with “Save a Prayer” and “The Chauffeur” being standouts for me) and “Last Chance on the Stairway” is a song I had never heard before that kicks ass. All that being said, having lived through this era, although being too young to really participate in it, pictures of this band and seeing the videos bum me out for reasons I can’t fully articulate. Maybe because Duran Duran, and people who owned Duran Duran albums, were the cool kids living a glamorous life that I could only glimpse from the outside. Duran Duran always feels like really good music made for people who aren’t me, rather than feeling like music made for me. Still, they were the absolute best at what they were doing, even if they were doing it for people who had way spikier hair and shinier shirts than I did. So, credit where credit is due.

It was ok. Not my favorite but not too bad

Notable tracks: Hungry Like the Wolf, The Chauffeur

Not my favorite of theirs. Only two hits

Huge hits that definitely made the band into superstars ("Rio", "Hungry Like the Wolf"). I'm probably biased against this album having not cared to much for the music when it was new!

Sold the crap out of this lp back in the day but have never been a big fan

Muy chulo, lo volveré a escuchar!

Fine. Listenable. Will never seek it out again.

Rio ** Save a prayer The Chauffeur

Good synth and bass, solid album but not overly my style.

80s britiska... bruka mycket synthisk, klassik oop stämma från härom era. normalna jag tycker om inte det, men ingen skada idag. bestämd överrated asf... vi get inte galning nu... så mediokrites... startade hopas VITTU VITTU VITTU TÄMÄ KIELI ALALALALALA PUHU SUOMEA LALALALALA TARVI SÖSSÖTTÄÄ MÖSSÖTTÄÄÄ AAAH dagen tre btw the chauffeur

Gear: Grado Hemp Mische: Bass fetzt unerwartet, (Synth) Drums sehr zahm, sporadisches Saxophon statt Vocals das echte Highlight, Treble (Hi-Hats) teils etwas zu heiß für mich Mugge: wunderbar belangloser catchy 80s Pop! 😎🌴 Wertung: 3/5

New wave feeling, pero más pop que indie. En momentos repetitivo, pero me gusta.

Solid album overall, some bangers and a consistent new wavey feel throughout

Decent album. Hungry Like the Wolf is an all time classic. Few other songs are good but nothing spectacular. Overall probably 3/5.

Rio is a banger idk about anything else really

Back when this came out, I avoided it. I was annoyed by all the girls that were into them. The songs that were hits are decent. The others are just ok

too 80s for me

was pretty shit, jk

Cohesive album with some great hits - but every song sounded the same.

I enjoy some of the hits, but not my type of music overall.

Some old goodies I didn't know were Duran Duran, Found myself jamming a couple times and a few lines I kept repeating

Heavy synth, classic 80s sound. Only two very distinct songs: Hungry like the wolf and Last chance on the stairway.

duran duran personally gave birth to daft punk

I think this album is similar to ‘Future Nostalgia’. I enjoyed it because it had four songs that were MASSIVE hits (five if you include the hit on the deluxe edition). Obviously, it was also excellent music. However, with Duran Duran, I only know their big songs ‘Ordinary World’ and ‘Girls on Film’. Although I do now want ‘My Own Way’ at my wedding. Therefore, if you enjoy New Romantic music, or grew up in the 1980s, this album is a solid 5. 6/10.

new wave pop rock with infectious bass lines. a fun listen. highlights: “rio”, “new religion”, “save a prayer”.

I listened to a re-whatever on Tidal. Not the original. Rio was... offbeat? I dunno, it sounded weird. Maybe it's always been like that but I found it disconcerting. The rest of the album was fine.

Instruments are great

If yesterday's album sounded like the 70s to me, this sounds like the 80s. Wild. Hungry like the Wolf is something that would again often play during my childhood. Overall, getting a closer look at the rest of the songs aside from the hits has not endeared me to the band or album.

Some really fire bass lines here. But there’s definitely other New Wave groups i prefer.

There is a lot of nostalgia for me around this album. My parents love this album and played it a lot when I was a kid. The title track is such a banger. Didn't realize hungry like the wolf was about a horny boi trying to get some. A lot of the album sounds very similar but it's very obvious that a lot of the modern indie synth pop drew inspiration from this sound. There is also a psych aspect to this album which I appreciate.

Liked the 1st one, rest kinda blended together

80s hair rock album Good hits on it Def a vibe you need to be in to listen all the way though

Not going to kick this one out of bed for eating crackers.

could i write poetry to this? n

Okay I didn’t listen to the whole thing but it was clearly good and stop is a bop!

Yes, throwback

Pinnacle of 80s music. A bop and a half, but repetitive at times. 7/10

Good album had some bangers. Overall good just not my style

fav songs: rio, hungry like the wolf, new religion, last chance on the stairway, save a prayer funky, feel like my aunt as a teenager

It was Fine but not my favourite album

This was classic 80s pop wasn't it. Duran Duran must be up there with one of the most well known bands of the decade surely. bet this was so fun in the clubs at the time.

Ermm, I guess it's not bad but it's just kind of 80s synths and nonsense. I guess I don't mind this music but I'd never listen to it myself, it just kind of appears in films and whatnot and that's fine.

Pretty solid 80s stereotype. There are a few good songs on there, Rio and Hungry Like the Wolf are classics. I enjoyed Hold Back the Rain and Save a Prayer too. All in all, I feel like you know exactly what this record is going to be by looking at the cover. It's like an 80s pop rock time capsule.

A definitive progressor of rock music, Duran Duran helped push rock into its' next steps in the 80's using creative sounds and instruments over driven progressions. Performances may be under appreciated, may be worth going back and watching the music videos that started the MTV revolution

I’ve had a few 80’s classics so far along this journey and haven’t really enjoyed them; I was guessing I’d feel the same about Rio but I was pleasantly surprised. I was familiar with Hungry Like The Wolf and the title track, and was happy that the remaining tunes were of similar quality and not just filler material. Probably won’t spin it again in a hurry but it was decent while it lasted.

Pretty good. I'd listen again.

Good album, not sure if I'll listen again

Synthy 3 stars

I like listening to most of these songs in isolation but a full album at a time kinda gets repetitive, I know they kinda defined the 80s synth rock sound but I mean come on it's a lot of the same lol. Still a couple bangers though.

Another 80s album … but it’s hard not to like Duran Duran. They slap a bit differently to your average synths and warble wallpaper. It’s not all gold (sorry, wrong album) but the big hits are pop crackers.

Nostalgia overload! I must have listened to this loads in my life, but not for at least 35 years! Simon le Bon pouting in a linen suit and/or posing on a yacht. Too much hairspray. Pastel colours. Jumpers for Goalposts etc etc. So it was nice to be reacquainted with an old friend. But just like a school reunion, whilst it was nice to briefly catch up, I’ve soon realised that I no longer have much in common and probably won’t stay in touch. Good bass guitar throughout. Stand out tracks ‘My Own away’ and ‘Hold Back the Rain’.

fun, easy listening. high three stars

Not too bad. Another very 80s album. Two songs that everyone knows

3+ Chauffeur

It was okay. I liked their hit but overall not a huge Duran Duran fan.

Wanted to love this album, but I only like it. The bass playing is great and the band is super tight. When the vocals work they're on point, but they often sound grating when they don't. I think the bright synth sounds are both what makes this album sound so unique but also shrill at time. Rio, Hungry Like a Wolf, New Religion and Save a Prayer were the highlights for me. My Own Way started great but overstayed it's welcome quickly. Lonely in Your Nightmare and Hold Back the Rain both hit just wrong. I didn't want to turn them off, but I didn't enjoy them either. Where it hits, this album is great, but it's too full of misses as well.

I was too young to appreciate this group and album when it originally came out, so I don’t have any nostalgia for it now. Duran Duran has never really captured my interest much, and this listen didn’t do anything to change my opinion. It’s ironic, because there is plenty of random 80s music and well-known classics that I enjoy very much.

Some fun 80s New Wave. It has catchy choruses and groovy melodies. The hits, Rio and Hungry Like the Wolf are great, and I really enjoyed Lonely in Your Nightmare and The Chaffeur. However most of the album felt too samey for me to enjoy listening in full on repeat listens.

Exceptionally 80s

Not that special, but not bad either

I've kept going back and forth about what to say about this one. I'll admit that my thoughts about this album are possibly taking too much into account my overall thoughts about this 80s pop rock (or New Wave or whatever you want to call it) genre. Basically I think this musical style is just super mediocre. There's this like goofy sounding synth that's really overused, the singer's voice is so overdone throughout, and basically all the songs sound the same except for the chorus. I really don't love it, and a lot of 80s pop rock has this sound. But as much as it pains me to say it, this album has one (pretty critical) redeeming quality. The hooks are honestly pretty catchy. I don't like that I feel this way, but I do. Rio is super catchy, Hungry Like The Wolf too, Hold Back the Rain had a decent chorus, quite of few do work. They manage to hit something deep in the pop psyche that just sticks in your head. So I don't love the music, but credit where it's due. I'm giving them a 3, I'm tempted to go lower but I can't get the Rio chorus out of my head. Favorite song: Rio Other: Hungry Like The Wolf, The Chauffeur 10/24/23

- fun listen - Hungry Like the Wolf is a classic

3.4

Solid early 80s pop-rock album.

I'd only heard the radio hits until now. I really enjoyed this album all the way through.

Fun 80s pop rock. A few songs I recognized.

Aggressively 80s

New Religion bass is sick

More enjoyable than I expected.

Wasn't expecting to know so much music off this album, I thought 'Hungry Like The Wolf' was gonna be the only thing I liked. Notable songs for me: Rio Save a Prayer

What in the disco fuck was that?

Bla

Have already listened, it is good.

Favorite: Hungry Like the Wolf Least Favorite: My Only Way One Word: Neon

very energetic, an album for a busy person. gives me “trying to make it in LA in the 80s” energy, soundtrack to a story about falling for your senior corporate coworker while chainsmoking cigs and drinking cherry whiskeys. nostalgic and antique at the same time

It was ok. I reckon I could learn to quite like it with more listens.

A little samey and some songs drag. Other parts are really great and catch my ear. A mixed bag. Really could give it a 3 or a 4.

It was alright. Not much to say.

Entertaining

Duran Duran are a band for me that when they nail it, they really nail it. The Chauffeur is a staple on my ‘people round’ playlist, and Save a Prayer is a belter. When they drift into the more stereotypical 80s pop I tend to switch off (like Rio). Maybe they’re just overplayed? A big gripe I cant get past is how much the bass player loves himself now. Definitely thinks he is a cool older guy, but reeks of someone trying too hard. Saying that, his riffs in this are class. I still think Dare by Human League is the single best 80s synth pop record, but this aint a bad consolation album. 3.5

80s pop is a genre I've already made clear I don't like but this is probably the best version we've had so far. Most of it is quite snappy and riff driven as opposed to other stuff that has been fairly drab. Particular shoutout for the last track The Chauffeur which (apart from the pan pipe section at the end) was genuinely great. The rest of it, well it's still too 80s for me but it's okay. 2.5.

It's pretty 80s but just about gets away with it. Enjoyed it more than I thought I would but defintiely won't be revisting this. Highlights: Rio Hungry Like the Wolf The Chauffer

The standout tracks are Hold Back The Rain, Hungry Like The Wolf and Save A Prayer. Outros and bridges on the album can be better and more imaginative. Lyrics make little to no sense sometimes. The energy which the album pursues is felt throughout the album. It feels like a calming,summer album. It has a few pop rock tracks in it. The singing isn't too demanding but it does what it is set out to do.

The album starts off soooo hot with Rio, and shortly after, Hungry Like the Wolf. I didn't realize how insane some of the bass lines are for Duran Duran. By far the best part of their music. I thought this was going to be one of those albums thats a couple of boys and nothing else, but the back half of the album is definitely doing its part.

Quintessential 80s album.

Very high 3

Cool. Sounded a bit uninspiring, like generic pop of their times or whatever. Maybe i didnt listen to the lyrics and i was cleaning the room, idk

Consistent 80s synth pop. Pretty much a proto-typical example of it. The hits are great. The rest ain’t bad.

3.5

Fa2 plaat nummers duurden wel altijd iets te lang en weinig variatie. 3⭐️

As a Gen-Z i didn't grow up with that music. So no nostalgic feeling. It didn't touch or catched me. Tho i get, why people are saying, that it's catchy. And the music is chill. I liked the lightness of it

Mid

80s classic

Solid synth pop record from the early 80's and I can imagine how many groups they were able to inspire. This album will always remind me of Shrek 2 because the Big Bad Wolf sings "Hungry like the wolf" during the bonus feature's "Far Far Away Idol". Only good memories from that time in my life. Not bad album, but definitely has a couple of skips. Stand out track: Save a Prayer

This album was fine. The first song had some cool experimental stuff in it, but then the rest of the first half sounded like generic 80's, but the album did pick up later on with some unique tones. The last song had some tone that reminded me of Wind Waker so that cool

A coupla bangers doesn't make an album, but it helps get it to a respectable 3. Duran Duran are very hit and miss, when they're good they're great fun but when they're not it's just bad 80s.

A couple of brilliant singles, supported by a load of new wave glam that is interesting at first but gets a bit samey after a while. Not a bad song on there, but other than Rio and Hungry Like The Wolf there's not really anything to go back to. 3/5.

I was not expecting much from this other than the big hit, but this is a sweet album. Seems like it's pretty quintessential 1980s new wave from a sonic standpoint. I had a good time listening to this.

Good fun, a little brainless, but good fun. Made me feel like ‘an 80’s guy’.

Listened to Rio 2001 remastered version by Duran Duran on 8/16/2023. My Top Songs: Rio, Hungry Like The Wolf, and Save A Prayer. Underrated Song: Hold Back The Rain. Overall Album Rating: 3.5/5

Album started out strong, but lost my interest about half way through.

Hungry like the wolf and save a prayer are solid tunes, it's an overall alright album not a good or bad listen. If 80s tunes are your jam then definitely give it a listen. 6/10

Another one that brings me back. Not sure the whole album is great as there is some filler. But the singles are strong enough to carry it to the finish line. Better musicians than people give them credit for especially John Taylor who could flat out slap that bass.

Why do I never hear Rio on the radio? It's always fucking hungry like the wolf. Bullshit. Album's pretty good. 3.

3 Hungry Like the Wolf is a good song, Rio is alright, and the rest of this sounded about how I expected it to - more of the same, not quite as good. Nothing really jumped out at me my first time through, but after a subsequent listen, I can confidently say Lonely In Your Nightmare is the definitive underrated track here. And that about amounts to my thoughts on the album. Overall, pretty okay, which is more or less the same opinion I had of the group going into this. Wikipedia helped me derive a little more entertainment out of this album when I learned that it initially flopped in the US and had to be remixed in order to find success. So, with that in mind, I assumed we were listening to the American version here, but it turns out this is indeed the original release. I’m not sure when exactly we as a country collectively agreed that we were wrong about our initial convictions, but if you’re curious about the remixes, they’re on the Collector’s Edition of the album. I really didn’t hear much of a difference though - in the case of Hungry Like the Wolf, the drums have a little more reverb to them, the electronic noises are a little quieter, and the sex noises at the end are much louder. In fact, I didn’t even realize there were sex noises at the end of Hungry Like the Wolf until I listened to the American mix. So, there you have it folks, if your band is struggling to break through in America, your music is clearly lacking in the sexual noise department.

Unpopular opinion - Duran Duran is fine I guess? They've got some decent tracks on this album, but I've never loved Hungry Like the Wolf like others do. It's an ok song, but I just think there's better stuff out there. The rest of the album is ok. The artwork is of course iconic.

Couple of fillers in there but an unexpected and pleasant surprise. Time has treated Duran Duran relatively well in comparison with some of their peers who to me sound wholly of their time.

Not an album I will re-listen to in all likelihood, but still good.

Familiar songs that got a bit samey towards the end

I liked it. Are they an actual proper band? I always thought they were just fluff but I thought the instrumentation was great. Great bass lines especially. Vocals a bit strained sounding.

Not really my sound, but Rio, Hungry Like A Wolf, and Lonely In Your Nightmare are good.

Soild 80a album, deserves its place on the list, but not my personal taste

Great 80s synth-pop music - Hungry Like a Wolf is a bop!

Classic Duran Duran synth sounds. Good songs and a nice concise album where all songs brought something to the table.

The title track is a certified BOP. I liked this overall, had some cool harmonies but would be better enjoyed if I preferred the very 80s sound more.

Title track and hungry like the wolf are classic 80's synth pop tracks and really stand the test of time. I do feel that the rest of the album doesn't exactly stand out and I don't remember any of the tunes at all. When its great its the best of the early 80's when its not it fades into all the other forgotten tracks from the time.

This was a good album to get because I’ve heard rip and hungry like the wolf a million times so it’s nice to understand the album those songs came from now. Unfortunately, the rest of the album isn’t super notable and hungry like the wolf remains the best track by a mile. I would’ve given it a 4 we’re it not for the last song that just left a bad taste in my mouth. I think this album is a notch above stuff like soft cell and aha albums where it has a couple great singles and nothing else going for it.

Intro pretty cool! Great bass tone, good mix! Rio / hungry catchy as hell, obviously! Very 80s, but also nice. Most songs very similar bass / drum vibe. Dance-music I guess. Save a Prayer trying to be slow but not doing it for me. The Chauffeur is kinda cool.

its started off VERY duran duran my own way was very funky and i enjoyed it more than rio the album stood still for a bit but the last four songs were pretty good i havent been in to upbeat new wave much but this showed me that the big hits arent a good representation of those bands albums

Pop-rock electrónico. Ni fu ni fa.

Absolute classic of a first song. Has some fun pop/synth sounds that just screams 80's to me. Nothing crazy about this album.

AJ: sing harder, boy o!!! Kings, really. Cat: this is good but every song is the same.

Not bad, 80's beat with some radio hits i've heard over the years.

ntb.

Pretty enjoyable album. I also like the album art a lot.

Not bad, but not great either. I don't know what else to say about it. It probably sounded pretty unique in 1982 though. It's catchy, but I don't see myself coming back to it. 3/5

Even though I would never choose to listen to this album from here, I had a pretty good time with it overall, and I appreciate having an opportunity to check out different genre's that I wouldn't have otherwise touched. There's quite a few tracks on here that I liked. I like how upbeat My Way is. Songs like Save a Prayer and The Chauffeur are really good. Rio is just a bit much for me, I've heard it too many times at various family discos and whatnot. A solid 3/5

Some good songs on here

Very fun album that made me dig this band a bit more! Very groovy. 7 out of 10

Didn't know what to expect, especially after reading the Wikipedia entry, but I enjoyed the bouncy tunes with nice voicework.

Divertidinho, sem opiniões fortes

Helt nice!

Very slick. Strong 3

This album has a few iconic hits! I did stop listening halfway through because the songs sounded very similar.

It was fine

good to here some 80's tunes. They had some good music and i am allowed to like the now I am not a 15 boy in the 80's

Det har bedre enn fryktet!

Pleasantly surprised by this one. Was prepared to hate it

Great bass lines, good drums. The singles are excellent. Overall the music is good but I can’t get into it. I think it’s the high bpm and in particular, I don’t like the singer’s voice. 2.5. I’m almost a 2 but will round up for the bass lines.

Easily 35 years since I’ve heard this and surprised at how well it’s aged and how much I remember. Not a bad surprise at all.

Pleasantly surprised. Never judge an album by its creepy cover. Feel like this is a notch above the typical 80s stuff.

Rio and hungry like the wolf are amazing songs. The rest of the album... kinda lost me.

Rio is the best track. There's some decent stuff here, I like a good synth.

This album is like if you took a really good album and just started adding layers and layers of synth and effects. I can hear those good songs underneath, with really nice rhythm guitar parts, great bass, and good drums. But the 80s sound that infests it all really takes away from the music. I'm also not a big fan of the guy's voice. Overall I definitely enjoyed this more than I expected, but I found myself wishing I could listen to that album that might have existed if this material was written in a different decade.

Very similar to their other album, I could barely distinguish them. Some nice production values and some.breakout times but some filler too.

Best Song: Rio. Danceable in a creepy, Buffalo Bill way. Worst Song: The Chauffeur. This is the kind of flat,, hyper-polished that feels like it doesn't have a soul. Overall: