I'm thinking it's a four-way tie between Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, New Order and The Human League. Add The Police to that if you'd count them as New Wave. Tears for Fears would be pretty close behind too.

Personally I lean to Depeche Mode or New Order, since Duran Duran and Human League haven't had the enduring popularity the former have.

I think the British bands have a somewhat higher profile, though for the American, I'd say Talking Heads, Devo, The B-52s and The Cars would be the most legendary and biggest names in new wave. Out of those Talking Heads are the only ones that still have enduring popularity and respect though Devo definitely gained some respect with their 2010 tour, I've heard it was absolutely brilliant despite their age.

The correct answer to this question is Duran Duran.  They were the Beatles of the 80s. 

The correct answer to this question is Duran Duran.  They were the Beatles of the 80s.


What whistledog said.  They were the voices of the 80s generation and with videos like this...........

e3W6yf6c-FA

it's no wonder.  :)

Were they pretty consistently popular from 1981 to 1993 or did they have a slump after 1985 when they lost two of their Taylors?

Were they pretty consistently popular from 1981 to 1993 or did they have a slump after 1985 when they lost two of their Taylors?


I think the teen sect at the time didn't really like the band unless all 5 members were there including the three unrelated Taylors.  It's a good thing the band managed to convince Roger to come out of his self imposed "retirement" because he's really what gives this band such an edgy sound.  :)

I think the teen sect at the time didn't really like the band unless all 5 members were there including the three unrelated Taylors.  It's a good thing the band managed to convince Roger to come out of his self imposed "retirement" because he's really what gives this band such an edgy sound.  :)


I've always thought John, the bassist was the heart and soul of the band though, and the most talented member. Amazing bass player, I'm a sucka for slap bass.  8)

I've always thought John, the bassist was the heart and soul of the band though, and the most talented member. Amazing bass player, I'm a sucka for slap bass.  8)


Oh yeah no doubt about that John is talented.  But I'm of a school of thought that if I don't like a band's drummer then I'll never like a band.  It's just a thing that I have that the drums should be the foundation of any song.  I really liked Duran Duran because of Roger.  After he left DD was never the same.  And I don't think the other three guys even realized just how much Roger contributed to the band's overall sound untill after he took his 25 year sabatical.

Oh yeah no doubt about that John is talented.  But I'm of a school of thought that if I don't like a band's drummer then I'll never like a band.  It's just a thing that I have that the drums should be the foundation of any song.  I really liked Duran Duran because of Roger.  After he left DD was never the same.  And I don't think the other three guys even realized just how much Roger contributed to the band's overall sound untill after he took his 25 year sabatical.


Roger is a great guitar player though. I've always seen Duran Duran as a rock band with synths, rather than being a synthpop band.

Roger is a great guitar player though. I've always seen Duran Duran as a rock band with synths, rather than being a synthpop band.


Roger is the drummer.  :) I think you mean Andy!  Andy on guitar, John on bass, and Simon has his accoustic guitar for whenever the band plays Save A Prayer.

They now have a guy named Dom Brown who has made quite a name for himself.  In some ways I think Andy is a drama king.  But still he was good.  He just didn't get along with the others too well and he and Nick always seemed to butt heads. 
Simon said in a SiriusXM radio interview that he would love to see Andy coming back but it wasn't working and something had to change.  And in order for Andy to come back he would have to make a few changes.

Define Legendary.  New Wave encompasses to many styles to choose just one so broadly.

Duran Duran is a good choice for glam/pop New Wave.

I'd say Devo for rootsier New Wave

During my later high school years, no "newer" band was more popular than "The Police". This popularity continued until well into my University years, when they released 2 more albums including their last album "Synchronicity".  Very popular band in our region (Southern Ontario) from 1978-83.  In fact pretty much everyone I knew had a copy of "Synchronicity", no one I knew had a copy of "Thriler".

But yeah, Duran Duran was another very popular band during my University years. I remember lots of young people (10 to 13 year-olds) getting into Duran Duran during their heyday.

During my later high school years, no "newer" band was more popular than "The Police". This popularity continued until well into my University years, when they released 2 more albums including their last album "Synchronicity".  Very popular band in our region (Southern Ontario) from 1978-83.  In fact pretty much everyone I knew had a copy of "Synchronicity", no one I knew had a copy of "Thriller".

But yeah, Duran Duran was another very popular band during my University years. I remember lots of young people (10 to 13 year-olds) getting into Duran Duran during their heyday.


The Police were one of the best rock bands whatever you want to call them.  Others, maybe XTC, Blondie, Talking Heads, The B-52's.  The list goes on. 

I didn't buy a copy of "Thriller" because in 1983 all you had to do was turn on the radio to hear it!  The two biggest-selling albums I ever bought for myself were, I think, The Police "Synchronicity" and U2 "The Joshua Tree." 

In the nineties some of the records I bought were so obscure they pressed under 300 copies!

During my later high school years, no "newer" band was more popular than "The Police". This popularity continued until well into my University years, when they released 2 more albums including their last album "Synchronicity".  Very popular band in our region (Southern Ontario) from 1978-83.  In fact pretty much everyone I knew had a copy of "Synchronicity", no one I knew had a copy of "Thriler".

But yeah, Duran Duran was another very popular band during my University years. I remember lots of young people (10 to 13 year-olds) getting into Duran Duran during their heyday.


Duran Duran were kids when they started.  :)  They ranged in ages from 19-23.  Now they range in ages from 40-54.  :) By the time I was 10 they Roger went into recluse mode because he couldn't handle the fame.  Then Andy left to do his solo thing.  I loved Duran Duran when the three unrelated Taylors were together.  But after Andy and John did Power Station and Nick, Roger, and Simon did Arcadia.  All of them came back to the band except for Andy and Roger.  I think the rest of the band hated Andy after that.  :P And a lot of the old school fans didn't care about them unless all three of the Taylors were there.
I think that was the reason for the reunion tour.  I think they were trying to give the fans what they wanted.  The end result, Andy leaving the band for a second time, was horrendous but necessary for the band's mental health. 
Now they brought in a young upstart named Dom Brown.  He's better than Warren Cucurillo, and Andy Taylor put together, and he's a young guy too.  Only 40.  :) 
But all and all I think that getting Roger back on the drums and Andy back on the guitar was the righht thing to do, even though it ended the same way it ended the first time, Andy just didn't want to do it in the end and I think that he just should have kept right on saying "no" because it would have been a lot easier than just swallowing his pride and doing something that he obviously didn't want to do.

Although I don't remember most of the '80s(accept a very small portion of the very late '80s) I've always got the impression The Police were the second coming of The Beatles in the '80s, they are definitely up there with Michael Jackson and Madonna.

For me, yes, Duran Duran.

Honorable mentions:
Yaz
ABC
Smiths
REM
Tears for Fears

Although I don't remember most of the '80s(accept a very small portion of the very late '80s) I've always got the impression The Police were the second coming of The Beatles in the '80s, they are definitely up there with Michael Jackson and Madonna.


What about Prince?  ???

What about Prince?  ???


I wouldn't consider Prince new wave

I wouldn't consider Prince new wave


He did have a kind of new wave/funk hybrid in the early '80s.

For me, yes, Duran Duran.

Honorable mentions:
Yaz
ABC
Smiths
REM
Tears for Fears


Well, some of those maybe, but I have to strongly disagree on a few...

The Smiths and REM, while very influential at the time, were far from being considered "New Wave".

The Smiths were, as described by both Morrissey and Johnny Marr were a purposely designed band calling out to be opposite to the new wave trend. Their music certainly doesn't reflect any part of what any new wave movement band was producing. Too much guitar, and, strange as it sounds, too well crafted songwriting that was just too good to qualify as just new wave.

REM was definitely more folksy, more progressive and much less electronic in its production and approach. If I had to describe REM, New Wave would NOT be a description of their sound, and I'd gamble to suggest that I'm in the majority on that.

Remember the time period alone doesn't qualify all bands that were "there" during the early 80's to be New Wave.

I'd have to list Devo, the B-52's, the Cars, the Talking Heads (to a certain extent) and the Police as new wave legendary bands (but not Prince in any shape or form, BTW). There may be others in there, but they were much less influential or one hit wonders to have any staying power to make a lasting impression.

My last two cents, as much as Duran Duran was "there" at the time, its hard for me to really consider them "New Wave", pop yes, but their sound was never so much as unique to fit the bill, well crafted pop/dance, but not new wave, IMHO.

He did have a kind of new wave/funk hybrid in the early '80s.


more like guitar rock.

Well, some of those maybe, but I have to strongly disagree on a few...

The Smiths and REM, while very influential at the time, were far from being considered "New Wave".

The Smiths were, as described by both Morrissey and Johnny Marr were a purposely designed band calling out to be opposite to the new wave trend. Their music certainly doesn't reflect any part of what any new wave movement band was producing. Too much guitar, and, strange as it sounds, too well crafted songwriting that was just too good to qualify as just new wave.

REM was definitely more folksy, more progressive and much less electronic in its production and approach. If I had to describe REM, New Wave would NOT be a description of their sound, and I'd gamble to suggest that I'm in the majority on that.

Remember the time period alone doesn't qualify all bands that were "there" during the early 80's to be New Wave.

I'd have to list Devo, the B-52's, the Cars, the Talking Heads (to a certain extent) and the Police as new wave legendary bands (but not Prince in any shape or form, BTW). There may be others in there, but they were much less influential or one hit wonders to have any staying power to make a lasting impression.

My last two cents, as much as Duran Duran was "there" at the time, its hard for me to really consider them "New Wave", pop yes, but their sound was never so much as unique to fit the bill, well crafted pop/dance, but not new wave, IMHO.


Some good points, however, I think you have to be careful when you try to limit a very broad genre to a certain type of style or sound.
More generally, I disagree with your disagreement on Duran Duran. ;)
Duran Duran is new wave. And if it weren't for bands like them, REM and the Smiths, etc, there were many of us that would have never discovered and consequently liked new wave.

We need to keep in perspective that New Wave is a very, very broad spectrum of different types of music that started in the 70s and stretched into the 80s. There is no 'one' New Wave sound.

  new wave
 

    Noun


A style of rock music popular in the 1970s and 1980s, deriving from punk but generally more pop in sound and less aggressive in performance.


When you look at that definition, which is the commonly accepted one, you can see quite a bit of elbow room for many diverse 'styles' and sounds.

Some good points, however, I think you have to be careful when you try to limit a very broad genre to a certain type of style or sound.
More generally, I disagree with your disagreement on Duran Duran. ;)
Duran Duran is new wave. And if it weren't for bands like them, REM and the Smiths, etc, there were many of us that would have never discovered and consequently liked new wave.

We need to keep in perspective that New Wave is a very, very broad spectrum of different types of music that started in the 70s and stretched into the 80s. There is no 'one' New Wave sound.

  new wave
 

    Noun


A style of rock music popular in the 1970s and 1980s, deriving from punk but generally more pop in sound and less aggressive in performance.


When you look at that definition, which is the commonly accepted one, you can see quite a bit of elbow room for many diverse 'styles' and sounds.


I'd even say New Wave stretched into the 90s a little bit. The Cure had "Friday I'm In Love" in 1992 and dare I say "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred was kind of late new wave.  ;D

I'd even say New Wave stretched into the 90s a little bit. The Cure had "Friday I'm In Love" in 1992 and dare I say "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred was kind of late new wave.  ;D

It sure did. Duran Duran even had a couple of big hits in 1993 with "Ordinary World" and "Come Undone." Tears For Fears and New Order also had hits that year ("Break It Down Again" and "Regret", respectively). INXS also remained active into the 90's before the untimely death of Mike Hutchence. :\'(

For me, yes, Duran Duran.

Honorable mentions:
Yaz
ABC
Smiths
REM
Tears for Fears


For me the big three synth acts are:

Duran Duran
Tears For Fears
Depeche Mode

Of course the two of the big three became such a mess with drugs and alcohol in the 90s.  While John Taylor got his life straightened out Dave Gahan wasn't as lucky since he was such a mess during the 90s.  He ODed several times.  John just left the band and went to rehab because he knew that he was going to die if didn't leave the band.
But now he's back and he looks amazing.  :)

For me the big three synth acts are:

Duran Duran
Tears For Fears
Depeche Mode

Of course the two of the big three became such a mess with drugs and alcohol in the 90s.  While John Taylor got his life straightened out Dave Gahan wasn't as lucky since he was such a mess during the 90s.  He ODed several times.  John just left the band and went to rehab because he knew that he was going to die if didn't leave the band.
But now he's back and he looks amazing.  :)


Dave Gahan went from juvenile delinquent to millionaire pop star without much in between.  He was like a teenager who could get anything he wanted.  So he ended up with trashy girlfriends and hard drugs.  He also ended up with azzholes for friends in L.A.  One time he got out of rehab and went to his house to find his "friends" stole everything he owned while he was getting clean.  They even stole the plumbing out of the walls!  He got real bummed out.  Then, according to the man himself, he went and bought himself a big wad of heroin, checked into a swanky hotel, and started doping all over again. I heard about his suicide attempt on Paul Harvey of all places (Paaaul Harve, goooo-day!)  "In spice of fame and fortune and millions of fans all over the world, David Gay-un has tried to kill himself!"
:o

Some good points, however, I think you have to be careful when you try to limit a very broad genre to a certain type of style or sound.
More generally, I disagree with your disagreement on Duran Duran. ;)
Duran Duran is new wave. And if it weren't for bands like them, REM and the Smiths, etc, there were many of us that would have never discovered and consequently liked new wave.

We need to keep in perspective that New Wave is a very, very broad spectrum of different types of music that started in the 70s and stretched into the 80s. There is no 'one' New Wave sound.

  new wave
 

    Noun


A style of rock music popular in the 1970s and 1980s, deriving from punk but generally more pop in sound and less aggressive in performance.


When you look at that definition, which is the commonly accepted one, you can see quite a bit of elbow room for many diverse 'styles' and sounds.

Well, we'll  have to agree to disagree…

For one, in order to define anything, whether it be a genre of music or art or whatever, there must be limits to it, otherwise how can you describe what it is?

To place so many bands into one general category of "New Wave" is diluting what that description of that genre is and makes it that much more difficult to define what it is.

I like to think, despite some definition of what something is (copy pasta definitions from the net doesn't support facts, it just opens more questions to what it really is, commonly accepted by whom, because the internet says so?), that a genre has a finite boundaries.

Who says that new wave is a very broad genre to group some bands? Why do you accept that to be? Who or what authority says there is no specific new wave sound?

Once you can understand how and why you categorize something you can better be able to understand the genre that you're describing.

You have your methods, and I have mine.

Too many times, too many topics on this board assume certain aspects of a band or type of music with little to support to that assumption.

Its great that you and others found about New Wave via Duran Duran, the Smiths and REM, but that doesn't support that those bands are New Wave.

I'm more likely to believe the members of the band itself in what they describe themselves to be than a Wikipedia description or listing. Maybe Simon Le Bon can say that Duran Duran was a New Wave act, but I don't think Michael Stipe or Morrissey would say their bands were.

Now of course, this is a message board, and everyone has their own view, not that yours is wrong, or that mine is wrong, they are just different. 8)

Well, we'll  have to agree to disagree…


Now of course, this is a message board, and everyone has their own view, not that yours is wrong, or that mine is wrong, they are just different. 8)


Agreed.  :)

Dave Gahan went from juvenile delinquent to millionaire pop star without much in between.  He was like a teenager who could get anything he wanted.  So he ended up with trashy girlfriends and hard drugs.  He also ended up with azzholes for friends in L.A.  One time he got out of rehab and went to his house to find his "friends" stole everything he owned while he was getting clean.  They even stole the plumbing out of the walls!  He got real bummed out.  Then, according to the man himself, he went and bought himself a big wad of heroin, checked into a swanky hotel, and started doping all over again. I heard about his suicide attempt on Paul Harvey of all places (Paaaul Harve, goooo-day!)  "In spice of fame and fortune and millions of fans all over the world, David Gay-un has tried to kill himself!"
:o


I had heard about Dave's suicide attempt on Much Music, when they played music videos, and all over a break up with a girlfriend.  :(  Then a few years after that he was preaching about what a selfish prick Kurt Cobain was for ending his life but then he admitted that he was in it himself.  It wasn't untill the early 2000s that he finally got his act together and the band was free to tour again.  At that time I thought "okay you're not one for giving out advice about this issue pal when you can't even keep yourself together."  :o
In John Taylor's case it was Simon Le Bon who warned him about the danger that he was in when he was doping because he was spending all of his time in California.  In every interview that I ever saw JT in past 1986 he always looked so pale and not himself.  I'm still trying to get a copy of John's book In The Pleasure Groove Love Death and Duran Duran.  He's very candid about his drug use.  John was very good at hiding his stuff from everybody whereas Dave Gahan wasn't as good at that.

The Police is IMO the most legendary New Wave band.

I had heard about Dave's suicide attempt on Much Music, when they played music videos, and all over a break up with a girlfriend.  :(  Then a few years after that he was preaching about what a selfish prick Kurt Cobain was for ending his life but then he admitted that he was in it himself.  It wasn't untill the early 2000s that he finally got his act together and the band was free to tour again.  At that time I thought "okay you're not one for giving out advice about this issue pal when you can't even keep yourself together."  :o
In John Taylor's case it was Simon Le Bon who warned him about the danger that he was in when he was doping because he was spending all of his time in California.  In every interview that I ever saw JT in past 1986 he always looked so pale and not himself.  I'm still trying to get a copy of John's book In The Pleasure Groove Love Death and Duran Duran.  He's very candid about his drug use.  John was very good at hiding his stuff from everybody whereas Dave Gahan wasn't as good at that.


I loved Dave's voice and his stage presence, though it was a bit much for me when he started wearing those black leather pants and shaking his moneymaker into the crowd...but the girls and the girly-boys seemed to like it, so no harm done.  For a long time I harbored a suspicion that Dave might be dumb.  In retrospect, I don't think he was dumb, but I think his tastes were rather unsophisticated.  But, WTF, he never claimed he was Morrissey.  Dave also had bad judgment.  I think it was in '84 when he crashed up his Ford Escort because, he said, he wasn't watching the road while he was singing along to "L.A. Woman."  So the paramedics pulled him out of the median strip and he was all cut up and crying.  Then he went out and bought him a Porsche 900.  Well, Dave, do you want to live to be 30 or not?  Dave was also fond of mullets.  He wanted the band to be like Alice In Chains and he told the press, "I think there's always been a lot of Grunge in Depeche Mode."  Aw, Dave, noooooo!  You might make a case for blues, but not grunge.  "Playing the Angel" was the only album worth a damn after SOFAD, IMO.
8)

John Taylor, if I recall correctly, wanted to do harder rock than Nick, Simon, and the others, so he left DD and did Powerstation and stuff.  The thing is, John Taylor was the counterweight to Nick Rhodes's fluff so without him, DD kinda wobbled around all unbalanced. 

I loved Dave's voice and his stage presence, though it was a bit much for me when he started wearing those black leather pants and shaking his moneymaker into the crowd...but the girls and the girly-boys seemed to like it, so no harm done.  For a long time I harbored a suspicion that Dave might be dumb.  In retrospect, I don't think he was dumb, but I think his tastes were rather unsophisticated.  But, WTF, he never claimed he was Morrissey.  Dave also had bad judgment.  I think it was in '84 when he crashed up his Ford Escort because, he said, he wasn't watching the road while he was singing along to "L.A. Woman."  So the paramedics pulled him out of the median strip and he was all cut up and crying.  Then he went out and bought him a Porsche 900.  Well, Dave, do you want to live to be 30 or not?  Dave was also fond of mullets.  He wanted the band to be like Alice In Chains and he told the press, "I think there's always been a lot of Grunge in Depeche Mode."  Aw, Dave, noooooo!  You might make a case for blues, but not grunge.  "Playing the Angel" was the only album worth a damn after SOFAD, IMO.
8)

John Taylor, if I recall correctly, wanted to do harder rock than Nick, Simon, and the others, so he left DD and did Powerstation and stuff.  The thing is, John Taylor was the counterweight to Nick Rhodes's fluff so without him, DD kinda wobbled around all unbalanced.


Oh I know.  It wasn't really DD without him and Andy.  But because Nick and Andy sort of butt heads it really wasn't worth it to them to keep Andy knowing that he and Nick weren't getting along as well as they used to. But Andy did say while he was promoting his book "The Wild Boy: My life with Duran Duran" that he has good memories.
I read on Wikkipedia that part of the reason why he left this time is because the band's management didn't get his travel documents to him in time so that he could go to NY to record the follow up to Astronaught.  :(  The band then felt that he was becoming more and more difficult to work with. 
But I think there's something fishy going on there.  Not that Andy can't take libreties and leave when he wants to.  I hated the way he left. 
John left so that he could get himself back to the point where he could function.  Andy left because he wasn't really getting what it was that he wanted and that was a say in what direction to take the music in?

Oh I know.  It wasn't really DD without him and Andy.  But because Nick and Andy sort of butt heads it really wasn't worth it to them to keep Andy knowing that he and Nick weren't getting along as well as they used to. But Andy did say while he was promoting his book "The Wild Boy: My life with Duran Duran" that he has good memories.
I read on Wikkipedia that part of the reason why he left this time is because the band's management didn't get his travel documents to him in time so that he could go to NY to record the follow up to Astronaught.  :(  The band then felt that he was becoming more and more difficult to work with. 
But I think there's something fishy going on there.  Not that Andy can't take libreties and leave when he wants to.  I hated the way he left. 
John left so that he could get himself back to the point where he could function.  Andy left because he wasn't really getting what it was that he wanted and that was a say in what direction to take the music in?


I always say the last great Duran Duran hit was "Election Day" by Arcadia! 

Here's the thing about Duran Duran, at least in the U.S.  If you were going to school in the podunk suburbs like I was, DD was a girl's band.  The girls could have all the DD locker posters, shirts, pins, key chains, and book covers they wanted, but if you were a guy and you showed up to school in a DD shirt instead of the standard issue Skynyrd, it was "HEY F@G!" and BOOM!  Checked against the lockers!  So I was a closet DD fan.  The thing the redneck dudes could never understand was DD were hetero and banged more babes in one weekend than any of those guys would in a lifetime!

It is interesting comparing DD and DM.  Again, this goes for the U.S.  In 1983, if you asked which band would be selling platinum at the end of the decade, any sane person would have to say Duran Duran.  They seemed unstoppable.  They had top 10 after top 10 hit and all the teenyboppers had their bedrooms smeared in DD.  Even after "People are People" and "Master & Servant" made heavy rotation on MTV, Depeche Mode was still a weird college band who made their synths sound like xylophones and horn sections and sung weirdly introspective lyrics.  DM was the biggest-selling underground band until "Behind the Wheel/Route 66."  By then DD was Duranduran and they were screwing around with "Big Thing" and stuff.  They were still out there, but the girls had moved on to Bon Jovi!
;D

Of course, there were people who didn't like New Wave, a sentiment best expressed by the Dead Milkmen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVGhHdRZJZc

I always say the last great Duran Duran hit was "Election Day" by Arcadia! 

Here's the thing about Duran Duran, at least in the U.S.  If you were going to school in the podunk suburbs like I was, DD was a girl's band.  The girls could have all the DD locker posters, shirts, pins, key chains, and book covers they wanted, but if you were a guy and you showed up to school in a DD shirt instead of the standard issue Skynyrd, it was "HEY F@G!" and BOOM!  Checked against the lockers!  So I was a closet DD fan.  The thing the redneck dudes could never understand was DD were hetero and banged more babes in one weekend than any of those guys would in a lifetime!

It is interesting comparing DD and DM.  Again, this goes for the U.S.  In 1983, if you asked which band would be selling platinum at the end of the decade, any sane person would have to say Duran Duran.  They seemed unstoppable.  They had top 10 after top 10 hit and all the teenyboppers had their bedrooms smeared in DD.  Even after "People are People" and "Master & Servant" made heavy rotation on MTV, Depeche Mode was still a weird college band who made their synths sound like xylophones and horn sections and sung weirdly introspective lyrics.  DM was the biggest-selling underground band until "Behind the Wheel/Route 66."  By then DD was Duranduran and they were screwing around with "Big Thing" and stuff.  They were still out there, but the girls had moved on to Bon Jovi!
;D

Of course, there were people who didn't like New Wave, a sentiment best expressed by the Dead Milkmen:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVGhHdRZJZc


I hadn't given up on DD at that time.  I was 10 when Notorious was released.  13 when Big Thing was released.  I think Nick, John and Simon did what they thought that they could get away with.  It had been several months since Andy and Roger left. 
They weren't as good as they had been after Roger and Andy left.  And the reason why the music wasn't as great as it had been is because they replaced Roger with a DRUM MACHINE!!  I love good music that has dancable beats to it.  Roger was the key to giving the songs dancable beats.  I'm of the thought that if a band's drummer can't provide good dancable beats to it then forget it.  I can't like a band that doesn't have good dancable beats.
I find myself swinging around on my computer armoire chair and dancing to Duran Duran's music because they have good dancable beats that I love to listen to.  They weren't fags anyways.  They were new romatics and they dressed frou frou and did it very well.  :)
Also note that because DD were considered to be a "chick" band guys somehow felt threatened by them.  And by that time John was a full blown junkie addicted to alcohol, cocaine, and ecstacy.  I'm trying to find a copy of John's book In The Pleasure Groove, and Andy's book The Wild Boy: My Life with Duran Duran.  Because I'm really interested in knowing their backgrounds. 
Andy really doesn't have any ill-will towards the band.  I think he and the others just wanted different things for the band and they couldn't agree on a dircetion in which to take the music.
Also I went to a posh school in the middle of the city of Toronto at the time  and I didn't dare talk about the english bands that I liked.  Simply out of fear of being singled out as one who liked "girly bands" so I just kept to my self.  The kids were divided up in to sub groups, the cool kids, the nerds, the jocks and then there was me and the group of kids that I hung out with at school called the wierdos.  I just didn't see the point in trying to make friends based on musical likes because of my fear.
I liked Duran Duran because of the music and being the lookers that they were helped with their image.  :) I am sort of glad that they successfully shed the "teeny bopper" image.  :)

I would also like to add that already being labeled a "wierdo" by the other kids at school made me feel a bit self-concious that I was the odd one out.
So just not talking about the music that I liked to listen to made me feel safe as I was at school.  I hated being the oddball or the wierdo in the school.  I hated being thought of as "different."  Just because it was hard for me to fit in anywhere.  :(

I would also like to add that already being labeled a "wierdo" by the other kids at school made me feel a bit self-concious that I was the odd one out.
So just not talking about the music that I liked to listen to made me feel safe as I was at school.  I hated being the oddball or the wierdo in the school.  I hated being thought of as "different."  :(


Sorry you were called weirdo.  :(

Sorry you were called weirdo.  :(


Oh it's okay. 

My school, at the time, had different groups of kids you had your cool kids, the jocks, the nerds, and then there was me and my group of friends who were called the "weirdos" because we really didn't fit in anywhere.
I didn't necessarily like to socialize with any of the other kids so I just kept to myself about everything about me including the music that I listened to.  :)

What about Percy and The Giants?  I'd say they pretty much revolutionized New Wave.

What about Percy and The Giants?  I'd say they pretty much revolutionized New Wave.


I've never heard of them?

I've never heard of them?

Me neither. I think he might've made them up. I searched for the name on Allmusic.com and there were no matches.

What about Percy and The Giants?  I'd say they pretty much revolutionized New Wave.


Didn't they collaborate with you in writing those Madonna songs you told us about this past summer? ;)

xSkCc3iO9qA

This is a first interview with an unknown Duran Duran.  They're young here and I've figured out how old they are here.

Simon: 23
John and Roger: 21
Andy: 20
Nick: 19

And they're extremely knowledgable about the music industry and they had a clear plan about what they wanted to do and what direction they wanted to take the music in.  No political views, and no preaching to people.  :)

xSkCc3iO9qA

This is a first interview with an unknown Duran Duran.  They're young here and I've figured out how old they are here.

Simon: 23
John and Roger: 21
Andy: 20
Nick: 19

And they're extremely knowledgable about the music industry and they had a clear plan about what they wanted to do and what direction they wanted to take the music in.  No political views, and no preaching to people.  :)


That's where DD took a lot of flack.  People would say to me, "Oh, they're just a bubblegum band."  Well, yeah, they didn't claim to be anything else.  As the boys are saying here, the core of the band is fun and escapism.  The "serious" rock people, especially the snotty critics, had a real problem with this.  How dare you want to have fun.  How dare you want to fantasize.  You're supposed to be angry at the establishment and protesting the plight of the people in the Third World.  I resented the identity politics in pop.  I loved a lot of the message bands, like The Clash, Midnight Oil, and Peter Gabriel, but that didn't make me a serious person anymore than DD made me a fun person. 
::)

That's where DD took a lot of flack.  People would say to me, "Oh, they're just a bubblegum band."  Well, yeah, they didn't claim to be anything else.  As the boys are saying here, the core of the band is fun and escapism.  The "serious" rock people, especially the snotty critics, had a real problem with this.  How dare you want to have fun.  How dare you want to fantasize.  You're supposed to be angry at the establishment and protesting the plight of the people in the Third World.  I resented the identity politics in pop.  I loved a lot of the message bands, like The Clash, Midnight Oil, and Peter Gabriel, but that didn't make me a serious person anymore than DD made me a fun person. 
::)


Oh yeah.  Duran Duran wanted to make music more fun and at the same time not be too preachy to people.  I think that's why the teenaged females were attracted to them.  They were a fun pop rock band with no hidden messages in their music.  They wrote their own songs, four of them played their own instruments.  There's a lot more to D2 than just good looks, which helped their image a bit, but still. 
I think, the critics esp, didn't think that they would last a year and that they would be a one hit wonder band.  But here it is 13, almost 14, albums later and they're still at it.  Even after many lineup changes.  I think people thought that because they started at such a young age, 19-23, that nobody would take them seriously.  I think that after the shed the teeny bopper image I think they knew that they woudl be taken seriously as musicians and artists.  Nick said the female Duranies screaming at their shows was frustrating because it was so loud that they couldn't hear themselves play.  ::)

If you were to ask who the most archetypal New Wave band was,  the answer would be Japan, because they were Duran Duran's chief influence.  But legendary I guess has to be DD.