On November 5, 2022, Duran Duran was formally inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Although there are undoubtedly rock purists who would question their inclusion, I believe that their nomination and induction is justly deserved.
Without question, Duran Duran is one of the defining bands of the New Wave movement. Their fusion of synths and funky rhythm coupled with subtly skilled guitar work and iconic vocals found favor with both MTV and radio.
From those first electro-beats of “Planet Earth” to the high-pitched laugh of “Hungry Like the Wolf,” to the dream-like guitar of “Come Undone,” Duran Duran has been crafting catchy, ear-worm worthy songs for over four decades.
Numerous bands have cited them as an influence (1) or covered their songs (2) and millions have watched their ground-breaking videos, bought their albums, or attended their concerts.
I count myself among those millions of fans although my admiration for Duran Duran was, admittedly, a little intense. I was a Duranie—one of those countless screaming girls who treated the boys from Birmingham in much the same way that the Beatles were treated.
Bedroom filled with posters and pictures of the band ✅
Buttons, t-shirts, import albums, and other merch✅
Seeing multiple concerts✅
Camping outside their NYC hotel in 1984 in the hopes of grabbing a photo or autograph✅
But, I also did something a little different than most other Duranies—I worked on a fanzine for Duran Duran. Duranzine as it was called was the brainchild of a friend who lived in Manhattan. We’d become friendly through a mutual pen pal, and the three of us along with another friend produced a little xeroxed magazine with a cut/pasted layout featuring news, gossip, stories, and chatter about a beloved band.
We were even interviewed once by a local Manhattan cable channel about our little fanzine!
Our little magazine was also combined into a book and published without our consent and without compensation, but copies of it exist on the used book market. If you happen to pick up a copy and read a silly little story about “Superfrog,” you’ll see my contribution.
Some of my best memories from the 1980s came about as a result of my love for Duran Duran and Duranzine. And, although it’s been years since I’ve spoken with most of the people I once chatted with on a near-constant basis, I still remember all of them fondly.
Tonight, while I’ll be watching HBO’s broadcast of Duran Duran’a induction ceremony, I’ll be drinking a toast to Duran Duran and to Duranzine and to all of the friends with whom I shared so many fun-filled hours listening to albums, day-dreaming about how cute the band members were, or perfecting a great New Romantic look to mirror the band’s.
Thank you Duran Duran for being part of the soundtrack to my life! Duranies Unite!
1. Apple devised a playlist of bands influenced by Duran Duran. I’m sure there are many others beyond what is listed here: https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/inspired-by-duran-duran/pl.d1e72007ef0a45e281f0ed8be1abe158
2. There are hundreds of covers of Duran Duran songs across different genres, including metal as this article demonstrates: https://metalinjection.net/editorials/back-in-the-day/the-14-most-metal-duran-duran-covers-from-around-the-world
Gen X Calling 