Duran Duran

With a name adopted from a character out of the movie Barbarella, Duran Duran is often dismissed as a disposable pop band from the '80s — and with its slick, ridiculous videos featuring half-dressed exotic women and phallic imagery, it's easy to understand why. Since that era, the act has continued to have hit songs in each decade. Fortunately, it's not just nostalgia that secures the group's place in history. Duran Duran was the most successful of the so-called "new romantic" bands to have ridden the new wave to stardom. This would have meant nothing were it not for its string of solid, catchy songs underscored by impressive musicianship, especially that of bassist John Taylor. Drawing inspiration from the more compositionally adventurous glam bands of the '70s, especially Roxy Music, upon closer listen, Duran Duran reveals sinuously intricate, powerful rhythms and a flawless ear for a tuneful melody.