Duran Duran Rio

"[T]he Durannies take new-romantic pop to the masses with lush, synth-driven choruses and lavish videos..."
Ranked #98 in Q's "100 Greatest British Albums" - "...Defined early '80s aspirational glamour, comprising 9 trashily addictive tunes..."
"[T]he Taylors, drummer Roger and guitarist Andy, laid down an aggressively grooving foundation over which vocalist Simon LeBon and keyboardist Nick Rhodes dropped candy-coated bits of melody and insouciant jet-set attitude."
Ranked #13 in CMJ's "Top 20 Most-Played Albums of 1982".
Ranked #1 in CMJ's "Top 20 Most-Played Albums of 1982".
4 stars out of 5 -- "Originally released in 1982, today both the Chic-inspired basslines and aspirational lyrics of RIO seem utterly contemporary..."
Paste (magazine) - "[I]t's the band's greatest achievement....[The] subtle aesthetic shift from New Romanticism to synthpop -- coupled with the band's video success on MTV -- made them a smash and helped usher in the Second British Invasion."
Pitchfork (Website) - "RIO isn't just front-loaded with some of the era's most bulldozing hits, it's still Duran's best shot at an artistic legacy."
5 stars out of 5 -- "1982's RIO was and remains one of the 80s' finest pop statements..."
3 stars out of 5 -- "Duran Duran gave some thought to their 12" singles...[and] -- the biggest achievement of all -- laying down mixes which don't sound embarrassing two decades later."