Rio
“Her Name Is Rio…”

It was 1981. I was out of high school just a few months, still very much into the new wave scene. KROQ was the dominant radio station. I was already familiar with a band that would be deemed as the “Fab Five”. “Girls On Film” and “Planet Earth” had pushed they way onto the radio and into the ears of us emerging music fans. A new song by Duran Duran played on the radio one day and I knew there was a reason I loved this band:

Duran Duran “My Own Way”

I loved this song and it stuck with me for months. The beat, the sound, the voice… it was all there. I wanted to hear more. But it would be a good 6 months more before we heard anything else new by Duran Duran.

The wait was well worth it. Released in May in 1982, “Rio” hit the charts running. Eventually topping out at double platinum, Rio would be forever known for it’s 80’s sound, not to mention inspiring a slew of other bands [The Killers, Franz Ferdinand] and several related side projects [Arcadia, Power Station] that kept the New Romantic sound flourish.

Over the years, there’s been some line up changes, hiatuses, a reunion and several not-so-monumental musical movements. And through it all, I’m still a big Duran Duran fan. But Rio still stands as that moment that cemented my status as a fan.