Duran Duran is celebrating its four decades of music this year — the band’s self-titled debut was released in 1981 — with new programs set to launch on on SiriusXM and Pandora.
“Duran 40,” an exclusive playlist on Pandora, will feature the band’s biggest hits and fan favorites, along with with commentary from the band and special guests. Its new format merges music and talk and will kick off on Jan. 28. Mark Ronson and Nile Rodgers are set to appear and “Duran 40” will be hosted by the BBC’s Claudia Winkleman. Broadcast versions will air on SiriusXM’s Volume (channel 106) and First Wave (channel 33).
Elsewhere at SiriusXM, Simon Le Bon will host “WHOOOSH!,” a weekly show on the Volume channel launching on Jan. 27. Joined by longtime associate Katy Krassner, the two will discuss new music that excites them, picking up from a series that appeared on the Duran Duran site during lockdown. ‘WHOOOSH!’ will also live as a podcast.
“It all began as a lockdown thing,” said Le Bon. “It dawned on me that the only music I was listening to was what I was working on, and the stuff that got me into a band in the first place. So I switched on my ears, and went on a trip down a sonic rabbit hole. What a revelation — there is so much great new talent, so much music out there…. And so a radio show is born.”
Added Scott Greenstein, president and chief content officer of SiriusXM: “Duran Duran is one of the most influential bands of the last 40 years. … Their hit songs, iconic videos, and extensive music catalog have been embraced by multiple generations of fans who can now hear the music and the great stories behind them from the band members themselves and an array of truly special guests.”
The band recently dropped a tribute cover of David Bowie’s “Five Years” and will release the official music video on Jan. 28 at 12 pm ET. Ahead of the premiere (at approximately 11:20 am ET), keyboardist Nick Rhodes will take to the Duran Instagram Live to answer questions from fans and bassist John Taylor will do the same in a live Q&A on the group’s YouTube channel.
To coincide with the band’s 40th anniversary, Duran Duran is scheduled to perform some live dates in the UK and Europe this summer.
