Duran Duran “Duran Duran” 1981. Today’s pull for Earth Day, April 22nd. “Planet Earth,” Duran’s debut single, has always been one of my favorite D2 songs. It reached #21 in the UK and #8 in Australia. The album version of “Planet Earth” on this original US pressing is the “Night Version” rather than the single version. “To the Shore,” which appears on the UK pressing, was not included in order to accommodate the increased length of the Night Version (6:20 vs. 4:03).

Duran Duran reached #3 on the UK charts, remaining in the top 100 for 117 weeks. Its initial release did not do so well in the US but was subsequently re-released (with a different cover and the addition of the single “Is There Something I Should Know”) in on April 25th, 1983 after the phenomenal success of Rio. Duran Duran then made it to #10 on the US Billboard charts.