Duran Duran have been awarded the ultimate music video accolade by MTV viewers, who voted the band's legendary clip for their hit single "Rio," The Greatest Video Of All Time.
This is the latest honour for the band who have long been acknowledged as pioneers in this field and are widely recognized for having turned music video-making into an art form.
Lead singer Simon Le Bon said of the award: "We were all extremely honoured to hear that 'Rio' had been named the 'Greatest Video Of All Time,' particularly because it was the MTV viewers who had voted for it. Our relationship with MTV has always been a very special one to us – as we started out together and their support over the years was definitely instrumental in our success."
Le Bon said the video was, "shot on location at a time when very few artists had ventured out of the studio to film their videos. Russell (Mulcahy) did an amazing job – and should share this with us."
Fusing music, art and fashion to an unprecedented degree, Duran Duran transformed videos from what had previously been a simple marketing tool into one of the music industry's most valuable assets. With exotic locations, beautiful girls and stunning visuals, Duran Duran set a whole new standard, breaking the mould and defined an era.
On another Rio related note, on Nov. 4 Eagle Rock Entertainment will release a Rio DVD, the latest addition to the acclaimed Classic Albums series. "Released against a backdrop of riots, record unemployment and the Falklands War this optimistic and celebratory album would generate a string of hit singles and groundbreaking videos and catapult Duran Duran to global stardom. This DVD tells the story behind the writing, recording and subsequent success of the album through newly filmed interviews, musical demonstrations and both new and archive performances."
Photo: myspace.com/duranduran
Material: duranduran.com
