Every year, the members of Duran Duran unveil their top picks in books, movies, music, and more—a tradition that offers fans a sneak peek into their off-stage passions. Known for his eclectic love of music, reading and sailing, Simon Le Bon never disappoints, so check out the books that sparked his imagination, the films that resonated with him, and the music that struck a chord.
To read more about Simon’s favorite things, visit the official Duran Duran website.
2024
- Favorite Events: Cruel World festival, the Halloween show at Madison Square Garden, receiving an MBE from Prince William at Windsor Castle, sailing, and the birth of his third grandson, Nakoa.
- Favorite Movie: The original Blade Runner and Dune Part 2. “I didn’t enjoy it as much as the first one, just like the book… The visuals of the movie are incredible, I’ll tell you that.”
- Favorite TV: Watched a lot of sport. The fourth season of Slow Horses, Shogun, animated Netflix series Blue Eyed Samurai. “It’s really clever. And it’s for adults!”
- Favorite Book: Lisa Jewell books, The Third Wife
- Best podcast: “I love true crime podcasts.” Assume Nothing, Murder in the Stables and Diddy on Trial “It’s so lurid though.”
- Best Music: Reno McCarthy’s Deja. Foushee’s Pointy Heights
- Most memorable Duran Duran event: Duran Duran playing Madison Square Garden on Halloween.
- Most looking forward to in 2025: “Going on holiday. Being in my house finally, Amber having her baby. Some more shows being booked and maybe working on new music.”
2023
- Favorite Events: Krassner-Hughes family visiting the UK. “All of them sitting in the back, at the Cottage, with my daughter Saffron, her partner Benji and their little boys Skye and Taro.”
- Favorite TV: Under the Banner of Heaven
- Favorite Book: The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell and Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.
- Best podcast: “I did one with Bernie, John’s bass tech. It’s called “Is Breakfast Included,” and I enjoyed it.”
- Best Music: Yaeji and Lea Sen, Jasmine by Arlo Parks. And our Black Moonlight.
- Most memorable Duran Duran event: The American tour and the special show we did for Andy in California.
- Most looking forward to in 2024: Playing more shows. Maybe an album project.
2022
- Events: The death of Queen Elizabeth’s reign.
- Favorite Movie: The Outfit
- Favorite TV: Slow Horses staring Gary Oldman
- Favorite Book: SAS Rogue Heroes by Ben MacIntyre.
- Favorite Podcast: BBC podcasts
- Favorite Drink: A Sloegasm. “Beware, you can’t drink too many.”
- Best Music: Baby Drummer by Bad Nerves, Bad Disease by Stiff Richards, Wine Lips Eyes, Billy Big Bollocks from Bilk, Tennis by Courting.
- Most memorable Duran Duran event: Being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by Robert Downey Jr and singing with Dolly Parton.
- Most looking forward to in 2023: Duran Duran tour dates
2021
- Events: The Euro football match that the UK came close to winning, getting the album FUTURE PAST ready, and the shows Duran Duran played in 2021.
- Favorite Book: Devil and the Dark Water “but a crap ending”
- Favorite TV: The Outlaws, Queens Gambit “I love Anya Joy-Taylor! She should play me in a movie.”
- Favorite Podcast: true crime podcasts
- Best Music: Wet Leg “Chaise Longue“
- Most memorable Duran Duran event: BBC Radio concert series
- Most looking forward to in 2022: Summer and playing shows
“Chaise Longue”? Ummm… Okay Simon.
2020
- Events: George Floyd and Black Lives Matter movement. Listened to a lot of new band and artists.
- Favorite Movie: Jojo Rabbit
- Favorite Book: Milkmen. Set of 9 books by Len Deighton (listened to audiobooks of all 9)
- Best Music: FOR THOSE I LOVE “I Have a Love.” Sinead O’Brien, Blood Orange, Caveman, Working Men’s Club.
- Best Podcast: The Missing Cryptoqueen. “I am very pleased, and invested in WHOOOSH!, my show with Katy.”
- Best TV: The Queens Gambit
- Hope to never happen again: Corona Virus. Lockdown.
- Most looking forward to in 2021: Releasing new album, playing new shows, getting on the road with Duran Duran. Hyde Park on July 11.
2019
- Events: “My 60th birthday bash with family and close friends. My girls sang to me and on the last day we got on a boat with a disco and danced-danced-danced.” Man U beating Man City at Man City Stadium.
- Best Book: The Stopping Places. Audible original “West Cork”
- Favorite Movie: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Kenneth Branagh’s All Is True. The Hummingbird Project.
- Best Music: Amy Winehouse. “I listened to Valerie on the way home today.”
- Best TV: Chernobyl, Giri/Haji, Russian Doll, “about a Tokyo detective sent to London. I will say that “I was very disappointed by the end of Game of Thrones.
- Best Podcast: Whoosh! BBC podcast “The Missing Crypto Queen”
- Most memorable Duran Duran event: Playing at NASA. Our September tour, playing KaaBoo Del Mar.
- Most looking forward to in 2020: Isle of Wight on June 14. New Duran Duran album!
2018
- Events: The birth Taro Compston-Le Bon (Simon’s grandson) and Duran Duran back in the Studio.
- Favorite Movie: All the Money in the World
- Favorite TV: Trust, a 10-part television series with Hillary Swank & Donald Sutherland about the Getty family. A Very British Scandal with Hugh Grant & Ben Whishaw. Killing Eve with Sandra Oh.
- Favorite Book: The Stopping Places by Damian Le Bas, Reamde by Neal Stevenson, Audiobooks: “Places in the Darkness” by Chis Brookmyre, The Loney by Andrew Michael Hurley, Chaos Walking Trilogy by Patrick Ness.
- Best Music: Seeing the Rolling Stones in May at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park
- Most looking forward to in 2019: Next season of Game of Thrones and Duran Duran shows at KAABOO Cayman, and in Miami, Las Vegas and New Orleans.
- Most memorable Duran Duran event: Loved the fragrance launch, the BBC4 documentary:
2017
- Events: Harry getting engaged to Meghan Markle. Personally: mom passing away “It was a tough year for this family.”
- Favorite Movie: Blade Runner 2049
- Favorite TV: Peaky Blinders, Game of Thrones, Stranger Things seasons 1
- Favorite Book: The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry, audiobook Andy Weir’s Artermis as read by Rosaria Dawson.
- Best Music: Leon Bridges River, Harry Styles Sign of the Times, Rolling Stones blues album, folk music, Flyte and London Grammar
- Most memorable Duran Duran event: playing Lollapalooza in Buenos Aires.
- Most looking forward to in 2018: the next Duran Duran project, the band’s 40th-anniversary celebrations, and starting a new year.
2016
- Events: Brexit, the war in Syria, The Olympics, Andy Murray winning and becoming world’s number one tennis player, President Elect Trump. “I wasn’t a big fan of either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, but at least Trump came to a Duran Duran show.”
- Favorite TV: The Missing, Vikings, Penny Dreadful, The Bridge
- Favorite Book: The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry, A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James. One Big Damn Puzzler by John Harding
- Best Music: Plan B and Tame Impala, Beyonce’s Lemonade
- Most memorable Duran Duran event: The Paper Gods tour
- Most looking forward to in 2017: the next Duran Duran tour, playing more shows
2015
- Events: Brexit, the war in Syria, President Elect Trump. “I wasn’t a big fan of either Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, but at least Trump came to a Duran Duran show.” The Olympics, Andy Murray winning and becoming world’s number one tennis player
- Favorite TV: True Detective “I LOVED it even if Matthew McConaughey mumbles too much for my liking.” Broadchurch, Season 2 of Fargo.
- Favorite Book: A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James
- Favorite Movie: Whiplash
- Best Music: Paper Gods, Maarja Nuut, Tame Impala’s Currents
- Most memorable Duran Duran event: Red Rocks “It felt like some ancient alien culture had just left their space ship there.” The FOLD Festival with Janelle, Nile performing with us at the Hollywood Bowl, Lindsay at the O2.
- Most looking forward to in 2016: “I would like a little bit more world stability in 2016. I want to express our sympathy and empathy with Eagles of Death Metal and all music lovers who had their bubble popped that night at the Bataclan Theatre, and of course, the families of all the people killed that night.”
2014
- Events: My dad’s 80th birthday party
- Favorite TV: Happy Valley
- Favorite Book: Patrick Melrose novels “If you’re going to read them, start with “Never Mind.”
- Favorite Movie: Cold in July starring Katy’s friend Don Johnson. Winter’s Bone with Jennifer Lawrence
- Best Music: Leonard Cohen, Fleetwood Mac, London Grammar’s “If You Wait”, Maarja Nuut
- Most looking forward to in 2015: The new album
- Most memorable Duran Duran event: Fashion Rocks
Year in Review interviews (C) Simon Le Bon, John Taylor, Nick Rhodes, Roger Taylor, DuranDuran.com