Duran Duran’s John Taylor: “The Day of the [Music] Group Is Almost Gone”

Duran Duran’s famed bassist John Taylor thinks the age of bands and music groups is coming to an end. And it’s hard to not agree with him.

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During a panel Taylor was part of at the Sanremo Music Festival in Italy, the Duran Duran member announced that he thinks “the day of the group is almost gone.” He asked those in attendance, “Were there any groups at the Grammys this year?”

Take a quick look at this year’s Grammy nominees. You’ll see that all of the music groups and bands were reserved for the rock categories. Metallica, Green Day, Pearl Jam, and The Rolling Stones are a few examples. And those groups happen to be bands that have been around for a hot minute. In all other categories, solo acts like Chappell Roan, Kendrick Lamar, and Beyonce dominated the awards this year.

Duran Duran’s John Taylor Predicts a Very Different World of Music in the Future

Taylor went on to note that this shift from music groups to solo artists is very different from what Duran Duran experienced in their heyday. For reference, the pop rock outfit first formed back in 1978.

“We grew up in the Sixties and Seventies and we saw that dynamic play out onstage and on record, where you have equal partners bringing something special to everything that they do, and we haven’t found a way of improving on that,” Taylor continued. “There’s something very special about our chemistry with each other.”

One can’t help but wonder how a band like Duran Duran, in an ever-evolving music industry, has managed to stay together for so many decades. Duran Duran’s frontman, Simon Le Bon, was also present at the panel and offered his take.

“We love the music we make together,” said Le Bon. “Nobody else makes music like we do. We’ve tried doing things on our own, and it just doesn’t seem to be as exciting as when the four of us get together and work.”

The singer went on to say that the band members “make each other laugh” and that such a relationship is really important in a band in terms of longevity.

“When we’re under stress, we laugh our way through it and it keeps everything light and fun,” he continued. 

Considering the music industry is always changing, maybe bands and groups will become popular again soon. We can only hope.

Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

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