The New Oldies: #1 Album of the Year 2021: Duran Duran: Future Past

Something seems to be missing these days. It seems that record companies, radio stations, and streaming services are pushing some the great established musicians to the background. As a result these veteran artists are not getting the attention they deserve. Enter the Top 10 Album Countdown: The New Oldies. The main point is simple – to make this list you must have at least 20 years of producing established music. The album by the artist must have been released between November 1st, 2020 and October 31st, 2021.

#1 Duran Duran: Future Past

Duran Duran’s 15th studio album, Future Past captures at the #1 spot on The New Oldies Countdown for 2021.

2021 marked 40 years since Duran Duran released their first album, the eponymous Duran Duran album. Future Past was another 2021 album that was completed following the lockdowns of the COVID pandemic. According to bass player John Taylor many of the lyrics were written prior to the lockdowns, but the darker and emotional themes that were in those lyrics played quite well to the current events of the lockdown period.

One thing Duran Duran has done exceptionally well is to avoid duplicating previous work when they release a new album. Future Past is the name of one of the tracks, but it is an overall theme of the album. There is a retro-Disco vibe with a distinct electronic post-Disco sound. This is reflected in the co-producers whom the band brought in – namely Mark Ronson and Erol Alkin from the contemporary side and the legendary disco producer Giorgio Moroder from the retro-side.

The band also contains three collaborations with modern artists including Ivorian Doll, Chai, and Mike Garson. Ultimately, it’s the quartet of Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, John Taylor, and Roger Taylor that truly shine here. Now heading into a fifth decade, they are showing no signs of slowing down. Le Bon’s voice still is as good as it was in the 1980s, and the tracks remind us that John Taylor is one of the all-time great bass players.

This album simply does not disappoint, and from top to bottom is a masterpiece from Duran Duran. A worthy #1 for the “New Oldies” concept.