Duran Duran to Feature on Royal Mail Stamps in 45th Anniversary Year

Duran Duran are to be honoured with their own set of Royal Mail commemorative stamps, timed to the 45th anniversary year of their 1981 debut single "Planet Earth" and their first album, "Duran Duran."

The main set of eight stamps will celebrate album covers from across the band's career: "Duran Duran," "Rio," "Seven and the Ragged Tiger," "Notorious," "Duran Duran (The Wedding Album)," "Astronaut," "Paper Gods" and "Future Past."

A miniature sheet of four further stamps will mark the group's live performances, drawing inspiration from tour posters for their Careless Memories Tour, Astronaut Tour, Sing Blue Silver Tour and Invisible Tour.

Bassist John Taylor founded the band in the late 1970s with his childhood friend Nick Rhodes on keyboards. Within two years they were joined by Simon Le Bon on lead vocals, Roger Taylor on drums and Andy Taylor on guitar.

The debut album reached number three in the U.K. charts, while "Planet Earth" broke into the U.K. Top 20 at number 12. It was the third single, "Girls on Film," and its controversial video that brought wider attention, climbing to number five.

A driving force in pop music and style through the 1980s, the group sustained success in the decades that followed with hits including "Hungry Like the Wolf," "Save a Prayer," "Is There Something I Should Know?" "The Reflex," "A View to a Kill" and "Notorious." Duran Duran were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2022.

Since 2007, eight other bands have been honoured with a Royal Mail stamp issue: The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Queen, The Rolling Stones, Iron Maiden, the Spice Girls, The Who and AC/DC.

The Duran Duran stamps will be available for pre-order from Friday, ahead of going on general sale on Sept. 17.