Hungry Like The Wolf – Duran Duran | Top 40 Chart Performance, Story and Song Meaning

Chart Performance: Pop(#3), Mainstream Rock(#1) and Hot Dance/ Disco(#36) – Club Play; 1983

Story Behind The Song By Ed Osborne

Formed in 1978 in Birmingham, England, Duran Duran founding members Nick Rhodes (keyboards) and John Taylor (guitar, later bass) weathered the coming-and-goings of other musicians before settling in with a line-up that included guitarist Andy and drummer Roger Taylor (unrelated), and singer Simon Le Bon. DD began its world conquest in early 1981 with the release of the #12 single, Planet Earth. Careless Memories and Girls On Film followed, the latter helped to #5 by a rather racy video. The band’s Bowie/Roxy Music pretensions propelled Duran Duran to the forefront of the New Romantic movement. Starting in June of 1981, Duran Duran spent over two years on the UK album chart, a feat duplicated by LP #2, Rio. The first single off Rio – My Own Way – went to #14 before Hungry Like The Wolf hit #5. Six months later, at Christmastime 1982, Wolf wound up on the US list and the Fab Five invasion of America had begun.

This content and all Song Meaning articles were created and written by Top 40 Contributing Editor Ed Osborne. © 2023 Ed Osborne. All Rights Reserved. In addition to these song meaning articles, Ed has written our “Year in Music 1960s-1990s” articles.

Produced by:

• Colin Thurston

Lyrics Written by:

• Nick Rhodes
• Simon Le Bon
• John Taylor
• Roger Taylor
• Andy Taylor

Awards:

• Grammy Awards Best Short Form Music Video (1984)
• Grammy Awards Best Video, Short Form for “Girls On Film/Hungry Like The Wolf” (1984)
• ASCAP Pop Music Awards Best Group (Silver) (1985)
• Brit Awards Best British Video for “Wild Boys” (1985)
• Brit Awards Outstanding Contribution To Music (2004)
• Nominated Best Single for “Hungry Like the Wolf” at the 1982 BPI Awards