Duran Duran THE REFLEX Hot 100 Peak: Number One

Full of surrealistic imagery and a tour de force vocal performance by Simon LeBon, the opening track of Duran Duran's Seven and the Ragged Tiger was a bit amorphous on first listen, its disparate elements never quite congealing. But after being given a sleek, yet feisty remix by Chic's Nile Rodgers (who would become a frequent Duran Duran collaborator; he recently blogged about working with them on their forthcoming album) the track became a pop smash. Under Rodgers' guidance, the flinty guitars and popping bass of "The Reflex" played off LeBon's whined "why-y-y-y-yyyy" in a deliriously fun way, and radio programmers took to it as well; "The Reflex" eventually became the MTV darlings' first Number One hit in America. M.J.

Courtesy Rolling Stone magazine