"Ordinary World"
Single by Duran Duran
from the album Duran Duran
B-side"My Antarctica"
ReleasedDecember 1992
StudioPrivacy (Battersea)[1][2]
GenreSoft rock[3][4]
Length
  • 5:39 (album version)
  • 4:43 (single version)
Label
Songwriter(s)Duran Duran
Producer(s)
  • Duran Duran
  • John Jones
Duran Duran singles chronology
"Serious"
(1990) 		"Ordinary World"
(1992) 		"Come Undone"
(1993)
Music video
"Ordinary World" on YouTube

"Ordinary World" is a song by English rock band Duran Duran, released in December 1992 as the first single from their self-titled album (1993), commonly known as the Wedding Album. The ballad reached No. 1 on the US Billboard Top 40/Mainstream chart, the Canadian RPM 100 Hit Tracks chart, and the Italian Singles Chart. It also peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, No. 2 in Iceland and Sweden, and No. 6 on the UK Singles Chart.

The song was nominated for Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically in May 1994. Lead vocalist Simon Le Bon sang the song with Luciano Pavarotti at a benefit concert for War Child. "Ordinary World" remains one of Duran Duran's most popular songs and, in October 2021, was their second-most streamed song in the UK.[5]

About the song

In the United Kingdom, the song was released on 18 January 1993.[6]

The keyboards in the song were arranged and performed by Nick Rhodes and John Jones. The drums were played by Steve Ferrone at Maison Rouge. The guitar solo that characterises this song was arranged and performed by Warren Cuccurullo, former player with Frank Zappa. His instrumental rock trio version became a staple of his solo shows and was included on one of his solo albums "Roadrage". Le Bon noted the song lyrics are about "trying to get over the death of a best friend. And putting it into words freed me, absolutely. It really worked for me emotionally and mentally. Everyone who heard it could apply it to something in their life, but for a different reason."[7]

Le Bon later performed the song with Luciano Pavarotti at a WarChild benefit.[8]

On stage, during the 2023 tour, Le Bon introduced the song stating enigmatically that it had 'saved the life of the band'.[9]

Critical reception

In a retrospective review of "Ordinary World", AllMusic journalist Donald A. Guarisco praised the song for having what he described as "a warm ballad feel, matching elegant verses full of entrancing repeating-note hooks with a rousing chorus built on soaring runs of ascending notes." Guarisco described Simon Le Bon's vocal as being "rich in emotion but tastefully restrained".[10] Upon the release, J. D. Considine from The Baltimore Sun said the success of "Ordinary World" "is nothing short of miraculous — who'd have thought these pretty boys would still be producing memorable singles at this stage of the game?"[11] The Independent praised it as "a classic of transcendent beauty".[12] Cathi Unsworth from Melody Maker declared it as "as sober, melancholy and absurdly touching as you might expect". She added, "Duran Duran lurk in the shadow between the bright lights of now and then. Some of you might find the idea of the pampered, rich, porky Simon Le Bon detailing the world's injustices a mite unpalatable, but somehow the fat boy sounds neither pompous nor patronising, just down on his luck and depressed."[13]

Tony Fletcher for Newsday stated that the "excellently crafted" ballad shows the group "to be capable of delivering the goods. And as an added irony for a band that was introduced by MTV when radio wouldn't touch it, this particular song exploded across radio's many formats before a video was even made."[14] Ann Powers from New York Times declared it as "a smooth yet pathos-ridden ballad".[15] Sam Wood from Philadelphia Inquirer called it a "sober ballad".[16] Andrea Odintz from Rolling Stone felt the "dreamy" song "achieves the almost spiritual effects" of Duran Duran's 1982 hit "Save a Prayer".[17] Peter Howell from Toronto Star remarked that the "ethereal" debut single "has all the earmarks of an unstoppable radio hit".[18] Mark Jenkins from The Washington Post found that such ballads as "Ordinary World" "achieve melodic sufficiency".[19]

Music video

The accompanying music video for "Ordinary World" was directed by Nick Egan at Huntington Gardens in San Marino, California, and the song later featured in the soundtrack to the film Layer Cake in 2004.

Live versions

"Ordinary World" is one of two Cuccurullo-era songs ("Come Undone" being the other) during Duran Duran's reunion tour with Andy Taylor and Roger Taylor. Cuccurullo was brought in to teach Andy Taylor how to play it.[citation needed]

B-sides, bonus tracks and remixes

"My Antarctica", a song from the band's previous album Liberty, featured as the main B-side of the "Ordinary World" single.

Many other older singles were also used as B-sides. To capitalise on the success of "Ordinary World" and the new Duran Duran fans it was finding, EMI used the single's release to lure these new fans to the band's back catalogue. This mini-Decade was spread over the two CD singles released during the campaign.

Other mixes

There were several other versions of "Ordinary World" released:[20]

Track listings

Personnel

Charts

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Italy (FIMI)[61]
sales since 2009 		Gold 35,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[62] Gold 400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[64] Gold 500,000[63]

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States December 1992
  • CD
  • cassette
 Capitol [citation needed]
United Kingdom 18 January 1993
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
[6]
Japan 24 February 1993 Mini-CD EMI [65]

Aurora version

"Ordinary World"
Single by Aurora featuring Naimee Coleman
from the album Dreaming
B-side"Hear You Calling" (remix)
Released11 September 2000 (2000-09-11)[66]
GenreTrance[67]
Length4:26
LabelPositiva
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Sacha Collisson
  • Simon Greenaway
Aurora singles chronology
"Hear You Calling"
(1999) 		"Ordinary World"
(2000) 		"The Day It Rained Forever"
(2000)

British electronic music group Aurora released a trance version of "Ordinary World" featuring Irish singer-songwriter Naimee Coleman in 2000. This version, released on 11 September that year, charted at No. 5 in the United Kingdom, No. 6 in Ireland, and No. 47 in Germany. In the United States, it appeared on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, peaking at No. 37 in June 2001.

Track listings

  1. "Ordinary World" (radio edit) – 4:26
  2. "Ordinary World" (Above & Beyond remix) – 8:25
  3. "Hear You Calling" (Dark Moon remix) – 6:23
A1. "Ordinary World" (Condor remix edit) – 8:01
AA1. "Ordinary World" (Above & Beyond remix edit) – 6:45
AA2. "Ordinary World" (Gizeh remix edit) – 4:54
  1. "Ordinary World" (radio edit) – 4:26
  2. "Ordinary World" (Condor remix) – 9:08
  1. "Ordinary World" (original radio mix) – 4:24
  2. "Ordinary World" (Floorfilla radio cut) – 3:47
  3. "Ordinary World" (club mix) – 9:06
  4. "Ordinary World" (Floorfilla remix) – 6:50
  5. "Ordinary World" (Gizeh mix) – 7:01
  6. "Ordinary World" (DJ Janis vs. Plus One remix) – 8:04
  1. "Ordinary World" (radio edit) – 4:26
  2. "Ordinary World" (extended mix) – 8:16
  3. "Ordinary World" (Condor remix) – 9:08
  4. "Ordinary World" (Above & Beyond remix) – 8:25
  5. "Hear You Calling" (Dark Moon remix) – 6:23

Charts

Chart (2000–2001) Peak
position
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100)[74] 26
Germany (Official German Charts)[72] 47
Ireland (IRMA)[75] 6
Ireland Dance (IRMA)[76] 2
Scotland (OCC)[77] 4
UK Singles (OCC)[78] 5
UK Dance (OCC)[79] 5
US Hot Dance Club Play (Billboard)[80] 37

References

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  2. ^ "Popklassikot 1993: #3 Duran Duran – Ordinary World / Nuorgam". Nrgm.fi. 28 October 2012. Retrieved 14 March 2019.
  3. ^ Courant, Hartford. "CD REVIEWS". Courant.com.
  4. ^ "Nostalgia trip is marked by litany of great hits". Independent.
  5. ^ Griffiths, George (26 October 2021). "Duran Duran's Official Top 20 most-streamed songs revealed". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
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  7. ^ "Duran Duran: There's Something You Should Know (2018) | SHOWTIME". Archived from the original on 23 January 2021. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
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  13. ^ Unsworth, Cathi (16 January 1993). "Singles". Melody Maker. p. 25. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
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