Duran Duran Never Met the Artist Behind Their Iconic ‘Rio’ Cover

The album artwork for Duran Duran’s Rio is an iconic part of ‘80s history. But despite its status as one of the era’s most recognizable covers, the band never got to meet its creator. It was Patrick Nagel who came up with the distinctive image. Duran Duran was introduced to his work by their manager, and Nagel's vivid pop art style immediately caught their attention. “[Our manager] was an avid reader of Playboy magazine,” Duran Duran keyboardist Nick Rhodes recalled during a recent appearance on the Rockonteurs podcast. “Because Nagel used to do all the early illustrations around then, the...