"None of the Above" is a song by the English pop rock band Duran Duran from their seventh studio album, Duran Duran (1993), commonly known as The Wedding Album. It has been described as an upbeat contemporary pop song with bass-heavy instrumentation and guitar work. In 1994, the song was later released in Japan as a single.
"None of the Above" has been praised by critics, who highlighted its melody, arrangement, the singer Simon Le Bon's vocal performance, and lyrics. Commentators also suggested it could have been released as a single outside Japan.
Composition
"None of the Above" has been described as an upbeat contemporary pop song with "nimble guitar work", according to Annie Zaleski of Ultimate Classic Rock.[1] Mark Elliott of Dig! characterized it as a "bass-heavy ode to self-discovery and empowerment".[2] Paul Sinclair of SuperDeluxeEdition noted that the band were "not trying to sound 'contemporary', just like themselves", and observed that the track follows Nile Rodgers' Chic "rulebook" by beginning with an a cappella chorus. He outlined its structure as moving from verses beginning with "There was a time..." to a break marked by "Can't take this attitude..." before reaching the chorus of "I am I myself alone...". Sinclair also pointed to Warren Cuccurullo's guitar contribution, which becomes prominent at the three-minute mark and continues into the song's closing section.[3]
Release and reception
"None of the Above" first appeared on Duran Duran upon the album's release on 15 February 1993.[4] The following year,[5] the song was issued in Japan as a single in the three-inch CD tanzaku (or "snap-pack") format, which included advertising for the Honda Integra. This release featured a "12-inch Extended Mix" of the track, later retitled the "Driza Bone Mix" when it appeared on the Canadian "White Lines (Don't Do It)" CD single in 1995. However, the "Single Edit" of this remix remains exclusive to the Japanese CD single.[6][7]
"None of the Above" has been praised by several critics. Paul Sinclair of SuperDeluxeEdition called it "one of my favourite Duran Duran songs"[8] and highlighted multiple aspects of its composition, including its "fantastic" verse melody, "superb" vocal performance from the singer Simon Le Bon, and "thoughtful lyric". He further noted that "nothing feels forced in this song, all the different elements fit together like a glove",[3] describing it as delivering "great melody and wonderful bits of arrangement", with "spot on" production.[8] Sinclair also remarked that the track was released as a single in Japan but "really could have (should have?) been a single in the UK",[3] though he found the accompanying twelve-inch "Drizabone Mix" disappointing.[8] Elliott expressed a similar view, describing it as "the single that should have been" and "one of The Wedding Album's strongest melodies".[2] The author Steve Malins referred to "None of the Above", along with other tracks on the album, as "skilfully polished constructs".[9]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Duran Duran. All tracks are produced by Duran Duran and John Jones except where noted.[5][6]
1 2 3 Sinclair, Paul (20 October 2019). "Duran Duran: Deep Cuts". SuperDeluxeEdition. Archived from the original on 24 March 2025. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
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