The Reflex

---

title: "The Reflex" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["1983-songs", "1984-singles", "billboard-hot-100-number-one-singles", "capitol-records-singles", "cashbox-number-one-singles", "duran-duran-songs", "dutch-top-40-number-one-singles", "emi-records-singles", "european-hot-100-singles-number-one-singles", "irish-singles-chart-number-one-singles", "music-videos-directed-by-russell-mulcahy", "song-recordings-produced-by-nile-rodgers", "songs-written-by-simon-le-bon", "songs-written-by-nick-rhodes", "songs-written-by-andy-taylor-(guitarist)", "songs-written-by-john-taylor-(bass-guitarist)", "songs-written-by-roger-taylor-(duran-duran-drummer)", "uk-singles-chart-number-one-singles", "ultratop-50-singles-(flanders)-number-one-singles", "music-videos-shot-in-toronto"] description: "1984 single by Duran Duran" topic_path: "arts" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Reflex" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary 1984 single by Duran Duran ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox song"]

Field	Value
name	The Reflex
version	remix
cover	The Reflex.jpg
caption	Dance mix version artwork
type	single
artist	Duran Duran
album	Seven and the Ragged Tiger
B-side	* "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" (live)
released
genre	* Dance-pop
* synth-pop{{cite AV media	url
* new wave<ref name	"Number Ones 2022"
* funk<ref name	"Molanphy 2021"
length	* 5:29 (album version)
* {{Duration	m
label	* EMI
writer	* Simon Le Bon
producer	* Duran Duran
prev_title	New Moon on Monday
prev_year	1984
next_title	The Wild Boys
next_year	1984
misc	{{Extra album cover
type	single
cover	reflex7.jpg
caption	US 7" sleeve
::

| name = The Reflex | version = remix | cover = The Reflex.jpg | alt = | caption = Dance mix version artwork | type = single | artist = Duran Duran | album = Seven and the Ragged Tiger | B-side = * "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" (live)

• "New Religion" (live) | released = | recorded = | studio = | genre = * Dance-pop
• synth-pop
• new wave
• funk | length = * 5:29 (album version)
• 4:25 (single version)
• (dance mix) | label = * EMI
• Capitol | writer = * Simon Le Bon
• John Taylor
• Roger Taylor
• Andy Taylor
• Nick Rhodes | producer = * Duran Duran
• Alex Sadkin
• Ian Little
• remix by Nile Rodgers and Jason Corsaro | prev_title = New Moon on Monday | prev_year = 1984 | next_title = The Wild Boys | next_year = 1984 | misc = {{Extra album cover | header = | type = single | cover = reflex7.jpg | border = | alt = | caption = US 7" sleeve

"The Reflex" is the eleventh single by the English pop rock band Duran Duran, released on 16 April 1984. The song was heavily remixed by Nile Rodgers and Jason Corsaro for the single release. It was the third and last to be taken from their third studio album Seven and the Ragged Tiger (1983). The single became the band's first to reach the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and their second to top the UK Singles Chart. On Billboard's chart, it also became the first of two songs blocking Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark" from reaching number one (along with Prince's "When Doves Cry").

Critical reception

Cash Box wrote: "Spotlighting the slick vocals of Simon Le Bon and the tight Euro-pop rhythms set to a funk beat, 'The Reflex' will certainly cause a stir for current fans and it will probably reach a new, more dance oriented crowd."

Music video

Main photography of the music video for "The Reflex" took place during the Seven and the Ragged Tiger tour at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on 5 March 1984. Director Russell Mulcahy filmed some of the close-up footage in the indoor arena that afternoon, and the band's performance was filmed live during that evening's concert.

B-sides, bonus tracks and remixes

In addition to the 4:26 single remix, the 12" also includes an extended remix of "The Reflex". The live B-side "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" is a cover version of a Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel song, recorded 16 November 1982 at Hammersmith Odeon in London, England, with lead Rebel Steve Harley joining the band onstage.

A second live B-side released on the U.S. single, "New Religion", was recorded on 7 February 1984 at the Forum in Los Angeles, California. This is not the same live version that appears on the album Arena (1984).

Formats and track listings

7": EMI / Duran 2 United Kingdom

1. "The Reflex" – 4:20
2. "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" (live) – 4:54 (recorded live at Hammersmith Odeon, London, 16 November 1982) 12": EMI / 12 Duran 2 United Kingdom
3. "The Reflex" (dance mix) – 6:35
4. "The Reflex" [7" version] – 4:20
5. "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" (live) – 4:54 (recorded live at Hammersmith Odeon, London, 16 November 1982) 7": Capitol / B-5345 United States
6. "The Reflex" (the dance mix—edited) – 4:25
7. "New Religion" (live in L.A.) – 4:52 (recorded live at the Forum, Los Angeles, 7 February 1984)

• The "dance mix—edited" version is the same version as the regular 7". 12": Capitol / V-8587 United States

1. "The Reflex" (dance mix) – 6:35
2. "The Reflex" (the dance mix—edited) – 4:25 '*CD: Part of *Singles Box Set 1981–1985'''''
3. "The Reflex" – 4:20
4. "Make Me Smile (Come Up and See Me)" (live) – 4:54 (recorded live at Hammersmith Odeon, London, 16 November 1982)
5. "The Reflex" (dance mix) – 6:35

Charts

Weekly charts

::data[format=table title="Weekly chart performance for "The Reflex""] | Chart (1984) | Peak position | Australia (Kent Music Report) | Canada Top Singles (The Record) | Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) | France (IFOP) | France (Music & Media) | Italy (Musica e dischi) | Peru (UPI) | Spain (AFYVE) | US Billboard Hot 100 | US Cash Box | |---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---| | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 14 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1 | | | | | | | | | | | | ::

Year-end charts

::data[format=table title="Year-end chart performance for "The Reflex""]

Chart (1984)	Position	Australia (Kent Music Report)	Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)	Canada Top Singles (RPM)	France (IFOP)	Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)	Netherlands (Single Top 100)	UK Singles (OCC)	US Billboard Hot 100	US Cash Box	West Germany (Official German Charts)
34
3
23
40
7
8
17
16
10
59
::

, "The Reflex" was the fourth-most streamed Duran Duran song in the UK.

Certifications and sales

Cover versions

Cover versions have been recorded by Less Than Jake and the duo of Kylie Minogue and Ben Lee.

References

References

1. (14 April 1984). "New Singles".
2. Breihan, Tom. (14 October 2020). "The Number Ones: Duran Duran's "A View to a Kill"".
3. Erlewin, Stephen. (27 October 2023). "Essential Duran Duran: Their 30 greatest songs, ranked". [[The A.V. Club]].
4. Breihan, Tom. (15 November 2022). "The Number Ones: Twenty Chart-Topping Hits That Reveal the History of Pop Music". [[Hachette Book Group]].
5. Molanphy, Chris. (31 July 2021). "What a Fool Believes Edition". [[Slate (magazine).
6. (21 April 1984). "Reviews".
7. "1984".
8. Kent, David. (1993). "[[Kent Music Report". Australian Chart Book.
9. Lwin, Nanda. (1999). "Top 40 Hits: The Essential Chart Guide". Music Data Canada.
10. "UK, Eurochart, Billboard & Cashbox No.1 Hits".
11. "Top-Hebdo – 6 octobre 1984".
12. "Music & Media - 5th November 1984".
13. "Classifiche". [[Musica e dischi]].
14. (24 June 1984). "Las canciones más escuchadas en Latinoamérica". [[La Opinión (Los Angeles)]].
15. Salaverri, Fernando. (September 2005). "Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002". Fundación Autor-SGAE.
16. "Billboard Hot 100 – Week of June 30, 1984".
17. "CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending JUNE 16, 1984".
18. "Kent Music Report No 548 – 31 December 1984 > National Top 100 Singles for 1984". [[Kent Music Report]].
19. "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien.
20. "Jaaroverzichten 1984". [[Ultratop]]. Hung Medien.
21. (5 January 1985). "Top 100 Singles of 1984". [[Library and Archives Canada]].
22. "TOP – 1984".
23. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1984". [[Dutch Top 40]].
24. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1984". [[Single Top 100]]. Hung Medien.
25. (26 January 1985). "Top 100 Singles". Morgan-Grampian plc.
26. "Top 100 Hits for 1984".
27. "The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1984".
28. "Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts: 1984". GfK Entertainment charts.
29. Griffiths, George. (26 October 2021). "Duran Duran's Official Top 20 most-streamed songs revealed". Official Charts Company.
30. "Various Artists – ''The Duran Duran Tribute Album''". AllMusic.
31. (15 April 1999). "Ben Lee and Kylie Minogue Team Up for Duran Duran Cover". MTV.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::