Duran Duran's Simon Le Bon has branded the pop charts "dire".

Simon Le Bon

Simon Le Bon

The 'Girls on Film' hitmaker has admitted he prefers to wade through the classics because modern music just isn't doing it for him at the moment.

Speaking to London's Metro newspaper, he confessed: "To be honest, there's not a huge amount of stuff around now that I listen to, nothing that reaches me.

"The charts are pretty dire. So I've been doing quite a lot of retro listening lately."

Meanwhile, the 59-year-old singer also opened up about the dynamic in the 80s pop group - completed by Nick Rhodes and John and Roger Taylor - and says the secret to them staying together for four decades is simply the fact they know they are "worth more" as a collective than solo.

Asked how they've kept at it, despite the departure of guitarist Andy Taylor in 2006, Simon said: "It's the four of us and we know we're not worth as much individually as when we're together.

"The thing that's great to mark is that we stayed together and how much we respect each other, how much we a laugh when we're together.

"That we're careful and value the marriage, that we're considerate of each other - even though I say things that can drive Nick [Rhodes] potty."

When Andy quit the group, the remaining members blamed an "unworkable gulf" between him and the rest of the band for his departure.

In a statement, they said: "As of last weekend, the four of us have dissolved our partnership and will be continuing as Duran Duran without Andy, as we have reached a point in our relationship with him where there is an unworkable gulf between us and we can no longer effectively function together."

Whilst Simon admits they have their creative "differences", they never let it affect their friendship.

He said: "We do have the odd falling out but that's usually in the studio and can be put down to what you'd call musical differences. Once we're out of the studio we can put it behind us."