Duran Duran pay tribute to David Bowie on the fifth anniversary of his death with new cover

As the music world came together to celebrate what would have been David Bowie's 74th birthday on Friday, Duran Duran paid tribute to the music legend and their friend with a cover of 'Five Years.'

The song - which is the opening track from Bowie's classic 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars - reportedly inspired Duran Duran when they were younger to take up instruments and chase the rock 'n' roll dream.

"My life as a teenager was all about David Bowie," frontman Simon Le Bon said in a statement.

"He is the reason why I started writing songs. Part of me still can't believe in his death five years ago, but maybe that's because there's a part of me where he's still alive and always will be.

"When we got the Ziggy Stardust LP and put the needle in the groove, our first taste of its perfection was the song 'Five Years'. I can't begin to explain how honoured I feel for Duran Duran to be given the opportunity to perform this icon, and to place our name alongside Bowie's for this commemoration of his music."

On Friday, Duran Duran performed the song as part of the A Bowie Celebration: Just for One Day - a three-hour live stream concert featuring Adam Lambert, Boy George, Ricky Gervais, and many more.

Bowie died of cancer in 2016, just two days after his 69th birthday.