A synth-pop, new wave and pop rock album with musical elements such as disco and funk, Rio is mostly composed of fast, upbeat numbers, with some slower synthesiser-based ballads.

[a][5] According to bassist John Taylor, the demo of "Last Chance on the Stairway" was identical to the final album version, while "My Own Way" and "New Religion" both had different arrangements.

[12] EMI wanted a new single,[13] so the band returned to England and taped a new version of "My Own Way", boasting disco and American R&B-influenced production,[10] with "Like an Angel" as the B-side.

[5][9] John Taylor played fretless bass on "Lonely in Your Nightmare",[7] while lead vocalist Simon Le Bon added vibraphone and marimba to "New Religion" and "Last Chance on the Stairway", respectively.

[5] The track's opening was created when Rhodes dropped metal rods onto the strings of the studio's grand piano and flipped the tape over, reversing the sound.

During downtime, Rhodes retreated to an auxiliary studio room with Blauel, their tape operator, and crafted a track using keyboards, synthesisers, the sound of an ice cube cracking and a conversation about nature for extra effects.

"[5] The band were contracted to finish mixing the album by the end of March 1982 and were due to fly to Sri Lanka to film music videos before their tour of Australia commenced in mid-April.

"[7] The band's influences at the time included Roxy Music,[27][22] David Bowie, Japan, pre-Dare Human League and 1970s UK guitar rock.

[7] In a nod to artists such as Joy Division and the Doors' Jim Morrison, the lyrics of Rio touch on topics from chasing one's dreams and finding one's place in the world, to pursuing a love interest and providing solace to a friend—mainly using dark and poetic words.

[5] While visiting Brazil, he was fascinated with the idea of exotica, stating in his memoir: "Rio [de Janeiro], to me, was shorthand for the truly foreign, the exotic, a cornucopia of earthly delights, a party that would never stop.

"[16] Author Elena G. Millie described her as the "quintessential" 1980s woman: "elegant and sophisticated, alluring but cool, stark but sensual, mysterious, contradictory and utterly contemporary".

[34] The original drawing hung at Paul Berrow's office at the Rum Runner before the band stole it on their way to appear on Top of the Pops, after which the members each took turns hanging it in their respective houses or apartments.

[11] Garrett used the sleeve to establish a distinctive system of visual elements that provided "conceptual continuity" across Rio's advertising, tour materials, merchandise and singles, which he also supervised.

[11] The Sri Lanka videos emphasised the exotic location; "Hungry Like the Wolf" saw Le Bon cast as an Indiana Jones-type character, while "Save a Prayer" utilised elephants and found the band atop a mountain inspecting stone temples.

[50] Andy Taylor states in his memoir that the new mix gave the album "a smoother, cleaner sound" for US audiences, who were used to more polished feel than what was developed in the UK.

"[42] Due to a lack of notice and a financial falling out with Paul Berrow, Thurston parted ways with the band, making Rio his final work with the group.

"[61] In The Village Voice, Robert Christgau deemed the LP "Anglodisco at its most solemnly expedient", feeling that "it lacks even the forced cheerfulness" of Haircut 100, and that "if it had as many hooks as A Flock of Seagulls (not bloody likely) it still wouldn't be silly enough to be any fun".

Writing for Smash Hits, Fred Dellar gave praise to the first three tracks, commenting that they "had me jotting down theories about the new golden age of pop", but by the LP's end, it turned into "yet another well-dressed but not totally satisfying album".

[60] In The Philadelphia Inquirer, Jack Lloyd wrote that Rio "indicates a strong feel for the pop market" and gave positive mentions to the instrumentation and accessible music.

[49] A particularly positive review came from Melody Maker, wherein Steve Sutherland proclaimed Rio "the true culmination of the much-misunderstood New Romanticism – energetic, proud, enthusiastic, joyous; something to escape FULLY into".

[65] Additional UK acts, including Wham!, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Pet Shop Boys and Dead or Alive, found American success in the ensuing years, alongside other bands who originated in small clubs like Duran Duran—the Cure, Depeche Mode, the Psychedelic Furs and Echo & the Bunnymen.

"[66] John Taylor felt Rio helped the band establish longevity beyond the 1980s, leading to a career spanning 15 albums and more than 100 million record sales.

[k] Beyond the 2000s, commentators agreed the album has aged well,[l] with AllMusic's Ned Raggett asserting that "its fusion of style and substance ensures that even two decades after its release it remains as listenable and danceable as ever".

[70] Pitchfork's Tom Ewing, who gave negative assessments to their debut and their follow-up studio album Seven and the Ragged Tiger (1983), stated that Rio "is where the band's hunger for success really catalyzed its mix of rock, disco, and heartthrob pop".

Le Bon handles tantalizing melodies and obtuse lyrics with confidence, while honestly proficient musicianship by the other four defines each song's character differently.

There isn't anything less than good, and "Rio", "Last Chance on the Stairway" and "New Religion" are startling in their melodic excellence.The band members' performances and instrumentation have been highlighted,[51][74] with Raggett stating that "the quintet integrates [their] sound near-perfectly throughout".

"[69] Despite its praise, several commentators have taken issue with Le Bon's lyrics, arguing they lack literal meaning and range from "absurd" and "sublime", but agree that the singer's confident vocal performances offer bouts of connotation.

[n] In 2006, Ernest Simpson of Treblezine wrote that with the Clash's London Calling (1979), "rarely does an album cover truly fit the style and attitude within" and Rio's "not only encapsulated the slick new wave of the stylish band, but also the early '80s in general".

[19][20] Despite its acclaim, Malins finds that Rio is often not as highly revered as other records of the time, such as ABC's The Lexicon of Love, the Human League's Dare and Simple Minds' New Gold Dream (81–82–83–84).

[86] This release contained Enhanced CD material featuring the music videos for "Rio", "Hungry Like the Wolf" and "Save a Prayer", plus memorabilia and a link to the band's official website.