Number 151: Ultravox - Vienna

For Ultravox, "Vienna" heralded the start of the Midge Ure era. They had just suffered through the exit of brilliant songwriter/lead singer John Foxx, and for a time the very existence of the band was in doubt. Ure took over and moved Ultravox toward the pop end of the New Wave spectrum, replacing Foxx's experimentalism with a more grounded musical aspect. The chart results were quite good, with the 1980 Vienna album reaching a stellar #3 on the UK charts and "Vienna" the single hitting #2 in mid-1981. A string of hits would follow, ensuring the Midge Ure version of Ultravox lasting success. "Vienna" is at #151 on my list.