History Music / Ultravox

!!!John Foxx era

!!!Midge Ure era

!!!Billy Currie era

!!!Classic Lineup reunion

[[caption-width-right:350: The '80s lineup.[[note]]From L-R: Warren Cann (drums), Midge Ure (vocals/guitar), Chris Cross (bass), Billy Currie (keyboards/violin)[[/note]]]]

* ''Quartet'' (1982)

* LoudnessWar: [[AvertedTrope Averted]] with the 1998-2000 and 2008-2009 remasters of the Ure-era output, which never dip below [=DR10=] on the studio albums and [=DR9=] on the 2008-2009 releases' bonus discs. The Foxx-era albums' 2006 remasters, while not as good, are still generally quite decent, ranging from [=DR8=] to a healthy [=DR11=].

* ''Rage in Eden'' (1981)

* ''Vienna'' (1980)

''Ultravox'' is a British [[NewWaveMusic New Wave]] band, known primarily for their '80s hits such as "Vienna" and "Dancing With Tears in My Eyes". Their best-known lineup includes vocalist Midge Ure, keyboardist Billy Currie, bassist Chris Cross, and drummer Warren Cann.

The band has gone through two significant phases of their career, the first as a five-piece with lead singer John Foxx. They formed in 1974 as a GlamRock band under the name Tiger Lily before becoming [[ExcitedShowTitle Ultravox!]] in 1976 and releasing their self-titled debut in 1977, produced by Music/BrianEno and Steve Lillywhite. Their sound was closer to Music/RoxyMusic and Music/DavidBowie, but their follow-up ''Ha!-Ha!-Ha!'' later that year was aggressive PunkRock that incorporated synthesizers. They dropped the exclamation point from their name for their third album, ''Systems of Romance'' - while none of their records took hold in the charts, ''Systems of Romance'' took the band in a more synth-driven, romantic direction that heavily influenced the burgeoning NewRomantic scene. Foxx left the band shortly after to pursue a moderately successful solo career.

Following Foxx's departure, Scottish GlamRock and SynthPop veteran Midge Ure joined the band as frontman, himself a fan of ''Systems of Romance'' and a former bandmate of Currie from Visage. Where Foxx was an enigmatic, detached frontman, Ure was more dramatic and aristocratic in his delivery. Their next album ''Vienna'' picked up where ''Systems'' left off, and it scored the band their first and most enduring major hit with the title track. What followed was a six year run of top 10 albums and a second enduring 80s hit, "Dancing With Tears in My Eyes".

In 1984, Ure helped co-write the Band Aid charity single "Do They Know it's Christmas" and released a solo album the year after while the band was taking a break. They returned with ''U-Vox'', but after the sacking of Warren Cann and replacement by Big Country's Mark Brzezicki, the band felt the record was "unfocused", and Ure and Chris Cross left the band. Billy Currie headed the band until finally calling quits in 1988. He attempted a revival in 1992 with none of the other original members and recorded two more albums (changing the lineup again between the first and second 90's albums) before the project dissolved a second time.

* ArtisticLicensePhysics: The video for "Dancing with Tears in My Eyes" has a nuclear power plant meltdown causing a nuclear explosion, [[https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2011/03/why-a-nuclear-reactor-will-never-become-a-bomb/ which is impossible in real nuclear reactors]] because they use low-enriched uranium and nuclear reactors employ safeguards so that the chain reaction for a nuclear explosion doesn't occir.

* ArtisticLicensePhysics: The video for "Dancing with Tears in My Eyes" has a nuclear power plant meltdown causing a nuclear explosion, which is impossible in real nuclear reactors.

* InTheStyleOf: "Mr. X" pastiches the style of Creator/{{Kraftwerk}}.

In 1984, Ure helped co-write the Band Aid charity single "Do They Know it's Christmas" and released a solo album the year after while the band was taking a break. They returned with ''U-Vox'', but after the sacking of Warren Cann and replacement by Big Country's Mark Brzezicki, the band felt the record was "unfocused", and Ure and Chris Cross left the band. Billy Currie headed the band until finally calling quits in 1988. He attempted a revival in 1992 with none of the other original members and recorded two more albums before the project dissolved a second time.

* InNameOnly: The 90's incarnation of the band, a pop-rock unit consisting of a totally new lineup save for Billy Currie.

* NewSoundAlbum: ''Vienna'' and ''Revelation''; ''Brill!ant'' is an unusual example in that it brings the band's sound back to what they were known for throughout the 80's.

* PostPunk

Ultravox spontaneously reformed with the classic lineup of Ure, Currie, Cross and Cann in 2009 for a reunion tour. While the band insisted they were not recording new material, their eleventh album ''Brill!ant'' was released in 2012.

* ThePeteBest: Foxx, in a rare case of this happening with a band that had already been signed and released several albums (to modest success and critical acclaim, to be fair). After he left, the band had its first-ever hit singles with Midge Ure at the mike, and remained fixtures of the UK pop charts for several years. Foxx's solo career brought him some minor hits, and he withdrew from music for a time after 1985.

* SignatureSong: "Vienna"

''Ultravox'' is a London [[NewWaveMusic New Wave]] band, known for such 80s hits as "Vienna" and "Dancing With Tears in My Eyes". Their best-known lineup includes vocalist Midge Ure, keyboardist Billy Currie, bassist Chris Cross, and drummer Warren Cann.

The band has gone through two significant phases of their career, the first with original lead singer John Foxx. They formed in 1974 as GlamRock band Tiger Lily before becoming [[ExcitedShowTitle Ultravox!]] in 1976 and releasing their self-titled debut in 1977, produced by Music/BrianEno and Steve Lillywhite. Their sound was closer to Music/RoxyMusic and Music/DavidBowie, but their follow-up ''Ha!-Ha!-Ha!'' later that year was aggressive PunkRock that incorporated synthesizers. They dropped the exclamation point from their name for their third album, ''Systems of Romance'' - while none of their records took hold in the charts, ''Systems of Romance'' took the band in a more synth-driven, romantic direction that heavily influenced the burgeoning NewRomantic scene. Foxx left the band shortly after to pursue a moderately successful solo career.

[[caption-width-right:350: The classic lineup.[[note]]From L-R: Warren Cann (drums), Midge Ure (vocals/guitar), Chris Cross (bass), Billy Currie (keyboards)[[/note]]]]

->''It means nothing to me,\\

Ultravox spontaneously reformed with the classic lineup of Ure, Currie, Cross and Cann in 2009 for a reunion tour. While the band insisted they were not recording new material, their eleventh album ''Brill!ant'' was released in 2012. The band are still performing today.

* ShoutOut: The exclamation point in Ultravox! was a reference to {{Krautrock}} band Music/{{Neu}}, an influence on the early band and with whom their future producer Connie Plank worked.

[[caption-width-right:350: The classic lineup.[[note]]From L-R: Warren Cann (drums), Midge Ure (vox), Chris Cross (bass), Billy Currie (keyboards)[[/note]]]]

[[caption-width-right:350:The classic lineup.[[note]]From L-R: Warren Cann (drums), Midge Ure (vox), Chris Cross (bass), Billy Currie (keyboards)[[/note]]]]

The band has gone through two significant phases of their career, the first with original lead singer John Foxx. They formed in 1974 as GlamRock band Tiger Lily before becoming [[ExcitedKidsShowTitle Ultravox!]] in 1976 and releasing their self-titled debut in 1977, produced by Music/BrianEno and Steve Lillywhite. Their sound was closer to Music/RoxyMusic and Music/DavidBowie, but their follow-up ''Ha!-Ha!-Ha!'' later that year was aggressive PunkRock that incorporated synthesizers. They dropped the exclamation point from their name for their third album, ''Systems of Romance'' - while none of their records took hold in the charts, ''Systems of Romance'' took the band in a more synth-driven, romantic direction that heavily influenced the burgeoning NewRomantic scene. Foxx left the band shortly after to pursue a moderately successful solo career.

The band has gone through two significant phases of their career, the first with original lead singer John Foxx. They formed in 1974 as GlamRock band Tiger Lily before becoming [[ExcitedKidsShowTitle Ultravox!]] in 1976 and releasing their self-titled debut in 1977, produced by Music/BrianEno and Steve Lillywhite. Their sound was closer to Music/RoxyMusic and Music/DavidBowie, but their follow-up ''Ha!-Ha!-Ha!'' later that year was aggressive PunkRock that incorporated synthesizers. While none of these records took hold in the charts, their third album ''Systems of Romance'' took the band in a more synth-driven, romantic direction that heavily influenced the burgeoning NewRomantic scene. Foxx left the band shortly after to pursue a moderately successful solo career.

In 1984, Ure helped co-write the Music/BandAid