Ultravox - Vienna

What this video is

Released as a single on 9 January 1981, 'Vienna' arrived at the precise moment British post-punk was crystallising into the commercially viable New Romantic and synth-pop movements. Chrysalis Records had considered the track too long and too slow for radio, but the band self-funded the Mulcahy video which proved decisive in breaking the song commercially — it spent four consecutive weeks at number two on the UK…

Why it matters

A foundational text of the synth-pop and New Romantic canon, 'Vienna' is regarded as a staple of the genre that defined early-1980s British pop. The video pioneered the 'mini-movie' promotional format, establishing narrative cinematic language — location shooting, noir lighting,…

The director

Russell Mulcahy (born 23 June 1953, Melbourne, Australia) is an Australian director, writer, and producer who rose to prominence as one of the most innovative music video directors of the early 1980s. He directed the landmark Buggles video 'Video Killed the…