The Austro-Hungarian empire was, as empires go, comparatively short-lived. It began in 1867 with the Ausgleich – the "Compromise" – that saw the old Austrian and Hapsburg empire transmogrified into a new Austria-Hungary, a strange hybrid empire with a dual monarchy whose imperial life ended in 1918 with defeat in the first world war. In fact, Austria-Hungary contained many other countries and ethnic groups and 11 recognised languages. This curious amalgam of peoples included Germans, Hungarians, Czechs, Slovaks, Poles, Ukrainians, Slovenes, Croats, Serbs, Romanians and Italians. For the duration of its existence its emperor was Franz Joseph I. He reigned for nearly 68 years, dying in 1916 at the age of 86. The multi-generational length of his reign gave an illusion of permanence, of timeless durability, but as the old man grew ever more aged, so too the prospect of his death generated a collective sense of impending disaster. This growing fearfulness resonates in the literature of the period but there was a general feeling throughout the empire that everything would change once the old gentleman passed away. His son and heir, Crown Prince Rudolf, committed suicide at Mayerling in 1889. Franz Joseph's nephew, Franz Ferdinand, became archduke and the heir presumptive to the empire. There was at least the notion that the dynasty would continue until – in June 1914 – Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, made a state visit to Sarajevo. From its time as the capital of an imperial superpower, through war, dissolution, dictatorship to democracy Vienna has reinvented itself and its relevance to the rest of the world. I don’t see how the images in ‘Vienna’ could possibly relate to ‘The Third Man.’ There are no references to death or any sense of unconscionable acts. The internal emotional focus in the song ‘Vienna’ isn’t consistent with the sense of social morality from the ‘The Third Man.’ The song is played in the season finale of 13 Reasons Why, over Hannah Baker's final message to Clay Jensen. It is also featured during the intro of the final episode of The Assassination of Gianni Versace: American Crime Story, as Andrew Cunanan (played by Darren Criss) shoots and murders Gianni Versace (played by Édgar Ramírez). The song is regarded as a staple of the synth-pop genre that was popularised in the early 1980s. The song was also performed at the 1985 Live Aid concert in Wembley Stadium. It remains Ultravox's signature song, being their most commercially successful release and is often performed live by Ure in solo performances.

Darren from Bedford, United Kingdomthe video was shot in Covent Garden Market in London and not, Vienna. Midge Ure later said that he made up the inspiration when asked what the song was about. He said: "I lied to the papers about [the subject] at the time: the Secessionists and Gustav Klimt, whatever. I didn't know about any of that stuff. I wrote a song about a holiday romance, but in this very dark, ominous surrounding." The annual Calle Libre street art festival focuses on one guiding theme as celebrated artists respond across curated walls for a week each summer. Founded almost a decade ago by Jakob Kettner, the festival brings together live paintings, street art works, guided tours, film screenings and workshops for urban aesthetics. You’ll get the chance to learn more about Vienna’s burgeoning street art scene, discover works from local and international artists, and find out what issues are shaping and challenging the city today. Ringstrasse Tram Tour

Official Singles Chart Top 75". Official Charts Company. 15–21 February 1981 . Retrieved 8 February 2016. Offiziellecharts.de – Ultravox – Vienna" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 28 September 2021. Warren Cann later explained: "It may come as a surprise to know that approximately half of it was shot on locations in central London, mainly at Covent Garden and also in the old Kilburn Gaumont Theatre in North London (now a Bingo hall).

Midge Ure himself has provided the answer as to what the song is about (as per MrLongrove's posts). We now know what the song is about, but there is a lingering question. Were some of the atmospherics in the song influenced by 'The Third Man'? After all, Midge himself admitted he'd never been to the city when they'd written the song in 1979.



We took an early morning flight to Vienna, ran round like loonies in and out of taxis as we filmed, and soon discovered that, due to it being the winter off-season, many of the splendid places we’d been counting upon filming were either shut for redecorating or covered with webs of scaffolding. It was voted Britain's favourite single ever to peak at No. 2 on the charts in a 2012 poll by BBC Radio 2 and the Official Charts Company (OCC). It was also awarded an honorary No. 1 by the OCC. [14] The single spent four consecutive weeks at No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart without ever reaching the top. [8] It was kept off the top spot by John Lennon's " Woman" for a week [9] and then by Joe Dolce's " Shaddap You Face" for a further three weeks. [10] [11] [12] "Vienna" is ranked as the UK's sixth best-selling single of 1981. [13] The single was certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in February 1981, denoting sales in excess of 500,000 copies in the UK. [2] You may also opt to downgrade to Standard Digital, a robust journalistic offering that fulfils many user’s needs. Compare Standard and Premium Digital here.

we were quite prepared for Vienna to come out and disappear because it was too long for the radio…However, something resonated with people and, as they say, the rest is history. ( Source)

Garcia, Alex S. "Ultravox - Vienna (version 1: concept)". Music Video Database . Retrieved 26 July 2009. When talking with British people of a certain age, it’s almost impossible to mention Vienna without someone adding something about it meaning nothing to me. a b c "British single certifications – Ultravox – Vienna". British Phonographic Industry. 1 February 1981 . Retrieved 26 May 2022. Robertson’s enthusiasm for his subject carries across in the breadth of accounts and the fine detail throughout. An impressive work of research, the book is a comprehensive history that in its best moments, manages to find fresh nuance in an already storied city' However, it had to make do with peaking at number two for several weeks, famously being kept off the top spot by novelty song 'Shaddap You Face' by Joe Dolce.