10 Forgotten 1970s Punk Albums You Need To Hear

Surely not the band who recorded crooning 80s pop hit Vienna!? Well… yes and no. When the other instruments kick in after the first keyboard stabs of opening track RockWrok, it is immediately apparent this is the same band in name only. This incarnation, with original vocalist John Foxx, is a very different beast and will likely come as a surprise to anyone only familiar with their later work as a mainstream pop band.

This is a far more punk-oriented group with agitated, energetic, and nerve-jangling sounds that border on aggression in places while brooding and introspective in others. Guitars wail and meander, keyboards stab abruptly at one moment while gliding and soaring the next, creating some compellingly noir-ish and atmospheric punk soundscapes.

John Foxx has a very different style to Midge Ure (who would replace him a few years later) and those discovering the band’s back catalogue after their 80s chart success must have had quite a shock at the difference. For similar reasons of unconscious prejudice, Ultravox’s first two albums never really gained the recognition they deserve in punk circles either, despite being such an interesting early snapshot of the genre as it evolved. Highlights include While I’m Still Alive, which manages the bleakness and ennui of any Joy Division track but with a thumping disco beat woven between the punky guitar chops, and Distant Smile which utilises harmonica and cello to build a melancholic, gothic vibe before bursting into a pacey and wordy finish.