Chart performance:
| Week | Position | Movement | Comments |
| 15-May-81 | 19 | New | |
| 22-May-81 | 17 | +2 | |
| 29-May-81 | 16 | +1 | |
| 05-Jun-81 | 14 | +2 | |
| 12-Jun-81 | 11 | +3 | |
| 19-Jun-81 | 8 | +3 | Peak |
| 26-Jun-81 | 11 | -3 | |
| 03-Jul-81 | 16 | -5 | Biggest faller |
Written by: Warren Cann, Chris Cross, Billy Currie & Midge Ure
Produced by: Conny Plank & Ultravox
South African record label (unless otherwise stated): Chrysalis
| Hit number for artist | 1 |
| Peak position | 8 |
| Weeks | 8 |
| Biggest climber awards | 0 |
| Star rater climbs | 0 |
| Biggest faller awards | 1 |
| Top 20 points | 56 |
| Overall Top 20 points ranking | =1523 |
| Top 20 points ranking for the artist | 1 |
| Top 30 Points | 136 |
| Overall Top 30 points ranking | =1581 |
| Top 30 points ranking for the artist | 1 |
Annual ranking:
| 1981 | =73 |
Other chart success:
| Australia | 11 |
| Austria | 8 |
| Belgium | 1 |
| Germany | 14 |
| Ireland | 1 |
| Netherlands | 1 |
| New Zealand | 2 |
| Sweden | 7 |
| UK | 2 |
| Zimbabwe | 11 |
SA Radio charts:
| Capital 604 | 1 |
According to an interview the with band’s lead singer, Midge Ure, the song title came from him mishearing the title of Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Rhiannon’. The story also goes that Ure was uncomfortable with the overly classic feel of the orchestration that producer, Conny Plank, had added to the song and commented ‘this means nothing to me’. Plank replied by saying ‘well sing that then’. ‘Vienna’ would be denied the top spot in the UK by John Lennon’s ‘Woman’ for one week and then by Joe Dolce’s ‘Shaddap You Face’ 3 weeks which many regard as one of the biggest UK chart travesties. It would go on to sell over half a million copies in the UK and was the 6th biggest selling single there in 1981. In 1992 a re-recorded version of the track was released and then in 1993 the original was re-released to help promote a Midge Ure Greatest Hits CD and the song would get to 13 in the UK.
Video:
Artist link: Ultravox
SA Singles Charts 