The first three LP releases feature the vocals of John Foxx (Dennis Leigh), while the rest of the line up of Billy Currie, Warren Cann and Chris Cross were joined by Stevie Shears on guitar for the first two and Robin Simon replacing Shears for the third album, Systems of Romance, by which the group had dropped the exclamation m ark from the band name. In 1979, John Foxx left after an American tour to pursue solo projects, with Simon also departing. Currie, Cross and Cann were subsequently joined by Midge Ure on vocals and guitar who had been working with their mutual friend Rusty Egan, as part of the group Visage.

This became the most successful and well-known, 'classic' 80s line-up. They recorded 10 (UK) Top Twenty singles and 7 (UK) Top Twenty Albums, among them single hits such as 'Vienna', 'Hymn' or 'Dancing With Tears In My Eyes'.

After the album U-VOX and an accompanying tour Midge Ure left the group to focus on his already established solo career (Warren Cann, the drummer, having left prior to that album).

Billy Currie gained the rights to the Ultravox name and recorded an album with new singer / guitarist and Tony Fenelle. Fenelle, however soon quit and Currie established an all-new line-up for the hitherto final Ultravox album, 'Ingenuity' (1994). The 90s editions of Ultravox did not match the commercial success the group had enjoyed in the 80s, and Currie disbanded Ultravox soon afterwards to concentrate on his solo work.

In late 2008, it was announced that the classic 80s line-up would reunite for a UK tour in 2009.