Universal (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark album)

Universal
Studio album by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Released	2 September 1996 (1996-09-02)
Studio	The Factory (Dublin) JE Sound (Los Angeles) Townhouse (London) Metropolis, London
Genre	Synth-pop, pop rock
Length	49:40
Label	Virgin
Producer	Andy McCluskey Matthew Vaughan David Nicholas
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark chronology
Liberator (1993) Universal (1996) The OMD Singles (1998)
Singles from Universal
"Walking on the Milky Way" Released: 5 August 1996 "Universal" Released: 21 October 1996

Universal is the tenth studio album by English electronic band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD), released on 2 September 1996 by Virgin Records. Frontman Andy McCluskey opted for a more organic, acoustic sound on the record, which peaked at number 24 on the UK Albums Chart. It was generally well received by music critics, although the British media's overall resistance to OMD – who had been rendered unfashionable by the prevalence of grunge and indie rock – prompted McCluskey to dissolve the group. Universal was their last album until 2010's History of Modern.

The album spawned the singles "Walking on the Milky Way" (a number 17 hit in the UK) and "Universal".