Adam Ant is a British post-punk, new wave artist. He was the lead singer of Adam & the Ants until their split in early 1982, by which time they had recorded three studio albums. Ant, however, would go solo, and release an additional five studio albums throughout the 1980s and early 1990s (one other album recorded during this period remains unreleased but circulates widely as a bootleg). After a gap of nearly 18 years, his sixth released solo studio album came out in early 2013. A planned follow-up album recorded the following year currently officially remains at developmental stage.
His greatest success on the UK Albums Chart was Adam & the Ants' 1980 release Kings of the Wild Frontier which was number one for a total of twelve weeks. However, it was the follow-up album, Prince Charming, that produced the biggest hit singles with "Stand and Deliver" and the title track, achieving five weeks and four weeks respectively as number one singles on the UK Singles Chart.
In the United States, Ant's biggest chart success was his solo debut, 1982's Friend or Foe album, which reached the Top 20 on the Billboard 200 the following spring. Three other Ant albums have reached the middle area of the Top 100. Friend or Foe also included the hit single "Goody Two Shoes", which was a Top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time as the album, as well as a third number one single for Ant on the UK Singles Chart. Ant achieved further US singles chart success in the 1990s with "Room at the Top", a second Top 20 hit in 1990, and the "Wonderful" title track, a third Top 40 hit in 1995. Friend or Foe achieved US Gold Disc status within a year of its release; Kings of the Wild Frontier crawled to the same certification after nearly 14 years.
Besides regular studio albums there are a number of live albums, box sets and compilations. The three Peel Sessions first appeared in 1990 (minus two tracks from the first session), while the complete integral one collection appeared in 2001.
Albums Studio albums Title Album detailsPeak chart positionsCertifications UKUKIndie"Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50 - 27 January 2013 - 02 February 2013", Official Charts Company AUS AUT CANPeak positions for Adam Ant's albums in Canada: King of the Wild Frontier: Prince Charming: Friend or Foe: Strip: Manners & Physique: GER NL NZ SWE USAs Adam & the Ants Dirk Wears White Sox Released: 30 November 1979 Label: Do It Formats: LP, MC161———————— UK: Gold Kings of the Wild Frontier Released: 7 November 1980 Label: CBS Formats: LP, MC1—2182111117444 AUS: 2× Platinum UK: Platinum US: GoldPrince Charming Released: 6 November 1981 Label: CBS Formats: LP, MC, 8-track2—7—45215432994 AUS: 2× Platinum UK: PlatinumAs Adam Ant Friend or Foe Released: 11 October 1982 Label: CBS Formats: LP, MC, 8-track5—60—145533—3616 UK: Gold US: Gold Strip Released: 7 November 1983 Label: CBS Formats: LP, MC, 8-track20———84—44——65 UK: Silver Vive Le Rock Released: 2 September 1985 Label: CBS Formats: CD, LP, MC42————————131 Manners & Physique Released: 12 March 1990 Label: MCA Formats: CD, LP, MC19—138—76————57 Persuasion Released: Unreleased Label: MCA Formats: N/A—————————— Wonderful Released: 7 March 1995 Label: EMI Formats: CD, MC24————————143 Adam Ant Is the Blueblack Hussar in Marrying the Gunner's Daughter Released: 21 January 2013 Label: Blueblack Hussar Formats: CD, 2xLP, digital download253———————— Bravest of the Brave Released: or later Label: Blueblack Hussar Formats: N/A——————————"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
Live albums Title Album details Live Released: 1994 Artist credit: Adam Ant Recording date: 21 February 1993 Recording location: Burbank Sound Stage, Los Angeles, California Label: Arcade Formats: CD Bonus disc with 1994 pressing of Antmusic: The Very Best of Adam Ant Live at The Bloomsbury Released: 12 December 2008 Artist credit: Adam Ant Recording date: 24 September 2007 Recording location: Bloomsbury Theatre, London, England Label: Essential Works Limited Formats: CD Limited release Kings of the Wild Frontier Disc Two Released: 20 May 2016 Artist credit: Adam and the Ants Recording date 16 April 1981 Recording location: Park West Club, Chicago, Illinois Label: Sony Music Formats: CD Bonus disc with 2016 reissue of Kings of the Wild Frontier Tokyo Released: 1 July 2026 Artist credit: Adam and the Ants Recording date 8 October 1981 Recording location: Nakano Sun Plaza, Tokyo, Japan Label: Juno Records Formats: CD
Compilation albums Title Album detailsPeak chart positionsCertifications UK Hits Released: September 1986 Label: CBS Formats: LP, MC— UK: Gold Antics in the Forbidden Zone Released: 23 October 1990 Label: Epic Formats: LP, MC—Peel Sessions Released: November 1990 Label: Strange Fruit Formats: LP, MC— Antmusic: The Very Best of Adam Ant Released: August 1993 Label: Arcade Formats: CD, MC6 B-Side Babies Released: 27 September 1994 Label: Epic/Legacy Formats: CD— Super Hits Released: 27 January 1998 Label: Epic/Legacy Formats: CD, MC— The Very Best of Adam and the Ants Released: 5 April 1999 Label: Columbia Formats: CD, MD33 UK: Gold The Complete Radio 1 Sessions Released: 9 July 2001 Label: Strange Fruit Formats: CD, MC— The Essential Adam Ant Released: 1 April 2003 Label: Epic/Legacy Formats: CD— Redux Released: 11 April 2005 Label: Epic Formats: CD— Stand and Deliver: The Very Best of Adam & the Ants Released: 26 September 2006 Label: Columbia Formats: CD39 UK: Gold Dandy Highwaymen: The Best Of Released: 26 November 2007 Label: Music Club Formats: 2xCD— Playlist: The Very Best of Adam Ant Released: 9 October 2012 Label: Epic/Legacy Formats: CD— The Singles Released: 30 October 2025 Label: Sony Formats: CD—"—" denotes releases that did not chart.
Box sets Title Album detailsPeak chart positions UK Antbox Released: 4 December 2000 Label: Columbia Formats: 3xCD— Adam Ant Remastered Released: 11 April 2005 Label: Columbia Formats: 4xCD Limited collector's edition A 7xCD version was released in 2006188 Original Album Classics Released: 26 September 2011 Label: Sony Music/Columbia Formats: 3xCD— Kings of the Wild Frontier Super Deluxe Edition Released: 20 May 2016 Label: Sony Music/Legacy Formats: 2xCD+DVD+LP Limited collector's edition—"—" denotes releases that did not chart.
EPs Title Album detailsPeak chart positions UK The B-Sides Released: 5 March 1982 Label: Do It Formats: 7", 12"46 Four Play Volume Twelve Released: March 1988 Label: CBS Formats: 7", CD Australia-only release— Save the Gorilla Released: November 2003 Label: NV Formats: CD Withdrawn – blocked by EMI Music Publishing(a small number of copies were dispatched to purchasers)—"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
Singles Title Year Peak chart positions Certifications Album UK AUS BEL(FL) CANPeak positions for Adam Ant's singles in Canada: "Goody Two Shoes": "Room at the Top": "Wonderful": GER IRE NL NZ US US DanceAs Adam & the Ants "Young Parisians"1978—————————— rowspan="2" "Zerox"1979—————————— "Cartrouble" (re-recording)1980——————————Dirk Wears White Sox (contains original recording) "Kings of the Wild Frontier"48————————19Kings of the Wild Frontier "Dog Eat Dog"422———16—31— UK: Silver "Antmusic"2130——4416— AUS: Platinum UK: Gold "Young Parisians" (re-release)9————19———— UK: Silver rowspan="2" "Zerox" (re-release)198145————————— "Cartrouble" (re-release)33—————————Dirk Wears White Sox (contains original recording) "Kings of the Wild Frontier" (re-release)2————5————Kings of the Wild Frontier "Stand and Deliver"1127—82432—38 UK: GoldPrince Charming "Prince Charming"148—1018——— UK: Gold "Ant Rap"343——404———— UK: Gold "Deutscher Girls"198213———6614————Jubilee soundtrackAs Adam Ant "Goody Two Shoes" 19821116452132912— UK: SilverFriend or Foe "Friend or Foe"949——31319——— "Desperate But Not Serious"33————18——66— "Puss 'n Boots"198358426—67522——— UK: SilverStrip "Strip"41———————42— "Apollo 9"198413————10————Vive Le Rock "Vive Le Rock"198550————————29 "Out of Bounds" (with Stewart Copeland; US-only release)1986——————————Out of Bounds soundtrack "Room at the Top"199013116—30—21——173Manners & Physique "Rough Stuff"—160———————14 "Can't Set Rules About Love"47————————— "Wonderful"199532——9————39—Wonderful "Beautiful Dream" (withdrawn & promo-only release)—————————— "Gotta Be a Sin"48————————— "Cool Zombie"2012154—————————Adam Ant Is the Blueblack Hussar in Marrying the Gunner's Daughter"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
Videos
Video albums Title Album detailsPeak chart positions UK US King of the Wild Frontier – Live in Japan Released: 1981 Label: Home Video Productions Formats: VHS, Betamax—— The Prince Charming Revue Released: 1982 Label: CBS Video Formats: VHS, Betamax—— Hits Released: September 1986 Label: CBS Fox Video Formats: VHS4— Antics in the Forbidden Zone Released: 23 October 1990 Label: CMV Enterprises Formats: VHS, LaserDisc US-only release—24 Antmusic: The Very Best of Adam Ant Released: August 1993 Label: Arcade Formats: VHS1—Antvideo Released: 4 December 2000 Label: SMV Enterprises Formats: VHS—— Stand and Deliver: The Very Best of Adam & the Ants Released: 11 December 2006 Label: Sony BMG Formats: 2xDVD46— The Blueblack Hussar Released: 7 July 2014 Label: Sunrise Pictures Formats: DVD, Blu-ray2— Dirk Live at the Apollo Released: April 2015 Label: BlueBlack Hussar Formats: DVD——"—" denotes releases that did not chart or were not released in that territory.
Music videos Title YearDirector "Plastic Surgery" 1977unknown "Tabletalk" 1979Stephanie Gluck/Clive Richardson "Cartrouble pt2" "Zerox" "Kings of the Wild Frontier" 1980 "Dog Eat Dog" (Top of the Pops outtake licensed to CBS) "Antmusic"Steve Barron/Daniel Kleinman "Dog Eat Dog"/"Kings of the Wild Frontier"/"Physical (You're So)" (live in Manchester) Steve Barron "Stand and Deliver"1981Mike Mansfield/Adam Ant "Prince Charming" "Ant Rap" "Goody Two Shoes"1982 "Friend or Foe" Adam Ant "Desperate But Not Serious"Mike Mansfield/Adam Ant "Puss 'n Boots"1983 "Strip" "Apollo 9"1984Daniel Kleinman "Vive Le Rock"1985Frances de Lea "Room at the Top"1990Daniel Kleinman "Rough Stuff" "Can't Set Rules About Love" "Wonderful"1995Tony Kunewalder "Beautiful Dream" "Gotta Be a Sin" "Cool Zombie"2012Adam Ant/Adam Ross
Notes
References
External links The Official Adam Ant website