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After leaving Hansa-Ariola, the band signed with Virgin Records who released their last studio albums, Gentlemen Take Polaroids ( 1980 ) and Tin Drum ( 1981 ).

The albums continued to expand their audience as the band refined its new sound, however the combination of their newer sound and the band's stylised visual appearance led to them unintentionally becoming associated with the early-1980s New Romantic movement.

The band had always worn make-up since their inception in the mid 1970s at the tail end of the glam rock era, many years before the New Romantic movement had begun.

In an October 1981 interview, Sylvian commented " There's a period going past at the moment that may make us look as though we're in fashion.

" Regardless, it had a positive effect on the band's record sales in the UK and they slowly began to gain chart success.

After a couple of lower charting singles, their first UK Top 40 hit was a re-release of the " Quiet Life " single, which peaked at No. 19 in October 1981.

Three of the singles from the Tin Drum album also peaked in the UK Top 40, with its unconventional single " Ghosts " reaching No. 5, becoming Japan's biggest domestic hit.

The Tin Drum album itself peaked just outside the UK Top 10, and was the band's first record to be certified by the BPI, being awarded a Silver disc within a month of release, and reaching Gold status within four months.

The album is often seen as one of the most innovative of the 1980s, with its fusion of occidental and oriental sounds.

In 2011, thirty years after its release, Tin Drum was awarded BBC Radio 6 Music's ' Goldie ' award posthumously for the best album of 1981.