"Lights Out" is the sixth studio album by the English rock band UFO, released in 1977. All tracks are original compositions by the band, except for "Alone Again Or," a cover of a song by Love. The album reached number 23 on the Billboard 200, making it the band's highest-charting album in the United States, while it peaked at number 54 in the UK and remained on the chart for two weeks.
This album marked UFO's first use of lush string arrangements and featured more complex song structures than previous releases. Producer Ron Nevison enlisted Alan McMillan to handle the string and horn arrangements, with "Love to Love" being the most notable track to showcase these orchestral elements. Lights Out is also the first UFO album to feature Paul Raymond on keyboards and rhythm guitar.
In 1994, BGO Records released a CD that combined Lights Out with No Heavy Petting. The 2008 remastered edition from EMI included four live tracks recorded at The Roundhouse in London, although the album cover mistakenly states that these tracks were recorded in 1976 instead of the correct year, 1977. The remaster also corrected writing credits, finally acknowledging Paul Raymond's contributions.
The title track and "Love to Love" appeared in the 1999 film Detroit Rock City. "Love to Love" was also covered by Djali Zwan for the 2002 movie Spun and by Europe for their 2008 live album Almost Unplugged. An instrumental version of "Too Hot to Handle" is featured at the start of Mark Madden's radio show on WXDX-FM in Pittsburgh, as Madden is a longtime UFO fan.
Kerrang! magazine ranked the album at No. 28 among the "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums of All Time." Steve Harris of Iron Maiden named "Love to Love" as his favorite song, while Quireboys guitarist Guy Griffin praised its brilliant writing and construction, noting its world-class majesty.
