History YMMV / JoyDivision

** Joy Division had a cult following almost immediately in America coming off [[DeadArtistsAreBetter the notoriety of Ian Curtis' suicide]], becoming a critical favorite and receiving coverage in prestigious publications like ''The New York Times'' and ''Magazine/RollingStone''. ''Closer'' and "Love Will Tear Us Apart" made ''The Village Voice'' 1980 [[https://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/pjres80.php Pazz & Jop Critic's poll]] as imports before their official U.S. releases the following year, as did "Atmosphere", which ''did'' have a U.S. release. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" also charted on Billboard's ''disco chart'', of all places. (New wave was mostly heard stateside in dance clubs at the time.) The band would prove a major influence on AlternativeRock on the other side of UsefulNotes/ThePond throughout the decade and beyond, with "Love Will Tear Us Apart" an airplay staple on CollegeRadio and early commercial alternative stations.

** Joy Division has a strong cult following in UsefulNotes/NewZealand. When Ian Curtis died, a fan had painted a tribute to him [[http://i.imgur.com/duyIUBs.jpg on a wall]] in UsefulNotes/{{Wellington}}, which still remains today, although it had been relocated and re-painted a few times. Chart wise, the band's first album reached number 1 there (in comparison, it peaked at 5 in the uk) as well as two number 1 singles.
** Joy Division had a cult following almost immediately in America coming off [[DeadArtistsAreBetter the notoriety of Ian Curtis' suicide]], becoming a critical favorite and receiving coverage in prestigious publications like ''The New York Times'' and ''Magazine/RollingStone''. ''Closer'' and "Love Will Tear Us Apart" made ''The Village Voice'' 1980 [[https://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/pjres80.php Pazz & Jop Critic's poll]] as imports before their official U.S. releases the following year, as did "Atmosphere", which ''did'' have a U.S. release. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" also charted on Billboard's ''disco chart'', of all places. (New wave was mostly heard stateside in dance clubs at the time.) The band would prove a major influence on AlternativeRock on the other side of UsefulNotes/ThePond throughout the decade and beyond.

* CreatorBacklash: As mentioned above, Sumner and Hook (and Morris as well) were not fond of the production on their albums, claiming that Hannett took them too far away from their live sound. Hook and Morris eventually came around and are quite fond of the albums' overall sound now, but Sumner never has.
* DespairEventHorizon: Curtis. ''Film/{{Control}}'' hypothesizes that after having a verbal altercation with his wife (chasing her out of the house) and watching TV, Curtis suffered another grand mal seizure and collapsed. When he came to again, he crossed the horizon -- and was DrivenToSuicide as a result.

* NightmareFuel: [[NightmareFuel/JoyDivision Has its own page.]]

* SeriousBusiness: Much like Music/KurtCobain, Ian is remembered as a tragic tortured figure, but his bandmates remember him as a rather goofy, kind-hearted individual. Stephen Morris recalls in one book how he would drop Ian off at his house after gigs in the early hours and then Ian would [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments take his dog for a walk]] in the middle of the night.

* OvershadowedByControversy: Ian Curtis' suicide cast a long shadow over the band's music.

* JerkassWoobie: Ian Curtis. Yes, by many accounts, he wasn't the easiest person to deal with, but given how much he suffered in life, it's nearly impossible not to feel sympathy for the guy. He had ''severe'' depression, very, ''very'' bad epilepsy (with regular tonic-clonic seizures), and of course, this was at a time when nobody understood it enough to effectively help him. The pills he was prescribed only exacerbated his depression, and the constant performing with the band only made his illness worse. There's also the fact that Curtis frequently felt like his audience [[DancingBear only came to shows to watch him have epileptic fits]] instead of trying to get the message of his band's music. [[TheChewToy His life was not a very good one]].

* EarWorm:
** 31G, 31G, 31G, 31G... From "Warsaw." And the bassline from "Exercise One."
** And of course, the more well-known hits "Transmission," "Love Will Tear Us Apart," "She's Lost Control," and "Dead Souls" certainly count.
** "This is the way, step inside..." from "Atrocity Exhibition."
** Speaking of ''Closer'', who could forget:
-->"Isolation (BA-deep-BA-deep, BA-deep-BA-deep), ''iso-lay-shunnn'' (BA-deep-BA-deep, BA-deep-BA-deep), isolation!"
** That damn catchy intro to "Disorder".

* ShortLivedBigImpact: Only released two albums (and quite a few EPs) during their three-year run, and are nowadays considered the most influential PostPunk band.

* ShortLivedBigImpact: Only released two albums during their three-year run, and are nowadays considered the most influential PostPunk band.

* ((Narm)): Okay, maybe "narm" is too a harsh word to describe a band of this caliber, but let's be honest: Ian couldn't sing well. ''At all.'' If you can get past that, [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic though]]...

** Joy Division had a cult following almost immediately in America coming off [[DeadArtistsAreBetter the notoriety of Ian Curtis' suicide]], becoming a critical favorite, receiving coverage in prestigious publications like ''The New York Times'' and ''Magazine/RollingStone''. ''Closer'' and "Love Will Tear Us Apart" made ''The Village Voice'' 1980 [[https://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/pjres80.php Pazz & Jop Critic's poll]] as imports before their official U.S. releases the following year, as did "Atmosphere", which ''did'' have a U.S. release. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" also charted on Billboard's ''disco chart'', of all places. (New wave was mostly heard stateside in dance clubs at the time.) The band would prove a major influence on AlternativeRock on the other side of UsefulNotes/ThePond throughout the decade and beyond.

** Joy Division had a cult following almost immediately in America coming off the notoriety of Ian Curtis' suicide, becoming a critical favorite right off the bat, receiving coverage in prestigious publications like ''The New York Times'' and ''Magazine/RollingStone''. ''Closer'' and "Love Will Tear Us Apart" made ''The Village Voice'' 1980 [[https://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/pjres80.php Pazz & Jop Critic's poll]] as imports before their official U.S. releases the following year, as did "Atmosphere", which ''did'' have a U.S. release. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" also charted on Billboard's ''disco chart'', of all places. (New wave was mostly heard stateside in dance clubs at the time.) The band would prove a major influence on AlternativeRock on the other side of UsefulNotes/ThePond throughout the decade and beyond.

** Which is better, ''Music/UnknownPleasures'' or ''Music/{{Closer}}''? The latter is commonly considered the band's masterpiece. However, some prefer the less experimental, more rock-oriented style of the former and dislike the experimental, synth-heavy direction on the latter with its comparatively dry production.

* YokoOhNo: ''Touching from a Distance'' gets some critical reviews on Amazon from fans who don't appreciate Deborah Curtis, Ian Curtis' widow, exposing how cruel Ian could be to her. A lot of them think she has an ax to grind, despite the clear emotional abuse described in the book.

** Joy Division has a strong cult following in UsefulNotes/NewZealand. When Ian Curtis died, a fan had painted a tribute to him [[http://i.imgur.com/duyIUBs.jpg on a wall]] in UsefulNotes/{{Wellington}}, which still remains today, although it had been relocated and re-painted a few times.

** The artwork for ''Music/UnknownPleasures''.

** Joy Division had a cult following almost immediately in America coming off the notoriety of Ian Curtis' suicide, becoming a critical favorite right off the bat. ''Closer'' and "Love Will Tear Us Apart" made ''The Village Voice'' 1980 [[https://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/pjres80.php Pazz & Jop Critic's poll]] as imports before their official U.S. releases the following year, as did "Atmosphere", which ''did'' have a U.S. release. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" also charted on Billboard's ''disco chart'', of all places. (New wave was mostly heard stateside in dance clubs at the time.) The band would prove a major influence on AlternativeRock on the other side of UsefulNotes/ThePond throughout the decade and beyond.

** Joy Division had a cult following almost immediately in America coming off the notoriety of Ian Curtis' suicide, becoming a critical favorite right off the bat.''Closer'' and "Love Will Tear Us Apart" made ''The Village Voice'' 1980 [[https://www.robertchristgau.com/xg/pnj/pjres80.php Pazz & Jop Critic's poll]] as imports before their official U.S. releases the following year, as did "Atmosphere", which ''did'' have a U.S. release. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" also charted on Billboard's ''disco chart'', of all places. (New wave was mostly heard stateside in dance clubs at the time.) The band would prove a major influence on AlternativeRock on the other side of UsefulNotes/ThePond throughout the decade and beyond.

** Joy Division had a cult following almost immediately in America coming off the notoriety of Ian Curtis' suicide, becoming a critical favorite right off the bat. ''Closer'' and "Love Will Tear Us Apart" made ''The Village Voice'' 1980 Pazz & Jop Critic's polls as imports before their official U.S. releases the following year. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" also charted on Billboard's ''disco chart'', of all places. (New wave was mostly heard stateside in dance clubs at the time.) The band would prove a major influence on AlternativeRock on the other side of UsefulNotes/ThePond throughout the decade and beyond.

** Joy Division had a cult following almost immediately in America coming off the notoriety of Ian Curtis' suicide, becoming a critical favorite right off the bat. ''Closer'' and "Love Will Tear Us Apart" made ''The Village Voice'' 1980 Pazz and Jop Critic's polls as imports before their official U.S. releases the following year. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" also charted on Billboard's ''disco chart'', of all places. (New wave was mostly heard stateside in dance clubs at the time.) The band would prove a major influence on AlternativeRock on the other side of UsefulNotes/ThePond throughout the decade and beyond.

** Joy Division had a cult following almost immediately in America coming off the notoriety of Ian Curtis' suicide, becoming a critical favorite right off the bat. ''Closer'' and "Love Will Tear Us Apart" made ''The Village Voice'' 1980 Pazz and Jop Critic's polls as imports before their official U.S. releases the following year. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" also charted on Billboard's ''disco chart'', of all places. (New wave was mostly heard stateside in dance clubs at the time.) The band would prove a major influence on the other side of UsefulNotes/ThePond throughout the decade and beyond.

** Joy Division had a cult following almost immediately in America coming off the notoriety of Ian Curtis' suicide, becoming a critical favorite right off the bat. ''Closer'' and "Love Will Tear Us Apart" made ''The Village Voice'' 1980 Pazz and Jop Critic's polls as imports before their official U.S. releases the following year. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" also charted on Billboard's ''disco chart'', of all places. (New wave was mostly heard stateside in dance clubs at the time.)

** Joy Division had a cult following almost immediately in America coming off the notoriety of Ian Curtis' suicide, becoming a critical favorite right off the bat. ''Closer'' and "Love Will Tear Us Apart" made ''The Village Voice'' 1980 Pazz and Jop Critic's polls as imports before their official U.S. releases. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" also charted on Billboard's ''disco chart'', of all places. (New wave was mostly heard stateside in dance clubs at the time.)

** Joy Division had a cult following almost immediately in America coming off the notoriety of Ian Curtis' suicide, becoming a critical favorite right off the bat. ''Closer'' and "Love Will Tear Us Apart" made ''The Village Voice'' 1980 Pazz and Jop Critic's polls as imports before their official U.S. releases. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" also charted on Billboard's disco chart, of all places. (New wave was mostly heard stateside in dance clubs at the time.)

** Joy Division had a cult following almost immediately in America coming off the notoriety of Ian Curtis' suicide. ''Closer'' and "Love Will Tear Us Apart" made ''The Village Voice'' 1980 Pazz and Jop Critic's polls as imports before their official U.S. releases. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" also charted on Billboard's disco chart, of all places. (New wave was mostly heard stateside in dance clubs at the time.)

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: Everything.
** The ''first two sentences'' of Melody Maker's review of ''Music/UnknownPleasures'': '"To talk of life today is like talking of rope in the house of a hanged man." Where will it end?'
** The tombstone on the cover of ''Closer'', which was released just weeks after Ian Curtis' suicide. (The art was created before his death.)
** The artist responsible for the artwork for the "Love Will Tear Us Apart" single release said he only realized in retrospect that Curtis had intended the artwork to resemble a headstone.
** The surviving band members have straight up admitted they never thought too hard about the lyrical content of Ian’s song writing, and they have all expressed regret at never reaching out to him.

* HarsherInHindsight: Most of Ian's lyrics are ominous but "In a Lonely Place" stand out. It never actually came out in Ian's lifetime, but New Order re-recorded it as a BSide. The verse that stands out "Hangman looks round as he waits / Cord stretches tight and it breaks / One day we will die in your dreams / How I wish you were here with me now" Yikes.

* CounterpartComparison: An independent rock band from a northern city is formed in the waning years of an era infamous for having a music scene dominated by a select number of genres that were growing increasingly samey. They achieve unexpectedly strong critical acclaim for rejecting these genres in favor of creating innovative new music that takes noticeable influences from punk without directly copying it, pioneering a new genre that serves as the starting point for the music of the succeeding decade. However, the band turns out to be short-lived despite its impact due to the lead singer killing himself after a long battle with depression, leaving behind a young daughter and a broken marriage. A band co-founded by the drummer goes onto a be a [[LongRunners long runner]], eclipsing the first band in commercial success. Now, did we just describe Joy Division or Music/{{Nirvana}}?

** Joy Division had a cult following almost immediately in America coming off the notoriety of Ian Curtis' suicide. ''Closer'' and "Love Will Tear Us Apart" made ''The Village Voice'' 1980 Pazz and Jop Critic's polls as imports before their official U.S. releases.

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: Joy Division has a strong cult following in UsefulNotes/NewZealand. When Ian Curtis died, a fan had painted a tribute to him [[http://i.imgur.com/duyIUBs.jpg on a wall]] in UsefulNotes/{{Wellington}}, which still remains today, although it had been relocated and re-painted a few times.