Joy Division Songs Ranked

Joy Division was an English rock band formed in Salford in 1976. The group consisted of vocalist Ian Curtis, guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook, and drummer Stephen Morris. Curtis suffered from personal problems including a failing marriage, depression, and epilepsy. As the band’s popularity grew, Curtis’s condition made it increasingly difficult for him to perform; he occasionally experienced seizures on stage. He killed himself on the eve of the band’s first US/Canada tour in May 1980, aged 23. Joy Division’s second and final album, Closer, was released two months later; it and the single “Love Will Tear Us Apart” became their highest charting releases. The remaining members regrouped under the name New Order. They were successful throughout the next decade, blending post-punk with electronic and dance music influences. Here are all of Joy Division songs ranked.

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20. Day of the Lords (Unknown Pleasures, 1979)

“Powerful, destructive, and brilliant- Day of the Lords- where time disappears and oblivion is all. Never has the ‘end’ or rather ‘the start’, been so poetic.”

19. Atrocity Exhibition (Unknown Pleasures, 1979)

“The song “The Fly” by U2 has been described as a phone call from hell, but this song takes that to much higher levels. A carnival of the grotesque, this song is full of distorted guitars, brilliant vocals and terrifying lyrics, and one of, if not the, best by Joy Division.”

18. Warsaw (Warsaw, 1994)

“Love this song. Makes me feel good and brings back the good days for me. Always listening to this song when I am travelling.”

17. The Eternal (Closer, 1980)

“Slow, atmospheric, and depressing. This song is what got me into Joy Division. Has to be one of the iconic and most covered classic punk rock songs of all times,

See more: Joy Division Albums Ranked

16. A Means to an End (A Means to an End, 1995)

“Very smart song people should start listening to real music and stop to listen to those crap. This is one of those songs that makes me listen and listen again without getting tired”

15. No Love Lost (Substance, 1988)

“I really like ‘no love lost’ by joy division because of the intro.. It’s very hypnotizing… What a magnificent song! Fantastic. Especially the one on Ideal For Living with the spacey build-up.

14. Interzone (Unknown Pleasures, 1979)

“Full of powerful rusty chords and great duo of Peter Hook and Ian Curtis vocals. If I ever got in a car chase, this is the first song I’d want playing.”

13. Heart and Soul (Heart and Soul, 1997)

“Eerie and dark, with those bells it makes this track atmospheric and outstanding. Integrating and dark. Just beautiful”

12. Ceremony (Still, 1981)

“Imagine how excellent this song could’ve been if they only got the chance to finish fully recording it, it sounds like it could’ve been their best song yet. Too bad Ian killed himself before they got a chance to finish recording it though.”

11. Twenty Four Hours (Closer, 1980)

“It builds up constantly, leaving you wanting a climax, but it never comes, it just burns out. And that, in my opinion, is the song’s strength, it emphasizes the emotion and the hopelessness of the lyrics.”

10. Decades (Closer, 1980)

“Hauntingly beautiful song. The sequencing of the three last songs on the album could not have been better chosen.”

9. She’s Lost Control (24 Hour Party People, 1979)

“Love this song, especially how the rhythm of the drums and the melody of the guitar go along. One of the best Joy Division songs.”

8. Dead Souls (Control, 1979)

“Love to play this at full volume in my car with windows down and scare people with its dark majesty… This is one of, if not my favorite Joy Division song. I think it’s very underrated.”

7. Atmosphere (24 Hour Party People, 1988)

“I can only understate how much I like this song. There isn’t a word good enough to describe it. In my humble opinion the greatest song of all time, haunting, timeless, brilliant.”

See more: New Order Albums Ranked

6. Isolation (Closer, 1980)

“The most perfect of Joy Division’s songs; the lyrics (of which there are surprisingly few) co-exist in brilliant and haunting harmony with the score.”

4. Transmission (Unknown Pleasures, 1979)

“That opening bass line is legitimately chilling. And the emotive tear of Curtis’ vocals as the track plateaus. Pretty much a perfect song.”

3. Disorder (Unknown Pleasures, 1979)

“The bass and drum combined are electrifying, and Ian Curtis delivers his trademark haunting baritone vocals with fast-paced hooks.”

2. Shadowplay (Unknown Pleasures, 1979)

“A poetic recount of life’s futility and inequity; Curtis pulls Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” from the silence. Such a dark and heavy track. Love the guitar melody and tone.”

1. Love Will Tear Us Apart (Closer, 1980)

“Love Will Tear Us apart is the best post-punk song ever, and one of the best singles of all time. Stands as one of the best rock songs of all time. I would then go with Atmosphere and Transmission. So original.”