Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

New Music Monday: Joy Division

Joy Division - Unknown PleasuresBefore we dig into this week’s column, a point of order: Joy Division is not strictly new music. The band formed in 1976 and dissolved in 1980 in the wake of lead singer Ian Curtis’ suicide. The three remaining members would go on to form New Order, one of the most critically-acclaimed bands of the 80s. Having said that, today we focus on Joy Division because Rhino recently reissued the band’s two albums, Unknown Pleasures and Closer, on 180-gram vinyl.  In the coming weeks Rhino will reissue the compilations Still and Substance, as well.

Unknown Pleasures came out originally came out in June of 1979. Though tracks like “Disorder,” “Insight,” and “She’s Lost Control” are classics today, the album did not sell well initially. It took the release of “Transmission,” a song not on the record, to spark sales. After the single’s release, Unknown Pleasure‘s sales increased, and the first pressing sold out.

Joy Division - Transmission [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]

Rhino chose this year to release the records in order to celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the release of “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” Joy Division’s biggest hit. It’s an unfortunate twist of fate that the song, whose lyrics appear to document Ian Curtis’ failing marriage, was released a month before his death. “Love Will Tear Us Apart” comes the closest to a pop song that Joy Division ever recorded. Though its context is heartbreaking, the song is one of Joy Division’s best and has been included on a variety of lists of the Greatest Songs of All Time.

Joy Division - Love Will Tear Us Apart [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]

Like “Transmission,” “Love Will Tear Us Apart” does not actually appear on either Unknown Pleasures or Closer. The track was released as a single separately. Like it’s predecessor, Unknown PleasuresCloser had no singles associated with. The record, however, reached #6 on the UK Albums Chart and held the #1 spot in Australia for four weeks.

Recommended Videos

Joy Division were among the first bands to take the anger and dissatisfaction of punk music and reforge those emotions into a new sound. The band’s live performances were loud and aggressive, but the sound they became known for is the uncanny echoing that runs through Unknown Pleasures and Closer. Given Ian Curtis’ untimely death it is not possible to know what direction Joy Division would have moved in the 1980s, but luckily the surviving members continued as New Order, and listeners do have their excellent catalogue to listen to.

Joy Division - She's Lost Control (Live At Something Else Show) [Remastered] [HD]

The Rhino reissues of Unknown Pleasures and Closer are available through Amazon.

Terence Praet
Terence Praet contributes to The Manual’s New Music Monday column. He studied Philosophy and History at Skidmore College…
Every new Game of Thrones spinoff explained
George R.R. Martin's television world continues to grow
Matt Smith starring in House of the Dragon

When it first aired on HBO in the early 2010s, Game of Thrones dazzled audiences with revolutionary special effects and terrific acting in a unique fantasy world. Based on author George R.R. Martin's series of novels, the universe depicts the battles between several different noble families as they try to climb to the top of the continent of Westeros, both politically and figuratively. The war scenes, family drama, and massive number of characters helped make the story feel fresh and new every time a new episode aired.

As Martin's attention shifted to television and away from his books, fans have looked to the TV series to finish some of the stories he couldn't finish on the page. Game of Thrones left fans wanting more, despite its poorly received finale, and a plethora of spinoffs are on the way. House of the Dragon already has two seasons completed, and there are several others in the coming years to look forward to.
House of the Dragon
House of the Dragon finished its second season in 2024. The show chronicles the heated family dynamics of the Targaryen empire almost two centuries before the events of Game of Thrones. The third season should pick up the civil war between Queen Rhaenyra's forces and King Aegon's after a slow-building conflict throughout the second act.

Read more
The ultimate guide to cigar terminology: Speak like a true aficionado
The ‘I definitely know my cigars’ cheat sheet. You're welcome.
Man wearing top hat lighting a cigar in a bar

You're not the only one who has felt out of your league talking cigars with someone who obviously knows his stuff, trust me. To everyone else, the cigar world is a secret society with its own language—a mix of tradition, craftsmanship, and ritual that may as well be code to the onlooker. But here’s the secret–you don’t need years of puffing to sound like an aficionado.

This guide explains cigar jargon in the most approachable way possible. No BS, no elitism, no jargon— just straight talk in plain, everyday words. You’ll learn the basic structure of cigars, how to describe what you’re tasting, and how to talk shop without sounding like a rookie. Whether you’re sparking up at a lounge, perusing a humidor, or just kicking back, having the lingo effortlessly rolling off your tongue will elevate your cigar game instantly.

Read more
No more pay-per-view? UFC signs exclusive streaming deal with Paramount
The deal will start in 2026 and run through 2032.
The UFC Championship belt.

Under a new deal announced on Monday, Paramount will become the exclusive streaming home for UFC events for the next seven years in the US. The deal, which Paramount reached with TKO Group, has an average annual value of $1.1 billion, according to the companies.

Under the terms of the deal, Paramount will stream UFC's full slate of its 13 marquee numbered events and 30 "Fight Nights" on its streaming platform, Paramount+, with some events also being simulcast on CBS, starting in 2026.

Read more