Bernard Sumner

In May 1980, the band Joy Division was devastated by the death of lead singer Ian Curtis. The three remaining band members, Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, and Stephen Morris, decided they would keep making music together, and a few months later, Gillian Gilbert joined them. They called the band New Order.New Order is one of the most influential bands of the last four decades. Their song “Blue Monday" came out in 1983, and it holds the record for being the best-selling 12-inch single of all time. Rolling Stone put “Blue Monday” on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, and Pitchfork included it in its top 5 best songs of the 1980s.To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release of “Blue Monday,” in this episode, New Order discusses how they created the song. This episode was produced in collaboration with Transmissions, the official New Order and Joy Division podcast produced by Cup and Nuzzle. We’ve put together this story out of the hours and hours of interviews they’ve recorded, along with a new interview I did with Peter Hook. As you’ll hear the four of them explain, nothing about Blue Monday’s success, or really, even its existence, was something that they planned for.For more, visit songexploder.net/new-order.

In this riveting discussion, graphic designer Peter Saville unveils the haunting choices behind Joy Division's iconic album art. Founding member Bernard Sumner shares first-hand stories of the band's intense studio sessions, revealing tensions over mixing 'Love Will Tear Us Apart'. Bassist Peter Hook reflects on Ian Curtis's battle with epilepsy and the emotional turmoil leading up to his tragic death, as well as how the band navigated their grief and guilt. The complexities of their creative process and the enduring power of their music are explored, making this a poignant reflection on legacy.