New Order formed in Manchester in 1980 from the surviving members of Joy Division and rewired rock into synth-pop and dance music. Power, Corruption & Lies (1983) and the Substance compilation are the entry points, and Blue Monday remains the highest-selling 12-inch single in history. Shop New Order vinyl, CDs, and reissues at Wax Trax Records.
New Order formed in Manchester, England in October 1980 by the surviving members of Joy Division - Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, and Stephen Morris - following the suicide of Ian Curtis on May 18, 1980. Gillian Gilbert (Stephen Morris's then-girlfriend, subsequently wife) joined as keyboardist later in 1980. Their distinctive synthesizer-driven sound - pioneering the integration of dance music and rock instrumentation - became foundational to the broader synth-pop and dance-rock movements. Their 1983 single Blue Monday is the highest-selling 12-inch single in history. They were associated with Factory Records (operated by Tony Wilson) and the famous Hacienda nightclub in Manchester (which Factory operated alongside the band). Peter Hook departed the band in 2007 amid legal and creative disputes, and has since toured with his own band Peter Hook & The Light. Gillian Gilbert left the band in 2001 to raise her children with Stephen Morris and returned in 2011. They have continued releasing material across multiple decades. Their foundational influence on synth-pop, dance music, and broader contemporary popular music is widely documented.
New Order's sound combines synth-pop, dance-rock, post-punk, alternative dance, new wave, indie dance, and Madchester with Sumner's distinctive vocal delivery, Hook's foundational melodic high-register bass approach, extensive synthesizer and sequencer integration, and arrangements drawing on post-punk and disco traditions alongside contemporary dance music influences. Their foundational influence on synth-pop and dance-rock is widely documented.
Original Factory Records pressings of the 1980s New Order catalog are foundational items in synth-pop and post-punk collecting, with collector premiums. The Peter Saville-designed sleeves are widely collected. Multiple anniversary editions, audiophile reissues, and the comprehensive Rhino and Mute reissue programs have been released.
Listeners new to New Order typically start with Substance (1987) compilation or Power, Corruption & Lies (1983).
