On May 18, 1980, 23-year-old Ian Curtis tragically took his own life. The singer of the English post-punk band Joy Division was found dead by his estranged wife, Deborah, with Iggy Pop's album The Idiot still playing on the record player. The band had recently finished their second album, Closer, and was due to leave for the U.S. the following day, for their first-ever American tour.
Those close to him admitted feeling confused and baffled when they found out that he'd killed himself. Bandmate Bernard Sumner told Tonino Cagnucci in 2015 that he and Curtis had planned to go water skiing on May 18, but he didn't show up. He was devastated when he got the call that Curtis was dead.
"I didn’t understand it," Sumner told MOJO in 2024. "We had no idea he was going to do it – if we had we wouldn’t have let him out of our sight."
Two months after Curtis's death, Closer was released. The album reached No. 6 on the U.K. charts and was hailed by many as a masterpiece. Their haunting song, "Love Will Tear Us Apart," was hailed as one of the greatest songs of all time.
With Curtis gone, the remaining band members, Sumner, Peter Hook, and Stephen Morris, reformed as New Order and released hit songs like "Blue Monday" and "Bizarre Love Triangle." Over the years, Curtis became a mythical figure. As more people really listened to his lyrics, he was hailed as a poetic, musical genius.
Why Music Legends Still Mourn and Celebrate Joy Division's Frontman
No one forgot about Joy Division, and over the years, more musicians cited them as a major influence. The band, along with New Order, will be celebrated at the 2026 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, where they'll be inducted alongside Phil Collins, Oasis, and others.
“So, I’ve argued for a good 20 years that probably outside of The Beatles, Joy Division is the most influential rock band of the 20th century,” Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan said during a Track Star episode.
The Killers' singer, Brandon Flowers, recalled during a celebration of Ian Curtis that he was introduced to Joy Division after listening to New Order. The band's cover of Joy Division's "Shadowplay" remains one of their most popular songs.
"This unparalleled, stark, beautiful, primitive, soulful music," Flowers said. "It had a profound impact on me, just like it did many others.”
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