Joy Division

No other band has the legacy of Joy Division, they signposted the way for all the new romantic bands that were to follow in the 1980s as they were the first band to put meaning and expression into music. Listen to todays bands such as Radiohead, The Manic Street Preachers, Interpol, Editors, U2, Bloc party they all owe enormously to Joy Divison. Bands of yesteryear aswell such as Nirvana were hugely influenced by not only JD but the main frontman Ian Curtis. Beset with depression and his ongoing dissolving marriage Ian Curtis's true feelings percolate through his work, themes such as loss, anxiety, sadness, depression feature heavily. However, listen beyond this, listen to the construction of the tracks, the post - modern synth riffs the dark basslines and you will hear a band way ahead of their time.
To prove this listen to the Killers cover of Shadowplay, Curtis vocal performance is still light years ahead of its time, it sounds as fresh today as it did 30 years ago. As one music review stated Joy Divison created an "echo which still rings."
Opinion may be split over the best of their 2 albums, Unknown Pleasures is very experimental album showing signs of their early stuff when they were called Warsaw, Closer has a more far reaching appeal, seen as genre defining album and milestone in the bands history, listen to the last 4 tracks and you will see what I mean when I say their sounds was light years ahead of its time [largely due to the good production of Martin Hannett, he made the JD sound].
If not the best band thats ever lived certainly the most influential, dont just think Joy Division were just "Love will tear us apart" and "Atmosphere" they had many many other brilliant tracks.

Their story is probably the greatest, most honest and most endearing in all of rock, pop or whatever we call this music.
4 young pups who didn't really know where they were going, beyond school, in rainy, misty, dreary Manchester.
Amateur at best, they somehow managed to produce this music. Its difficult to explain how non-musicians with little experience were able to create this catalogue. Ian Curtis's lyrics are at the top of the tree.
OK, Bob Dylan stands alone, we all know that. But beyond him Ian Curtis has produced lyrics as good as anyone else - scary, chilling, beautiful, honest. And the music complements the lyrics perfectly.
Utterly essential music.

If you haven't heard them, explain yourself.
They only really lasted about 2 years, but managed to gift us 2 albums and 3 singles - all of them eternal.

Best Band of All Times ??
As far as I'm concerned, the most influential and decisive I've ever come across some 15 years ago.
Will never get bored of them and will definitely cherish those few records until the very end.
Once you've heard JD and appreciated the amazing songwriting plus the genius production of Martin Hannett, you will probably find today's rock bands slightly tasteless and boring, which is my case.
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