What genre is Joy Division?
In the 1970s, punk ethos was almost everywhere in rock music. If it wasn’t making itself known in aesthetics or broader demeanours, it was captured in the rebellious spirit that categorised the entire movement, pushing against the insipidity of the mainstream with the aggressive charge that fuelled the rise of the overarching cry for cultural change. But what about the additional, parallelling genre revolutionised by the Salford group Joy Division?
When looking at post-punk outfits like Joy Division, understanding the genre is both straightforward and ambiguous. After all, their sound wasn’t exactly entirely reminiscent of earlier punk pioneers like Sex Pistols or the Ramones, but it certainly adopted many of the tropes that came with gritty, subdued rock that hinged on endearing melodies and deeper emotional immersion.
But the problem with the post-punk label nowadays is that it feels too broad to apply with any certain meaning attached, even if it is the most appropriate label for the Ian Curtis-fronted band. This is because, by definition, the post-punk approach was seen as a reaction to the raw energy of punk itself, with bands experimenting with different textures and ambience to reach for a more enhanced gothic-leaning feel.
These layers are particularly insistent throughout Unknown Pleasures and Closer, which established Joy Division as post-punk forerunners, meaning that their sound adopted an unmissable broodiness that underscored their signature intensity, compounded by Curtis’ unconventional vocal delivery. Above all, this introduced the era of atmospheres, where the musical listening experience beckoned for something much deeper and far more visceral than anything that had come before.
Which musicians inspired Ian Curtis?
For this reason, the post-punk label is often applied to many “dark” bands that emerged alongside Joy Division and after, including The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, New Order, and others. However, considering Curtis’ own influences before Joy Division’s major breakthrough, it’s clear that their distinctive sound burgeoned more from the roots of mainstream innovators in a broader sense, championed by major players like David Bowie.
Curtis was drawn to several legendary rock stars like Bowie and became endeared to the idea of creating something so far out and intensely original that it inspired him to try to do the same. This is likely why he also gravitated towards Kraftwerk and their album Trans-Europe Express—which the band would play on repeat in an effort to mould their sound as close to theirs as possible.
Others who crossed his path around this time also included Jim Morrison, a seminal influence who introduced Curtis to the romanticisation of mythologised stars who stake their claim and die young. This also influenced the types of atmospheres he wanted to create, ensuring that, even during their more upbeat compositions like ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’, his signature darkness remains intact, like a lingering prophecy that felt eery and enticing even before his passing.
As Deborah Curtis recalled in Touching From a Distance, her husband was enamoured with the idea of “someone who got famous and died,” making Morrison the perfect idol. “Being in a band was very important,” she wrote, describing Curtis as “single-minded” about the concept because he “didn’t want to live into his 20s.”
