New Order began life as Joy Division, which was a band notorious for its dark music and dark lyrics. Then, on May 18, 1980, the singer of Joy Division, Ian Curtis, hanged himself. At the time of Curtis’ suicide Joy Division was about to embark on its first American tour and had released the song “Love Will Tear Us Apart” which would go on to be named Song of the Year by Rolling Stone magazine. Most people in a successful band would have just continued forward with the same name. The members of Joy Division, however, chose the radical path of renaming themselves and starting over. Think of this story as if The Beatles had changed their name after the death of Stu Sutcliffe or the replacement of Pete Best with Ringo Starr. Madness, it must have been to those around them. Nevertheless, New Order went on to become the most influential synth-based band of all time. And they remain my favorite band. Here are my picks for the top ten New Order songs of all time.
10. All the Way. A lesser known song from the band’s sonic masterpiece Technique. The music is great as always, but I like this song specifically for its lyrical content: “It takes years to find the nerve to be apart from what you’ve done. To find the truth inside yourself, and not depend on anyone.” True words that are difficult to live up to. Those lyrics resonate with the thematic thrust of my pick for New Order’s best song.
9. Dreams Never End. From New Order’s oft-neglected first album, Movement, this song has more in common with Joy Division than New Order, but that’s okay. The jangly guitar sound is one that the band uses to far greater effect than, say, R.E.M, because they don’t rely on the sound to define them or the song. In fact, it’s almost kind of surprising to hear a guitar-based New Order song for some people raised on the heavy synth sound. This is a great car song because it really move along at a fast pace.
8. Regret. The opening salvo from the album Republic is more guitar-oriented than most of the songs on this list. There is an excellent, more subtle use of synthesizers that opens the song, but then it immediately kicks into power. The lyrics begin with an expression of no regret over forgetting the names and addresses of everyone the singer ever knew and so I immediately related to this song.
7. 586. Sort of Blue Monday-lite. 586 is found on Power, Corruption and Lies and has the same kind of punishing beat that drives the song with a sound similar to Blue Monday.
6. Waiting for the Sirens’ Call. The title track from what may well prove to be New Order’s last album, this song proves the band still has what it takes to make a masterpiece even after twenty-five years together. Peter Hook’s bassline on this song is up there with the best things he’s ever done and the lyrics feature a kind of wistful quality that introduces a completely new element into the band’s repertoire.
5. Age of Consent. Made popular once again through its use in Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, Age of Consent is a rousing, thrilling song that is the ultimate showcase for how Peter Hook drives the melody of New Order’s songs with his bass. The quintessential songs of New Order are all highlighted by the fact that Hook uses his bass not as a instrument of rhythm, but melody. Age of Consent is a frenetic song that hooks you from its first chord and never lets up. The lyrics are even more cryptic than usual for a New Order song, but that’s okay because they leave plenty of room for interpretation.
4. Love Vigilantes. The opening salvo on the album Low-life, Love Vigilantes is unlike any song New Order had made to that point in their career. Rather relying on synthesizers, the song is all guitars and Stephen Morris’ muscular drums. The lyrical content is also a turning point; rather than seeming to speak to Ian Curtis and the memory of Joy Division, it is a forthright narrative about a soldier from a faraway war returning home to wife and family only to find out that he is dead.
3. The Perfect Kiss. New Order is remembered more for their 12 inch singles than their albums, perhaps unfairly, so when choosing the top ten New Order songs you must be careful to provide the version. The album version of The Perfect Kiss is great, but the 12 inch version is exception. This version is longer and more powerful. The music video of The Perfect Kiss is also my favorite music video of all time. It was shot live in its seven minute long entirety and consists of nothing but the band playing in a studio. Sounds boring, but it’s not. There is a haunting quality to the video due to the presence of a figure standing in a doorway who resembles the late Ian Curtis, seemingly watching the band he left behind from beyond the grave.
2. Temptation. Temptation was New Order’s first big hit and very nearly earned the guys their second song of the year recognition from Rolling Stone. The sound of Temptation established what would come to be New Order’s signature mode of production: an inordinately long musical intro before the lyrics kick. The opening lines are among the most famous lyrics in New Order’s canon: “Oh, you’ve got green eyes,
Oh, you’ve got blue eyes, oh you’ve got grey eyes.
1. Blue Monday. I first heard Blue Monday on Sunday afternoon while going to work at a Mexican restaurant in Smyrna, GA. I was listening to Album 88 and they were playing the Best of Britain; a countdown of the British top 40. Blue Monday was the biggest selling 12 inch single ever at the time and remains so today. It had been on the top 40 for months and months and so the deejay decided to mix things up a bit by playing a live version. New Order’s Blue Monday became my favorite song that day and it has never dropped from that position. The song is driven by a computerized drum beat and waves of synthesizers ride Peter Hook’s classic bass line to a crescendo that builds and builds. The lyrics are cryptic as usual for a New Order song and as with most New Order songs through Power, Corruption and Lies seem to be haunted by specter of Ian Curtis. Blue Monday is essentially a slap in the face to passivity; a clarion call to stand up for yourself and stop depending on others to tell you how to feel and what to do.
