Complete List of Joy Division Albums and Discography

Feature Photo: Christian Bertrand / Shutterstock.com

Joy Division were one of the key bands in the British post-punk movement of the late 1970s and early ’80s. Consisting of Ian Curtis (lead vocals), Bernard Sumner (guitar, keyboards), Peter Hook (bass), and Stephen Morris (drums), the group from the suburbs of Manchester, UK became cultural legends for their deeply emotional, dark and brooding music.

Sadly, the group only released two studio albums, one independent EP, and a handful of singles during their two-year peak from 1978 to 1980. On 18 May 1980, frontman Ian Curtis, aged just twenty-three, hanged himself in his kitchen on the eve of what would have been Joy Division’s first tour of America. Suffering from depression and epileptic seizures that would sometimes disrupt Joy Division’s incendiary live performances, Curtis became one of the tragic figures haunting the history of rock.

Fortunately, Joy Division had recorded plenty of other studio and live material before Curtis’s death. The surviving members became the band New Order, achieving worldwide success with their hybrid of indie rock and electronic dance. Meanwhile, recordings from the Joy Division vaults began appearing on a series of compilations and live albums. Below you will find our complete list of Joy Division albums and songs, with our context for each one.

An Ideal for Living (1978)

Released: 3 June 1978 by Enigma Records

Joy Division’s first independent EP is a real collector’s item for those able to find it on vinyl. Two versions exist: the original 7-inch EP, released in June 1978, and a 12-inch version, released in October 1978. On An Ideal for Living, Joy Division are very much a punk band. Check out Ian Curtis’s abrasive singing voice, much higher-pitched than the deeper baritone he would develop later. Luckily, this raw but fascinating early material also remains available on the CD compilation Substance (see below).

EP Track Listing:

“Warsaw” – 2:26
“No Love Lost” – 3:42
“Leaders of Men” – 2:34
“Failures” – 3:44

Unknown Pleasures (1979)

Released: June 15, 1979 by Factory Records

Joy Division’s first of two studio albums is the group’s masterpiece and the basis of their well-deserved status as a phenomenal band. Unknown Pleasures is an emotionally charged journey into Ian Curtis’s dark lyrical landscapes. The group plays with feverish intensity, as Bernard Sumner’s distorted guitar, Peter Hook’s trebly bass, and Stephen Morris’s intense drumming establish the darker side of post-punk. Legendary producer Martin Hannett put his own stamp on Unknown Pleasures with sound effects and studio processing that are part of the album’s strange allure.

CD Track Listing:

“Disorder” – 3:33
“Day of the Lords” – 4:50
“Candidate” – 3:05
“Insight” – 4:29
“New Dawn Fades” – 4:49
“She’s Lost Control” – 3:57
“Shadowplay” – 3:56
“Wilderness” – 2:39
“Interzone” – 2:16
“I Remember Nothing” – 5:53

Closer (1980)

Released: July 18, 1980 by Factory Records

Joy Division’s second and final studio album was completed shortly before Ian Curtis’s tragic suicide in May 1980 and released posthumously. If you think Unknown Pleasures is a harrowing listen, listen to how Closer delves even deeper into Curtis’s troubled psyche. Further musical development, including a heavier use of keyboards, makes Closer a distinctive entry in the group’s catalog. If you’re a vinyl junkie, go the extra mile and seek out the 180-gram reissue on vinyl. CD lovers and streamers will enjoy the second disc of live performances included with the 2007 remastered version of Closer.

CD Track Listing:

“Atrocity Exhibition” – 6:05
“Isolation” – 2:52
“Passover” – 4:45
“Colony” – 3:53
“A Means to an End” – 4:06
“Heart and Soul” – 5:50
“Twenty Four Hours” – 4:26
“The Eternal” – 6:04
“Decades” – 6:08

Still (1981)

Released: 9 October 1981 by Factory Records

Still was compiled by the rest of Joy Division the year after Ian Curtis’s death. Several songs, including the menacing sounding “Exercise One,” were outtakes from the studio sessions for Unknown Pleasures. Other tracks, including the brooding “Dead Souls,” were B-sides from Joy Division singles. There’s also a live cover of “Sister Ray,” originally by the Velvet Underground, one of Joy Division’s key influences. The second half of the album includes the group’s last-ever live performance, in Birmingham, England, just days before Ian Curtis committed suicide.

CD Track Listing:

“Exercise One” – 3:05
“Ice Age” – 2:22
“The Sound of Music” – 3:53
“Glass” – 3:55
“The Only Mistake” – 4:15
“Walked in Line” – 2:46
“The Kill” – 2:14
“Something Must Break” – 2:47
“Dead Souls” – 4:52
“Sister Ray” (Live) – 7:34
“Ceremony” (Live) – 3:50
“Shadowplay” (Live) – 3:54
“Means to an End” (Live) – 4:01
“Passover” (Live) – 5:05
“New Dawn Fades” (Live) – 4:01
“Transmission” (Live) – 3:33
“Disorder” (Live) – 3:20
“Isolation” (Live) – 3:05
“Decades” (Live) – 5:22
“Digital” (Live) – 3:53

Substance (1988)

Released: July 11, 1988 by Factory Records

British post-punk acts like Joy Division often released their best music on 7- or 12-inch singles, without repeating it on studio albums. This meant that key Joy Division songs like “Transmission,” “Atmosphere,” and “Komakino” fell into obscurity once the group’s career ended. Also, the first self-released Joy Division EP, An Ideal for Living, had been out of print for a decade. Thankfully, Substance – especially the longer 2015 reissue listed below – put things right by gathering all the best non-album Joy Division songs in one place.

2015 Remastered CD Track Listing:

“Warsaw” – 2:25
“Leaders of Men” – 2:35
“Digital” – 2:50
“Autosuggestion” – 6:07
“Transmission” – 3:35
“She’s Lost Control” (single version) – 4:45
“Incubation” – 2:51
“Dead Souls” – 4:51
“Atmosphere” – 4:09
“Love Will Tear Us Apart” – 3:25
“No Love Lost” – 3:42
“Failures” – 3:44
“Glass” – 3:57
“From Safety to Where” – 2:30
“Novelty” – 4:01
“Komakino” – 3:53
“As You Said” – 2:00
“These Days” – 3:27
“Love Will Tear Us Apart” (Pennine Version) – 3:13

The Peel Sessions (1990)

Released: September 1990 by Strange Fruit Records

This album compiles two EPs released in 1986 and 1987 of two short sets Joy Division recorded in 1979 for BBC radio’s John Peel Show. Only two of the eight songs (“Insight” and “She’s Lost Control”) were featured on the album Unknown Pleasures, illustrating just how prolific Joy Division was in this phase. In his memoir Record Play Pause, former Joy Division drummer Stephen Morris comments on how Joy Division’s recordings for John Peel represent the group’s raw, unadulterated sound – compared to the more highly produced studio albums and singles.

CD Track Listing:

“Exercise One” – 2:30
“Insight” – 3:55
“She’s Lost Control” – 4:10
“Transmission” – 3:55
“Love Will Tear Us Apart” – 3:20
“24 Hours” – 4:05
“Colony” – 4:00
“Sound of Music” – 4:20

Permanent (1995)

Released: May 8, 1995 by London Records

This compilation has a lot of overlap with the above-mentioned Substance. The set made commercial sense, though, during the mid-1990s as Joy Division became widely acknowledged for their influence on bands like Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, Oasis, Sonic Youth, and Stone Roses. The material on Permanent provides a great overview of the band’s career, so it is still worth picking up if you find a used copy somewhere.

CD Track Listing:

“Love Will Tear Us Apart (Pennine Version)” – 3:11
“Transmission” – 3:34
“She’s Lost Control” – 3:58
“Shadowplay” – 3:53
“Day of the Lords” – 4:45
“Isolation” – 2:53
“Passover” – 4:44
“Heart and Soul” – 5:48
“Twenty Four Hours” – 4:26
“These Days” – 3:27
“Novelty” – 4:00
“Dead Souls” – 4:53
“The Only Mistake” – 4:13
“Something Must Break” – 2:52
“Atmosphere” – 4:10
“Love Will Tear Us Apart (Permanent Mix)” – 3:37

Heart and Soul (1997)

Released: December 1997 by London/Rhino Records

This four-CD box set contains virtually every studio track Joy Division ever recorded and lots more. The first two discs present the two studio albums, plus outtakes and associated singles. Unique to this set are the third disc’s demos and rough mixes. You also get the complete An Ideal for Living EP in the correct running order, plus a fourth disc of live recordings from venues such as Manchester’s the Factory. (Note: Other box sets exist, including +/- Singles 1978-80 and two more live collections, but these basically repackage tracks already listed in this discography.)

CD Track Listing:

Disc One: Unknown Pleasures Plus

“Digital” – 2:53
“Glass” – 3:56
“Disorder” – 3:31
“Day of the Lords” – 4:49
“Candidate” – 3:05
“Insight” – 4:28
“New Dawn Fades” – 4:48
“She’s Lost Control” – 3:56
“Shadowplay” – 3:55
“Wilderness” – 2:38
“Interzone” – 2:16
“I Remember Nothing” – 5:56
“Ice Age” – 2:25
“Exercise One” – 3:08
“Transmission” – 3:37
“Novelty” – 4:01
“The Kill” – 2:16
“The Only Mistake” – 4:19
“Something Must Break” – 2:53
“Autosuggestion” – 6:10
“From Safety to Where” – 2:27

Disc Two: Closer Plus

“She’s Lost Control” (12″ version) – 4:57
“Sound of Music” – 3:55
“Atmosphere” – 4:11
“Dead Souls” – 4:57
“Komakino” – 3:54
“Incubation” – 2:52
“Atrocity Exhibition” – 6:05
“Isolation” – 2:52
“Passover” – 4:46
“Colony” – 3:55
“A Means to an End” – 4:07
“Heart and Soul” – 5:51
“Twenty Four Hours” – 4:26
“The Eternal” – 6:07
“Decades” – 6:13
“Love Will Tear Us Apart” – 3:27
“These Days” – 3:26

Disc Three: Rarities

“Warsaw” – 2:26
“No Love Lost” – 3:42
“Leaders of Men” – 2:34
“Failures” – 3:44
“The Drawback” (Demo) – 1:46
“Interzone” (Demo) – 2:11
“Shadowplay” (Demo) – 4:10
“Exercise One” (Peel Session) – 2:28
“Insight” (Demo) – 4:05
“Glass” (Demo) – 3:29
“Transmission” (Demo) – 3:51
“Dead Souls” (Outtake) – 4:55
“Something Must Break” (Rough Mix) – 2:53
“Ice Age” (Demo) – 2:36
“Walked in Line” (Rough Mix) – 2:46
“These Days” (Piccadilly Radio Session) – 3:27
“Candidate” (Piccadilly Radio Session) – 1:57
“The Only Mistake” (Piccadilly Radio Session) – 3:43
“Chance (Atmosphere)” (Piccadilly Radio Session) – 4:54
“Love Will Tear Us Apart” (Peel Session) – 3:22
“Colony” (Peel Session) – 4:03
“As You Said” – 2:01
“Ceremony” (Demo) – 4:57
“In a Lonely Place (Detail)” (Demo) – 2:26

Disc Four: Live

“Dead Souls” (live) – 4:17
“The Only Mistake” (live) – 4:04
“Insight” (live) – 3:48
“Candidate” (live) – 2:03
“Wilderness” (live) – 2:27
“She’s Lost Control” (live) – 3:38
“Disorder” (live) – 3:12
“Interzone” (live) – 2:03
“Atrocity Exhibition” (live) – 5:52
“Novelty” (live) – 4:27
“Autosuggestion” (live) – 4:05
“I Remember Nothing” (live) – 5:53
“Colony” (live) – 3:53
“These Days” (live) – 3:38
“Incubation” (live) – 3:36
“The Eternal” (live) – 6:33
“Heart and Soul” (live) – 4:56
“Isolation” (live) – 3:09
“She’s Lost Control” (live) – 5:30

Preston 28 February 1980 (1999)

Released: May 1999 by NMC Music

None of Joy Division’s various live recordings were originally intended for commercial release. All of them lack the audio fidelity you’d normally expect from a live album. Still, for a group known as a great live act that only made two studio albums, it makes sense fans would scramble to hear the live material that did survive. This set, recorded at a club in Preston, Lancashire, England in early 1980, captures a basic Joy Division live set of the time. The sound quality is very rough and the band members themselves did not consider this one of their best performances. Read on for better options of Joy Division live.

Track Listing:

“Incubation” – 3:06
“Wilderness” – 3:02
“Twenty Four Hours” – 4:39
“The Eternal” – 8:39
“Heart and Soul” – 4:46
“Shadowplay” – 3:50
“Transmission” – 3:23
“Disorder” – 3:23
“Warsaw” – 2:48
“Colony” – 4:16
“Interzone” – 2:28
“She’s Lost Control” – 5:02

The Complete BBC Recordings (2000)

Released: October 2000 by Strange Fruit Records

This album is much like 1990’s The Peel Sessions, although as a more recent release you will find it easier to access on CD and streaming platforms. Most of these tracks were recorded for BBC radio’s John Peel Show in two sessions in 1979. However, there are also two performances (“Transmission” and the second “She’s Lost Control”) from audio of BBC Television’s Something Else program, the videos of which you can find on YouTube. The set concludes with a BBC interview with Joy Division members Ian Curtis and Stephen Morris.

Track Listing:

“Exercise One” – 2:32
“Insight” – 3:53
“She’s Lost Control” – 3:58
“Transmission” – 3:58
“Love Will Tear Us Apart” – 3:25
“24 Hours” – 4:10
“Colony” – 4:05
“Sound of Music” – 4:27
“Transmission” – 3:18
“She’s Lost Control” – 3:44
“Ian Curtis and Stephen Morris Interview” – 3:32

Les Bains Douches 18 December 1979 (2001)

Released: April 2001 by NMC Music

This live recording of Joy Division performing in the Paris nightclub Les Bains Douches has the rough audio quality to be expected of recordings not meant to be commercially released. However, this set does a good job of capturing Joy Division’s manic energy as a live band. Much of the set consists of live versions of songs from 1979’s Unknown Pleasures, as well as an early version of their biggest hit song, “Love Will Tear Us Apart.” Tracks 10 through 12 were recorded at Paradiso in Amsterdam on January 11, 1980, and tracks 13 through 16 at Effenaar in Eindhoven on January 18, 1980.

Track Listing:

“Disorder” – 3:21
“Love Will Tear Us Apart” – 3:17
“Insight” – 3:25
“Shadowplay” – 3:46
“Transmission” – 3:19
“Day of the Lords” – 4:39
“24 Hours” – 4:12
“These Days” – 3:42
“A Means to an End” – 4:17
“Passover” – 2:18
“New Dawn Fades” – 4:40
“Atrocity Exhibition” – 6:56
“Digital” – 3:39
“Dead Souls” – 4:46
“Autosuggestion” – 4:13
“Atmosphere” – 4:47

The Best of Joy Division (2008)

Released: 24 March 2008 by London/Rhino

This compilation collects key tracks from studio albums Unknown Pleasures and Closer, plus equally strong material released on singles (such as the bristling “Atmosphere” and an alternate version of “She’s Lost Control”). This basic Best Of won’t offer much new to long-term fans, but for listeners new to Joy Division’s work, it makes an ideal primer. Some versions of the compilation contain a second disc with the same material found on The Complete BBC Recordings (see above).

CD Track Listing:

“Digital” – 2:52
“Disorder” – 3:30
“Shadowplay” – 3:52
“New Dawn Fades” – 4:47
“Transmission” – 3:37
“Atmosphere” – 4:10
“Dead Souls” – 4:56
“She’s Lost Control” (12-inch version) – 4:56
“Love Will Tear Us Apart” – 3:27
“These Days” – 3:28
“Twenty Four Hours” – 4:28
“Heart and Soul” – 5:50
“Incubation” – 2:53
“Isolation” – 2:53

+/- Singles 1978-80 (2010)

Released: December 2010 by Rhino

+/- Singles 1978-80 is a boxed set of remastered 7-inch records that collects Joy Division’s singles and other recordings reconfigured as singles. The ten discs draw from An Ideal for Living, A Factory Sample, Earcom 2, “Transmission,” Licht und Blindheit, “Komakino,” “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” the 12-inch singles, and two tracks from Closer.

Track Listing:

Disc One

“Warsaw” – 2:26
“Leaders of Men” – 2:35

Disc Two

“No Love Lost” – 3:44
“Failures” – 3:44

Disc Three

“Digital” – 2:51
“Glass” – 3:57

Disc Four

“Autosuggestion” – 6:08
“From Safety to Where” – 2:29

Disc Five

“Transmission” – 3:36
“Novelty” – 4:00

Disc Six

“Atmosphere” – 4:11
“Dead Souls” – 4:54

Disc Seven

“Komakino” – 3:54
“Incubation” – 2:52
“As You Said” – 1:59

Disc Eight

“Love Will Tear Us Apart” – 3:25
“These Days” – 3:26

Disc Nine

“She’s Lost Control” (12″ Version) – 4:45
“Love Will Tear Us Apart” (Pennine Version) – 3:12

Disc Ten

“Isolation” – 2:52
“Heart and Soul” – 5:49

Total: From Joy Division to New Order (2011)

Released: 6 June 2011 by WEA UK/Rhino

Total is a budget compilation that pairs five key Joy Division tracks with a brief overview of New Order, the group formed by Joy Division’s three surviving members. While it only presents a smattering of each group’s best work, it gives a sense of how the two groups shared part of their history. For those looking to dive deeper, pick up the two compilations from the 1980s entitled Substance: one by Joy Division, the other by New Order.

Joy Division Track Listing: