Factory was founded in 1978 with an esoteric roster of artists which included A Certain Ratio, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, X-O-Dus, The Distractions, Durutti Column, Crawling Chaos, Section 25, John Dowie, The Names, Crispy Ambulance, Tunnel Vision and The Stockholm Monsters. But one act towered above the rest . . .
Joy Division won critical acclaim, infiltrated the student heartland and seemed set to become one of the most important and influential groups of the 80s. Sadly, their career was tragically cut short following the suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis on 18 May 1980.
When New Order emerged from the chaos of Joy Division few could have predicted that they would still be around a decade later.
Fewer still would have guessed that they would evolve into dance specialists and issue the biggest selling 12-inch single of all time (Blue Monday).
Throughout this period the group forged strong links with Factory, acquiring a financial interest along the way. In doing so, they achieved a greater control over their product than virtually any other hit group of the 1980s.
