One of music’s most mythologized figures would have celebrated his 70th birthday today, and that is the legendary Ian Curtis of Joy Division. Curtis was maybe the single most influential musician in the creation of the gothic alternative sound of the ’80s, popularized by bands such as Bauhaus, The Cure, and Siouxsie and the Banshees.
Curtis’ unique delivery, writing style, and stage presence created an air of darkness and mystery around the band that really defined their sound. With the bass leading the melodies as opposed to the guitar, and the melancholy of the lyrics, they really laid the foundation for much of the darker music that would come to prominence following the band’s end.
Of course, Curtis’ legacy is massively affected by his tragic passing. Curtis struggled all throughout his life with his mental and physical health. Not only did he suffer from epilepsy, but he also battled depression until he finally took his own life just before the band was set to make their touring debut in North America. It was a tragedy that shook the music world as Curtis was a unique musical presence that could never be replicated.
He was someone we certainly lost far too soon, as he was only 24 at the time. I feel that far too often a singer’s early death can overshadow what they brought to the table though, and I’d really love to highlight one of my favorite albums ever that Curtis was instrumental in making, and that is “Unknown Pleasures.”
Joy Division don’t really sound like any other band I can think of. Curtis is such a unique lyricist, as his words sit in this abstract, esoteric place that fit the band’s sound so perfectly. Songs like “Disorder,” “Candidate,” “New Dawn Fades,” and “I Remember Nothing” are these wildly evocative yet difficult to place pieces of writing that are furthered by the revolutionary sound the band were able to create.
Curtis was an immeasurable musical gift to the world, and his memory surely lives on in the hearts and minds of so many who love Joy Division. Happy birthday, Ian. Thank you for all your talent.
Related: Revolutionary ’80s Metal Band, Ranked One of the Greatest Ever, Blows Fans Away at Concert
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