13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Joy Division fans find out what band name actually means after 49 years
Joy Division were one of the most popular and pioneering post-punk bands of the 1970s and 1980s - but many fans don't know the shocking reason behind the band's name
If you're a music enthusiast, you'll likely be familiar with the rock band Joy Division, which was formed in Salford in 1976. The band consisted of vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Ian Curtis, guitarist and keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris.
After attending a Sex Pistols concert, Sumner and Hook decided to form the band. Although Joy Division's early work was heavily influenced by punk music, they soon developed their own distinctive, minimalist style, making them pioneers of the post-punk genre.
In 1978, their self-released debut EP, An Ideal for Living, caught the eye of Manchester TV personality Tony Wilson. It wasn't long before he signed them to his independent label, Factory Records, and their album Unknown Pleasures was released in 1979.
It was well-known that Curtis battled with personal problems, including depression and epilepsy. As the band gained popularity, his health issues made it increasingly difficult for him to perform, as he would sometimes have seizures on stage.
He tragically passed away just before what would have been the band's first North American tour in May 1980, at the tender age of 23. The band's final album, Closer, was released two months later, reaching no. 6 in the UK Albums Chart, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Meanwhile, the non-album single "Love Will Tear Us Apart" soared to the top of the independent singles chart as well. In 1980, following the band's tragic loss, the remaining members along with keyboardist and guitarist Gillian Gilbert reformed as New Order.
Even though songs like "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and "Transmission" linger in fans' memories, the origin of the band's name remains obscure to many. The topic surfaced on Reddit when a user revealed: "TIL (today I learned) that the band Joy Division's name is a reference to the name of the Auschwitz camp brothels (Freudenabteilungen 'Joy Divisions')."
One individual responded with the information: "I had read that lead singer Ian Curtis discovered in 'House of Dolls' the origins of joy divisions in WW2, and was really distraught by such evilness."
Another chimed in with: "Took me forever to realise that Joy Division/New Order were the same band, less the lead singer. Totally different sounds."
A third also commented: "A lot of New Wave acts took their names from Third Reich inspirations. I'm still not sure why. New Wave came out of punk so maybe it was to be edgy or something."
What's the real story behind Joy Division's name?
It turns out Joy Division wasn't the ensemble's initial moniker. Previously, they were called "Warsaw", reputedly influenced by a David Bowie track on his album Low.
Curtis was a huge Bowie fan, and at the time, the name fitted perfectly.
However, when the band was organising some gigs in late 1977, they came to realise that their name clashed with the Warsaw Pakt - a Ladbroke Grove-based group who caught headlines after launching an album within a day of recording it.
They felt a rebrand was necessary as their name lacked distinctiveness. Thus, they channelled their efforts into selecting a new identity.
In 1978, they adopted the name "Joy Division" – a designation believed to be influenced by the sexual exploitation sections of Nazi concentration camps during World War II. According to Far Out, it was a holocaust survivor's book titled House of Dolls that sparked the name change.
Upon settling on the name Joy Division, the group encountered substantial backlash, as many perceived them as sympathisers with right-wing ideologies.
Nevertheless, they persevered with the chosen name and spent two years crafting songs that ultimately discredited the conspiracy theories. Following Ian Curtis' untimely passing in 1980, the remaining members faced a decision about their future direction.
They opted for a brand-new start, bearing in mind a pact made at the outset of their journey; that they would abandon the band's name should any member depart.
To uphold this pledge and out of respect for Ian Curtis, they refrained from continuing under the same title. This marked the inception of New Order.
