MMM: Love Will Tear Us Apart – Joy Division

March 16, 2018March 13, 2018

Milo here.

And we go again into another MMM! Following the apparent theme of 80s British alt rock this week, eh?

Today, we’re looking at Joy Divison’s pioneering 1980 single Love Will Tear Us Apart. Check the video below:

Fun fact, before writing this, I listened to the Fall Out Boy cover of this song to see how long I would last — I lasted 23 seconds. Time to stop.
Indeed, following up both The Smiths and The Cure, I figured it’d be apt to close out the week with one of the early granddaddies of UK indie — the happy-go-lucky Joy Division. While this little bout of sarcasm may be simply that (am I not a funny boy), there is no doubt or dispute when it comes to the signifcance Joy Division had on the music world, influencing and mastering indie rock and post-punk in such a way that the history of alt rock music would look very different without them.
And Love Will Tear Us Apart is their signature track. Released posthumously after frontman Ian Curtis’ death in 1980, the song is notable for its significant and void atmosphere, created both by the soundscapes in the instrumental and Curtis’ trademark isolated lyrics, delivered in his unmistakeable bass-baritone voice. The way this band blended such a darkness with dance is very, very special and I’d be surprised to see anything at the same level again, especially considering their tragically short time.