40 years ago today, New Order released "Blue Monday," what would become the best-selling 12-inch single of all time. Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook and Stephen Morris formed New Order after the death of Ian Curtis, keeping their word that no one would perform under the name Joy Division should any of the members leave.
When they made "Blue Monday," one of their biggest hits, the original intention was much less ambitious. What started as a synthesized track that would automatically play as the band's encore when they left the stage became a complete song that helped define New Order as a band. Sumner stated that the song was directly influenced by “Our Love by Donna Summer” (1979), “You Make Me Feel” by Sylvester James (1978), “Dirty Talk” by Klein & MBO (1982) and “Uranium” by Kraftwerk (1975). See if you can hear the similarities in this Top of the Pops performance from just a few weeks after the song's release.
