New Order (band)

New Order
New Order performing at EXIT Festival in Novi Sad, Serbia in 2012
Background information
Origin	Manchester, England
Genres	Alternative dance synthpop post-punk new wave dance-rock electronica
Years active	1980–1993, 1998-2007, 2011-present
Labels	Factory London Qwest Warner Bros. Reprise Mute
Associated acts	Joy Division Electronic Revenge The Other Two Monaco Bad Lieutenant Peter Hook and The Light Freebass
Members	Bernard Sumner Stephen Morris Gillian Gilbert Phil Cunningham Tom Chapman
Past members	Peter Hook

New Order are an English rock band formed in 1980, currently comprising Bernard Sumner, Stephen Morris, Gillian Gilbert, Phil Cunningham and Tom Chapman. The band was formed in 1980 by Sumner (vocals, guitars, keyboards and synthesisers), Morris (drums, electronic drums, keyboards and synthesisers) and Peter Hook (bass, backing vocals, keyboards and electronic drums), who were the remaining members of post-punk group Joy Division following the suicide of vocalist Ian Curtis – with the addition of Gilbert (keyboards and guitars).

By combining post-punk with an increasing influence from electronic and dance music, New Order became one of the most critically acclaimed and influential bands of the 1980s. Though the band's early years were shadowed by the legacy and basic sound of Joy Division, their experience of the early 1980s New York City club scene increased their knowledge of dance music and saw them incorporate elements of that style into their work. The band's 1983 hit "Blue Monday", the best-selling 12-inch single of all time, is one example of how their sound became increasingly uptempo and electronic.

New Order were the flagship band for Manchester-based independent record label Factory Records. Their unlabelled album sleeves and "non-image" (the band rarely gave interviews and were known for performing short concert sets with no encores) reflected the label's aesthetic of doing whatever the relevant parties wanted to do, including an aversion to including singles as album tracks until 1984. Because of the band's dance-rock genre it has a complex discography, with many well-known songs not featured on studio albums or released in a variety of mixes. Throughout their career, the band's records were art-directed by Mancunian designer Peter Saville.