Album of the Day

Part of a long line of musical heroes from Manchester (along with such bands as The Hollies, The Smiths and Oasis), Joy Division formed following a Sex Pistols gig in that northern British city. Released on this day in 1979, debut album UNKNOWN PLEASURES has a starker, more atmospheric sound than the group's loud and aggressive concerts, thanks to the work of producer Martin Hannett and an outstanding set of songs. “She's Lost Control” and “Shadowplay” are bleak and claustrophobic but vibrant all the same, touched with a sense of late-‘60s experimentation and played with an urgency that's timeless. From Peter Saville's distinctive radio-waves cover art to the last notes of “I Remember Nothing,” Joy Division's UNKNOWN PLEASURES delivers from start to finish, and is cited by such outlets as Q and NME as one of the greatest British albums of all time.