Question 1

True or false: After Curtis's death, surviving members formed New Order in 1980.

Accepted Answer

True. Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook, and Stephen Morris continued as New Order, achieving massive success with electronic dance music.

Question 2

True or false: Ian Curtis wrote 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' about his crumbling marriage.

Accepted Answer

True. Curtis wrote the song about his strained relationship with wife Deborah, capturing his emotional turmoil before his suicide.

Question 3

True or false: The iconic pulsar image on 'Unknown Pleasures' was a random design by the band.

Accepted Answer

False. It's actually a radio wave graph of pulsar CP 1919 from the Cambridge Encyclopedia of Astronomy, chosen by graphic designer Peter Saville.

Question 4

True or false: Ian Curtis's stage performances often included brief, seizure-like dancing.

Accepted Answer

True. Curtis's jerky, robotic dance moves were partially influenced by his epilepsy, though he incorporated them into his intense stage presence.

Question 5

True or false: The band's name was inspired by a WWII military unit.

Accepted Answer

False. It came from the 'joy division' slang for prostitutes in Nazi concentration camps, from the novel 'House of Dolls'.

Question 6

True or false: Joy Division's only US tour was cut short due to Ian Curtis's health.

Accepted Answer

False. They never toured the US; Curtis's epilepsy and death prevented any American performances.

Question 7

True or false: Joy Division's first single 'Transmission' charted in the UK top 10.

Accepted Answer

False. 'Transmission' never charted; Joy Division had no top 10 singles during their existence, gaining fame posthumously.

Question 8

True or false: Joy Division's debut album 'Unknown Pleasures' was recorded in just three days.

Accepted Answer

True. The album was famously recorded over three weekends at Strawberry Studios in Stockport in 1979, totaling just three days.

Joy Division Trivia Questions