Joy Division and New Order Albums Ranked Worst to Best

Joy Division released only two albums during their brief four years together. But they've had a massive impact on scores of other bands that emerged after their demise, including the band they became after singer Ian Curtis took his own life on May 18, 1980: New Order.

Their story and legacies have been inseparable almost from the start. Their shared induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame's class of 2026 reflects their connected discographies; New Order's 1981 debut sounds like a Joy Division album, down to Bernard Sumner's gothic growl borrowed from Curtis.

The latter group never shed the post-punk despair, as noted in the list below of Joy Division and New Order Albums Ranked. Elements of Joy Division, for better or worse, would haunt New Order throughout their career, even as they perfected one of the greatest second acts in music history. That synth-pop was never as rosy as it seemed on the surface.

To their credit, New Order rarely looked back. All of their studio albums progressed to the point where their earlier band is a slightly larger-than-usual shadow hanging over their legacy. Even through the ups and downs, and the fallout between members in later years, their catalog seldom betrays a band stuck in place.

Because both bands were prolific singles artists, even as they were making full-length albums, the respective Substance collections are essential chapters in the Joy Division and New Order story, and are recommended as part of the listening journey.