Atomic Hits - The Top 10 New Order Songs Of All Time!
New Order is an English rock band that was formed in 1980 by vocalist and guitarist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook, and drummer Stephen Morris. The band came together after the breakup of Joy Division, following the tragic suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis. Later that same year, they were joined by Gillian Gilbert, who played keyboards.10. True Faith (1987)
New Order wrote and recorded "True Faith" and "1963" during a 10-day studio session with producer Stephen Hague. These two songs were created as new material for the band's first singles compilation album, *Substance 1987*. After recording, the band's U.S. management determined that "True Faith" was the stronger track and decided to release it as the new single, with "1963" serving as the B-side. In 1994, "1963" was remixed and released as a single on its own.
9. 1963 (1987)
In "New Order Music 1981–89," the band's lyricist, Bernard Sumner, presents a tongue-in-cheek interpretation of the song's lyrics, connecting them to the 1963 assassination of John F. Kennedy. Sumner humorously speculates that Kennedy orchestrated the shooting of his wife by Lee Harvey Oswald so that "J.F. could be with M. Monroe." In this fictional scenario, Monroe, who actually died in 1962—over a year before the assassination—commits suicide because Oswald targets the wrong person. Subsequently, Oswald is shot by his boss, who is implied to be Jack Ruby, for "doing such a bad job and causing his hit-man business to go bust."
8. Temptation (1981)
"Temptation" is a stand-alone single released on Factory Records in 1982. The single reached number 29 on the UK Singles Chart.
7. Shellshock (1986)
"Shellshock" was released on March 17, 1986. The song first appeared on the soundtrack of the movie *Pretty in Pink*, one month before its single release. The production credits go to New Order and John Robie. The song is loosely inspired by the 1983 R&B club hit "One More Shot," which was produced by Robie and performed under the band name C-Bank, featuring vocals by Jenny Burton.
6. Round and Round (1989)
The song reflects the deteriorating relationship between New Order and Tony Wilson, the owner of Factory Records, their label at the time. In the documentary "New Order Story," Bernard Sumner explains that he did not initially set out to write a song about Wilson or the tensions between him and the band. However, he acknowledges that the growing strain in their relationship ultimately influenced the song during its writing process.
5. Regret (1993)
"Regret" was released on April 5, 1993, as the lead single from their sixth studio album, "Republic." Stephen Hague is credited as both the producer and co-writer of the song. This marked the band's first single released under CentreDate Co Ltd (through London Records) following the collapse of Factory Records.
4. Dream Attack (1989)
Similar to "All The Way," "Dream Attack" is one of Technique's guitar-driven songs. However, unlike the traditional rock tracks found on albums like Brotherhood and Get Ready, the guitar pieces on Technique are more innovative and incorporate electronic elements rather than ignoring them. The guitar songs on this album embrace these electronic aspects, making them even more appealing. For example, in "Dream Attack," synthesizers serve as the primary source of bass, complemented by atmospheric strings, piano keys, and a unique percussive flute sound that features prominently in the closing melody.
3. The Perfect Kiss (1985)
The song explores themes of love, with lines like, "We believe in a land of love," and death, as evident in the phrase, "the perfect kiss is the kiss of death." The overall meaning of the song remains unclear to its writer today. In an interview with GQ magazine, Bernard Sumner admitted, "I haven't a clue what this is about." He agreed with the interviewer that his most famous lyric comes from the song: "Pretending not to see his gun/I said, 'Let's go out and have some fun.'" Sumner explained that these lyrics were inspired by a visit to a man's house in the United States, where the host revealed his guns stored under the bed before they went out for a fun night. The song was written, recorded, and mixed quickly, without any sleep, before the band embarked on a tour in Australia.
2. Bizarre Love Triangle (1986)
"Bizarre Love Triangle" has received critical acclaim since its release. In a retrospective celebrating its 30th anniversary, Billboard named it one of the greatest songs of all time, describing it as a "synth-pop masterpiece" and "an incandescent jewel of mid-'80s computer love." NME hailed the song as New Order's "finest pop moment," highlighting its simplicity compared to earlier singles like "Blue Monday." In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked it No. 204 on their list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time." In 2013, Stereogum placed the song second on their list of the 10 greatest New Order songs, and in 2021, The Guardian ranked it seventh on their list of the 30 greatest New Order songs.
1. Blue Monday (1983)
"Blue Monday" was highlighted by the BBC Radio 2 feature "Sold on Song" as a crucial link between 1970s disco and the dance/house music boom that emerged at the end of the 1980s. While synth-pop had been a significant influence in British popular music for several years, "Blue Monday" stood out as a dance record that incorporated elements from the New York club scene, particularly the work of producers like Arthur Baker, who later collaborated with New Order on the follow-up single "Confusion." Additionally, the track includes samples from "Uranium," a song by the German electronic music band Kraftwerk, from their 1975 studio album, Radio-Activity.
If you're interested in more New Order, check out my curated playlist titled "Atomic New Order" on Spotify. It features over two hours of their greatest hits that I'm sure you'll enjoy!
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