Joy Division - Closer (1980)
Tracklist, Album Coversm Info and Fun Facts
Songs written by Ian Curtis, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris and Bernard Sumner
Side one
1. "Atrocity Exhibition" 6:06
2. "Isolation" 2:53
3. "Passover" 4:46
4. "Colony" 3:55
5. "A Means to an End" 4:07
Side two
6. "Heart and Soul" 5:51
7. "Twenty Four Hours" 4:26
8. "The Eternal" 6:07
9. "Decades" 6:10
Total length: 44:16
Note: the original vinyl disc only contained a small etching on the disk marking the A and B sides.
2007 CD remaster bonus disc (live at the University of London Union, 8 February 1980)
1. "Dead Souls" 4:59
2. "Glass" 3:42
3. "A Means to an End" 4:01
4. "Twenty Four Hours" 4:06
5. "Passover" 4:54
6. "Insight" 4:01
7. "Colony" 4:04
8. "These Days" 4:17
9. "Love Will Tear Us Apart" 3:14
10. "Isolation" 4:42
11. "The Eternal" 6:30
12. "Digital" 3:14
Total length: 51:44
Joy Division – Closer (1980): A Dark Post-Punk Masterpiece
Released in July 1980, "Closer" is the 2nd and final studio album by the legendary English band Joy Division. Known for its somber beauty and haunting atmosphere, "Closer" is often hailed as one of the greatest albums of all time.
Musical Style & Lyrical Themes:
The album expands on Joy Division’s post-punk sound, with even more brooding and atmospheric production by Martin Hannett.
Ian Curtis’ intense lyrics explore themes of despair, alienation, and mortality—echoing his struggles with epilepsy and depression.
Tracks like "Isolation," "Heart and Soul," "Twenty Four Hours," and the devastating "Decades" showcase the band’s emotional depth and musical innovation.
Cover Art & Iconography:
The album cover features a photograph by Bernard Pierre Wolff of a tomb in Italy’s Staglieno Cemetery, perfectly complementing the album’s dark, elegiac tone.
Its stark imagery has become an icon of post-punk culture, reinforcing Joy Division’s mythos.
Sales & Cultural Impact:
Despite being released shortly after Ian Curtis’ tragic suicide in May 1980, "Closer" was critically acclaimed and commercially successful.
The album reached #6 on the UK Albums Chart and has sold an estimated over 250,000 copies worldwide.
It has been widely regarded as one of the best albums of the 1980s and a defining moment in alternative music history.
Fun Facts:
"Closer" was recorded at Britannia Row Studios in London.
Its bleak tone and refined sound have influenced countless bands across genres, from goth rock to alternative.
The album’s release, just two months after Curtis’ death, cemented Joy Division’s status as post-punk legends and led to the formation of New Order by the surviving members.
Over four decades later, "Closer" remains a powerful and moving work of art—a stark, beautiful testament to Joy Division’s brief but profound legacy.
Keywords: Joy Division Closer, 1980 post-punk masterpiece, Ian Curtis lyrics, Closer album cover, Joy Division sales, Martin Hannett production, Closer UK chart.
Closer is the 2nd and final studio album by English rock band Joy Division, released on 18 July 1980 by Factory Records. Produced by Martin Hannett, it was released two months after the suicide of the band's lead singer and lyricist Ian Curtis.
The album reached No. 6 on the UK Albums Chart and peaked at No. 3 in New Zealand in September 1981. Closer was also named NME Album of the Year. It was remastered and re-released in 2007. Today, Closer is widely recognised as a seminal release of the post-punk era.