The Smashing Pumpkins’ singer, guitarist and songwriter reveals his perspective on one of the essential acts of the 20th century – and why their influence continues to resonate today.
Billy Corgan gave an assessment of music history in the YouTube series “Track Star.” After playing a snippet of the song “Disorder,” the Smashing Pumpkins leader declared that Joy Division was the second most influential rock band of the 20th century, surpassed only by the Beatles.
“I’ve been arguing for a good 20 years that, aside from the Beatles, Joy Division is probably the most influential rock band of the 20th century,” Corgan said on the show. “Disorder” is the opening track on the debut album UNKNOWN PLEASURES by the post-punk band from Manchester, who were active between 1976 and 1980.
The invisible influence on the music landscape
Billy Corgan justified his position by saying that Joy Division had pioneered post-punk in a way that no other band had managed. The group created a template that numerous subsequent artists followed. “It’s pop music that wasn’t made for a pop market and that’s why people still listen to it,” the 58-year-old explained.
Corgan would find the type of influence particularly interesting: Unlike the Beatles or The Velvet Underground, the influence of Joy Division is often not immediately audible. “There are 400 Joy Division bands, but you wouldn’t necessarily know it. Even if they try to imitate Joy Division, they actually can’t,” he said. Rather, the influence can be seen in the type of music production and the minimalist approach that is still present today, especially in his hometown of Chicago.
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For the entire conversation with Billy Corgan:
Cult status with just one big hit
Despite or perhaps because of their short career – singer Ian Curtis committed suicide in 1980 – Joy Division has achieved an exceptional status. With possibly only one really big hit, “Love Will Tear Us Apart”, they still made music history, says Billy Corgan. For him, it is “so easy” to count Joy Division among the greatest bands of all time that he hardly knows how to expand on his argument.