English rock group New Order was founded in 1980 by drummer Stephen Morris, bassist Peter Hook, and vocalist and guitarist Bernard Sumner. After the dissolution of their previous band Joy Division as a result of the suicide of the lead vocalist Ian Curtis, the members came back together. Later that year, Gillian Gilbert joined them on the keyboards. One of the most renowned and significant bands of the 1980s, New Order combined post-punk with electronic and dance music. They had an extended partnership with graphic designer Peter Saville and served as the face of the Manchester-based indie record company Factory Records and its nightclub The Haçienda.
While Joy Division’s reputation overshadowed the band’s early years, their exposure to the New York club scene in the early 1980s led them to incorporate dance rhythms and electronic instrumentation into their music more and more. Power, Corruption & Lies (1983), Technique (1989), and the singles compilation Substance were some of their successful albums from the 1980s. Their 1983 song “Blue Monday” also became the best-selling 12-inch single of all time (1987). Before coming back together in 1998, they broke up in 1993 to focus on individual projects. Since then, New Order has seen a number of hiatuses and personnel changes, most notably the departure of Hook in 2007 as a result of conflicts with the other members on a personal level.