Joy Division 
Aliases: Warsaw.
The best album credited to Joy Division is Unknown Pleasures which is ranked number 38 in the overall greatest album chart with a total rank score of 20,346.
Joy Division is ranked number 39 in the overall artist rankings with a total rank score of 36,556.
- See also:
- Joy Division / New Order
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Joy Division best albums
The following albums by Joy Division are ranked highest in the greatest album charts:
Joy Division bestography composition
Joy Division best tracks
Include tracks from compilations & live albums | Exclude tracks from compilations & live albums The same track can appear on multiple albums, so excluding tracks from compilations and live albums helps to remove duplicates from this list.
Joy Division ratings
Average Rating = (n ÷ (n + m)) × av + (m ÷ (n + m)) × AVwhere:
av = trimmed mean average rating an item has currently received.
n = number of ratings an item has currently received.
m = minimum number of ratings required for an item to appear in a 'top-rated' chart (currently 10).
AV = the site mean average rating.
Showing latest 3 ratings for this artist. | Show all 292 ratings for this artist.
| Rating | Date updated | Member | Artist ratings | Avg. artist rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ! | 06/05/2026 10:48 | kinginsomniac12 | 75 | 100/100 |
| ! | 07/13/2025 12:01 | Johnnyo | 3,249 | 74/100 |
| ! | 04/15/2025 12:24 |  doombringer | 209 | 85/100 |
Rating metrics:
Outliers can be removed when calculating a mean average to dampen the effects of ratings outside the normal distribution. This figure is provided as the trimmed mean. A high standard deviation can be legitimate, but can sometimes indicate 'gaming' is occurring. Consider a simplified example* of an item receiving ratings of 100, 50, & 0. The mean average rating would be 50. However, ratings of 55, 50 & 45 could also result in the same average. The second average might be more trusted because there is more consensus around a particular rating (a lower deviation).
(*In practice, some artists can have several thousand ratings)
This artist is rated in the top 1% of all artists on BestEverAlbums.com. This artist has a Bayesian average rating of 85.7/100, a mean average of 85.1/100, and a trimmed mean (excluding outliers) of 86.0/100. The standard deviation for this artist is 14.7.
Joy Division favourites
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Joy Division forum mentions
BestEverAlbums 2 hours ago in Chart of the day (#5465): By elton229View latest topic →
MadhattanJack 01/14/2023 05:58 in What music video are you watching right now?Joy Division comments
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Only three of the eleven albums on this website were released before Ian Curtis' death. Well Closer was released a week later I believe but it was recorded before.
For the three albums they had, two are great but I think this shows how much a death over-rates a band. Two albums is not enough to be considered one of the best bands of all time. They were one of the best for a few years in the late 70's. Influence doesn't equal the best for me, I judge on the music. I would say they are definitely in the top 100 bands of all time, but not top 30.
I know many will disagree with me but that's ok. The amount of quality does play a part for me, all that said they have a cult following for two of their albums and I like the albums too. Shame he took his life for depression. R.I.P.
DeusExMackia TOP 100 COMMENTER 05/18/2016 17:59 | #166414
(Rewriting my comment, as my previous simply doesn't do them justice.)
Take Joy Division for what they were literally, and you have a superbly dark and moody band who captured the very essence of their time and place and converted it into music.
Go further than that and you will discover one of the most hard-hitting, innovative and truly groundbreaking bands of all time. Their influence alone is proof enough of their skill - it stretches far beyond the realms of Post-Punk and far into all forms of modern culture.
It's been said a million times before, but there is no denying how Ian Curtis drove this band. His words, most importantly, define Joy Divisions legacy. But there can also be no doubt that the work of his fellow band members - Sumners, Hook, Morris - and that of their producer Martin Harnett helped to vastly expand Curtis' message and give it more life and figure than they could have possibly imagined.
I don't see a band when I see Joy Division, I see a vision. That vision was so well realised and so well designed that the music it produced continues to be just as powerful, bold and enlightening today as it was in the late 70s. Perhaps it is even made more effective by the tragedy of Ian Curtis, who's story is so deeply woven into Joy Division's sound and perception.
Few artists can claim to be quite as effective as Joy Division, and almost none can claim to be better. One of the most important, groundbreaking and incredible bands of all time.
WHAT? HOW COULD I HAVE CALLED THEM BORING? And it was only five months ago, too!
I guess it goes to show how much my tastes have changed...
CellarDoor TOP 100 COMMENTER 05/08/2011 14:02 | #21298
I really don't want to analyse my love for Joy Division. I'm too scared of the conclusions I might draw.
One of the best bands ever. Sad their career was so short. Thankfully New order keep it going.
