short, and most fans knew/heard little about them, other than they later became New Order and their lead singer killed himself just as they were about to take off. By the mid-80s when The Smiths, Depeche Mode, New Order, The Cure, et al were being discovered, Joy Division was forgotten.

But now, seeing and hearing them it's evident that their sound/image was much different than New Order's - much edgier and nuanced. Ian Curtis was an amazing frontman whose persona carried and defined them. He also was the primary songwriter. Their stuff is so ahead of its time (late 70s), and IMO they were on a trajectory to be as big as The Cure or The Smiths.