Joy Division

In April 1979, the band began recording their debut album Unknown Pleasures. The record was bleaker and darker in tone than most of its contemporaries, featuring Hook's bass as the lead melodic instrument, drums treated with digital delay, Sumner's jagged guitar style and Curtis's baritone vocals that have been likened to Jim Morrison and Iggy Pop. Producer Martin Hannett contributed significantly to the final sound. (Coincidentally, a non-album track, "Digital" was the first song the band recorded with Hannett as producer as well as the last song the group performed live before Curtis' death). Whereas most punk rock bands had been extroverted and aggressive, Joy Division were more introverted and personal. Despite their insularity, however, their music could be very aggressive and chaotic. The album cover, designed by Peter Saville based on a graph of 100 consecutive pulses from the pulsar CP 1919, is regarded as a classic of minimalist design. The image represents the final life of a dying star.

Unknown Pleasures was released in June while Joy Division were recording five songs for Piccadilly Radio.

They performed on Granada TV again in July, made their only nationwide TV appearance in September on BBC2, supported The Buzzcocks in a 24-venue UK tour during October and November, and performed on Peel's show again in December. Despite the fact that Unknown Pleasures was selling well and receiving good reviews from the music press, all was not well. Diagnosed with epilepsy in January 1979, Curtis' illness worsened during 1979 and would often have tonic-clonic seizures on stage that resulted in convulsions, or absence seizures that would cause brief trance-like pauses.