Different Flavors of Blue Monday

by Christian Buckley · Published January 13, 2024 · Updated January 28, 2024

Blue Monday is a landmark song by the British rock band New Order. Released as a 12-inch single on March 7, 1983, through Factory Records and later featured on select versions of their second studio album, “Power, Corruption & Lies” (1983), it is the top-selling 12-inch single of all time and is the song that made me a lifelong fan back in middle school. Composed and produced by band members Gillian Gilbert, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris, and Bernard Sumner, the track epitomizes the synth-pop and alternative dance genres, drawing inspiration from various artists. Its release was accompanied by a unique, wordless packaging designed by Peter Saville and Brett Wickens, resembling a 5¼-inch floppy disk with colored blocks encoding artist and song information. The single enjoyed substantial success, topping charts in multiple countries and becoming particularly renowned in the UK and New Zealand. Its 1988 remix also achieved significant popularity, further cementing the song’s enduring appeal.

New Order, formed from the remnants of Joy Division after singer Ian Curtis’ death, showcased their innovative use of technology, which was new to music production at the time. “Blue Monday” was crafted in their Cheetham Hill rehearsal room, incorporating a Moog Source for the synth bassline and an Oberheim DMX drum machine for rhythm. The band also used an early sampler, the Emulator 1, to create unique sounds, including sampling from Kraftwerk‘s “Uranium.” Despite the lack of MIDI technology, New Order, with engineer Martin Usher’s help, synchronized their instruments using a custom circuit. Influences for the song ranged from Kraftwerk and Giorgio Moroder to a soundtrack by Ennio Morricone, showcasing a blend of diverse musical elements. The song’s structure deviates from traditional verse-chorus patterns, featuring a distinctive sequenced melody and bassline, and is recognized as a pivotal link between 70s disco and the dance/house movement of the late 80s.