The legendary single ‘Blue Monday’, by Salford band New Order hits 40 years old today.
The track that inspired a generation was released on the 7th March 1983 Blue Monday and went on to become the bestselling 12-inch vinyl of all time.
Singer and lyricist for the band Bernard Sumner and former bassist Peter Hook hail from Broughton in Salford, being two of the original Joy Division founders that preceded New Order.
The anniversary coincides with a special release of limited edition merchandise for the song.
The song’s popularity is reflected in the Salford public.
One fan, Adam Jones, 42, said: “It’s quite an uplifting tune. I like New Order anyway and with their previous songs like atmosphere and all that they did before it became New Order, so any of their songs full stop resonate with me on an emotional scale.
“It feels 100% like a Mancunian type song, full stop Salford. I think more than anything it’s to do with the tone of the voice, I don’t know why, but the tone of voice resonates with the area. I can’t explain it, it just does.”
Another fan, Dave Laffan, 44, said: “New Order for me really started with the World Cup in 1990 and the song with England, and that’s how I discovered New Order and being a Manchester lad myself I instantly had an affinity to them. It was very much the bass drive on Blue Monday that was very memorable.
“It was a song that was always on an old radio station that would be well forgotten today that was called Piccadilly radio and it was just on there all the time.”
At its peak the track reached number 9 in the UK and spent 186 weeks on the UK Independent Singles Charts.
Twitter users were overwhelmed with nostalgia and praise for the 80’s song.
One user, John Sludden, said: “As an impressionable 13 year old, their live performance of Blue Monday on TOTP blew my mind. It was shambolic, yet iconic. It was truly fantastic. Full of attitude and charisma, the coolest band I’d ever seen. I decided that day they were the band for me.”
As an impressionable 13 year old, their live performance of Blue Monday on TOTP blew my mind.
It was shambolic, yet iconic.
It was truly fantastic.
Full of attitude and charisma, the coolest band I’d ever seen.
I decided that day they were the band for me.— John Sludden (@FACT290) March 7, 2023
Blue Monday’s popularity with the public can be seen in its success in entertainment world.
The single is one of the most acclaimed songs of all time being ranked 235 out of 500 in the Rolling Stone’s ‘Top 500 Best Songs of All Time‘ in 2021.
The song has been covered by numerous artists and sampled by 44 artists including Rihanna in her 2007 song Shut Up and Drive.
It has also appeared in 26 films and TV Shows including huge Hollywood blockbusters like Ready Player One and Wonder Woman 1984.
The single has sold over one million copies in the United Kingdom alone.
43-years after New Order’s inception, the band continue to deliver for its fans, performing four gigs in the USA over the next 11 days.
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