Joy Division Quiz Questions and Answers
Q1. In what year was Joy Division formed?
A. 1975
B. 1976
C. 1977
D. 1978
Answer: B. 1976
Q2. What inspired the band name “Joy Division”?
A. A novel by William S. Burroughs
B. A David Bowie album track
C. A factory division in Manchester’s industrial history
D. A term from the novel The House of Dolls referring to Nazi concentration camp prostitution units
Answer: D. A term from the novel The House of Dolls referring to Nazi concentration camp prostitution units.
Q3. Who served as Joy Division’s manager and later became a partner in Factory Records?
A. Martin Hannett
B. Tony Wilson
C. Rob Gretton
D. Peter Saville
Answer: C. Rob Gretton
Q4. What was the title of Joy Division’s self-released debut EP in June 1978?
A. A Factory Sample
B. An Ideal for Living
C. Warsaw
D. Still
Answer: B. An Ideal for Living
Q5. Which Manchester-based record label signed Joy Division after their appearance on Tony Wilson’s TV show?
A. Rough Trade
B. Virgin Records
C. Factory Records
D. RCA Records
Answer: C. Factory Records
Q6. Who produced Joy Division’s debut album Unknown Pleasures?
A. Tony Wilson
B. Rob Gretton
C. Peter Hook
D. Martin Hannett
Answer: D. Martin Hannett
Q7. Where was Unknown Pleasures recorded in April 1979?
A. Abbey Road Studios
B. Strawberry Studios in Stockport
C. Maida Vale Studios
D. Electric Lady Studios
Answer: B. Strawberry Studios in Stockport
Q8. What was the original name of Joy Division before they changed it in early 1978?
A. Stiff Kittens
B. Electric Circus
C. Warsaw
D. Factory Workers
Answer: C. Warsaw
Q9. Who designed the iconic cover art for Unknown Pleasures, featuring a radio wave visualization?
A. Peter Saville
B. Anton Corbijn
C. Bernard Sumner
D. Joy Division’s roadie
Answer: A. Peter Saville
Q10. What medical condition afflicted Joy Division’s lead singer Ian Curtis, first manifesting severely on December 27, 1978?
A. Schizophrenia
B. Epilepsy
C. Bipolar disorder
D. Migraines
Answer: B. Epilepsy
Q11. Which band’s concert on June 4, 1976, directly inspired Bernard Sumner and Peter Hook to form Joy Division?
A. The Clash
B. The Ramones
C. The Sex Pistols
D. The Damned
Answer: C. The Sex Pistols
Q12. What was Joy Division’s first television performance, aired on September 20, 1978?
A. Top of the Pops
B. Granada Reports, performing “Shadowplay”
C. The Old Grey Whistle Test
D. So It Goes
Answer: B. Granada Reports, performing “Shadowplay”
Q13. Which compilation EP featured Joy Division’s first tracks with producer Martin Hannett in October 1978?
A. Short Circuit
B. An Ideal for Living
C. A Factory Sample
D. Substance
Answer: C. A Factory Sample
Q14. What was the date of Joy Division’s final live performance before Ian Curtis’s death?
A. May 2, 1980, at Birmingham University
B. April 7, 1980, in Manchester
C. March 18, 1980, in Leeds
D. June 4, 1979, at Futurama Festival
Answer: A. May 2, 1980, at Birmingham University
Q15. On what date did Ian Curtis die by suicide in 1980?
A. April 7
B. May 18
C. June 13
D. July 25
Answer: B. May 18
Q16. What became of the surviving Joy Division members after Curtis’s death?
A. They formed New Order with Gillian Gilbert
B. They joined The Cure
C. They retired from music
D. They pursued solo careers immediately
Answer: A. They formed New Order with Gillian Gilbert
Q17. Which Joy Division single, released posthumously in June 1980, peaked at number 13 on the UK charts?
A. Transmission
B. Atmosphere
C. Love Will Tear Us Apart
D. She’s Lost Control
Answer: C. Love Will Tear Us Apart
Q18. What was the UK chart peak position for Joy Division’s second album Closer upon its July 1980 release?
A. Number 1
B. Number 6
C. Number 13
D. Number 20
Answer: B. Number 6
Q19. Which early drummer was fired from Joy Division after attempting to poach Ian Curtis for another band?
A. Stephen Morris
B. Tony Tabac
C. Steve Brotherdale
D. Terry Mason
Answer: C. Steve Brotherdale
Q20. What distinctive bass style is Peter Hook known for in Joy Division’s music?
A. High-pitched, melodic lines often usurping the guitar’s role
B. Slap bass techniques
C. Fretless bass solos
D. Down-tuned heavy riffs
Answer: A. High-pitched, melodic lines often usurping the guitar’s role
Q21. Which German band influenced Joy Division’s use of motorik rhythms and electronic elements?
A. Rammstein
B. Scorpions
C. Tangerine Dream
D. Neu!
Answer: D. Neu!
Q22. What literary influences shaped Ian Curtis’s often bleak and existential lyrics?
A. Shakespearean tragedies
B. Authors like J.G. Ballard, William S. Burroughs, and Franz Kafka
C. Romantic poets like Wordsworth
D. Science fiction by Isaac Asimov
Answer: B. Authors like J.G. Ballard, William S. Burroughs, and Franz Kafka
Q23. Which 2007 film is a biopic focused on Ian Curtis’s life and Joy Division’s rise?
A. 24 Hour Party People
B. Joy Division: The Documentary
C. Control
D. Factory Tales
Answer: C. Control
Q24. What pact did Joy Division make regarding lineup changes?
A. Change the band name if any member left
B. No solo projects allowed
C. Annual member rotations
D. Permanent manager veto power
Answer: A. Change the band name if any member left
Q25. Which Joy Division track from Unknown Pleasures became a signature tune, later covered by Grace Jones?
A. Disorder
B. She’s Lost Control
C. Interzone
D. Insight
Answer: B. She’s Lost Control