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Manchester music: from Joy Division to Oasis

Ranked #7,899 in Music, #215,828 overall

Starting in 1976 and going through the late 80s, punk rock inspired a special flavor of modern rock in Manchester, UK.

Manchester (a.k.a., MADchester) bands were driven by a DIY attitude and fueled by angst and (some of them) not so few foreign substances.

Their fans loved them. Nevertheless, fan support and good-natured managers don't pay the electric bill (nor support the drug habit), so many of these bands were short-lived shooting stars. This makes them all the more celebrated.

Great bands that changed the world in Manchester

not all necessarily FROM Manchester

By many accounts, it was the fact that Devoto of the Buzzcocks arranged to get the Sex Pistols to come to Manchester in June of 1976 that tipped the scales for most of these bands towards the music business. Tony Wilson's program "So It Goes" documented much of the movement, though it didn't get broadcast very far outside of Manchester.
  1. Buzzcocks
  2. Joy Division (to become New Order)
  3. Stone Roses
  4. Happy Mondays
  5. The Smiths
  6. James
  7. Charlatans
  8. Oasis
  9. The Fall
  10. The Bee Gees (transplanted to Australia)

Manchester, so much to answer for

Control - the movie - released Oct. 2007
The new movie from Anton Corbijn about Ian Curtis of Joy Division - on general release 05 October 07 - http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/collective/A27308252
BBC-Manchester Bands A-Z
Includes links to pages for Manchester bands, from all eras, both signed and unsigned. Some links go to band sites, some to sites within the BBC and some to a section, where lesser known bands have their demos reviewed.
Virtual Encyclopedia of Greater Manchester
From Papillon Graphics - music and more ...
Manchester Online
From the where are they now file... according to Mancunians themselves...

Band Sites

for bands and artists

New Order's official website
for real!
Joy Division Central
The lead singer is dead, the band has moved on, but the fans hang on.. and on... actually a movie may be in the works about Ian Curtis, the hallowed lead singer. Stay tuned.
Morrissey solo
The Smiths have also broken up, but Morrissey's fan base remains strong.
Stone Roses
The Stone Roses were another short-lived band, but we can keep hoping...
New Order Online
A New Order / Joy Division website

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dcgrrl

A Washington, D.C. native, I love music, film, theater and traveling. I hope my lenses will help you find the info you want, faster! more »

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