Joy Division were a Manchester post-punk band formed by Peter Hook and Bernard Sumner in 1976.
The band was announced at their first concert as Stiff Kittens, was temporarily active as Warsaw and renamed themselves Joy Division in 1978.
The band is considered one of the early protagonists of post-punk and a point of reference for subsequent developments, especially in pop, rock and metal. It is also considered a direct pioneer of the genres dark wave and gothic rock, to which the band is temporarily assigned.
After the suicide of singer Ian Curtis, Joy Division disbanded and re-formed as New Order in 1980.