In 2018 former Black Flag frontman Henry Rollins was interviewed on the Youtube channel The Sound of Vinyl, whilst holding a copy of Joy Division's debut album Unknown Pleasures.
“When they finally write the real book on rock and roll,” he said, “when all the dust settles and the truth is finally told, when they get it right, one of the bands at the top of the mountain, along with all your David Bowies and Rolling Stones will be Joy Division.”
No one could have predicted it at the time, and it took a cast of some of music's most unusual characters, plenty of butting of heads, a truly unique group chemistry and no small amount of tragedy to get them there, but although it may have sold a fraction compared to iconic albums by Bowie or the Stones, Unknown Pleasures fully merits that glowing testimonial.
