Throwback: Happy 69th Birthday, Ian Curtis!

We’ve somehow managed to survive through July so far, eh? Well, July is a busy month in music history.

• One of the most important figures of the blues, Chicago blues especially, Willie Dixonwas born 110 years ago on July 1
• James Cotton was born 90 years ago on July 1
• Syl Johnson was born 89 years ago on July 1
• The B-52s Fred Schneider celebrated his 74th birthday on July 1
• The iconic Debbie Harry celebrated her 80th birthday today on July 1
• Evelyn “Champagne” King celebrated her 65th birthday on July 1
• Depeche Mode‘s Yaz’s/Yazoo’s and Erasure‘s Vince Clarke celebrated his 64th birthday on July 3
• Dr. Lonnie Smith was born 83 years ago on July 3
• Bill Withers was born 87 years ago on July 4
• Huey Lewis and The News‘ frontman Huey Lewis celebrated his 75th birthday on July 5
• Acclaimed, Wu-Tang mastermind and producer The RZA celebrated his 56th birthday on July 5
• 50 Cent celebrated his 50th birthday on July 6
• The Beatles‘ Ringo Starr celebrated his 85th birthday on July 7
• Depeche Mode co-founder Andy “Fletch” Fletcher was born 64 years ago on July 8 
• AC/DC‘s first frontman, Bon Scott was born 79 years ago on July 9
• Simple Minds‘ founder and frontman Jim Kerr celebrated his 66th birthday on July 9
• Pet Shop Boys‘ frontman Neil Tennant celebrated his 71st birthday on July 10
• The legendary and incomparable Mavis Staples celebrated her 86th birthday on July 10
• Lil’ Kim celebrated her 51st birthday on July 11
• Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy celebrated his 68th birthday on July 11

Joy Division‘s Ian Curtis was born on this day 69 years ago. Largely considered the first band in the post-punk movement to emphasize mood and expression, their work — despite their short time as Joy Division — has had a wide-reaching influence, reverberating through the most important music of the past 50 years, with U2, Soundgarden, Tears for Fears, Hüsker Dü and a lengthy list of others citing the British post-punk outfit as an influence on their sound and approach. 

This shouldn’t be surprising. Their sound is timeless — and captures the eerie coldness and loneliness of their time, as much as it does ours. 

We may have lost Curtis 45 years ago. But his work with Joy Division — only two full-length albums and 12 singles — are towering and will likely inform the work of countless generations. 

Happy birthday, Ian. Happy birthday, wherever you are!