Blue Monday Impact on EDM
New Order’s “Blue Monday” impact on EDM is MONUMENTAL! Unsurprisingly, it is the highest selling 12″ single of all time. There really isn’t a more iconic dance music song in my opinion! It is one of the first songs I ever heard mixed by a DJ. The song is made for dancefloors and for mixing.
“Blue Monday” is quite special to my heart. In 1983, when the song is released, I’m 13 years old. Now, the 80s were different when it came to clubs. There are clubs that allow under age patrons to attend starting at age 13. I went to a club that was upstairs from a gay bar/club. It is my first real introduction to DJs mixing the music. After 3 years of going there, I bought my first DJ setup in 1986 when I was 16 years old.
The song, “Blue Monday” was the first of its kind and fundamentally changed the course of dance music. In 1983 it is such a fresh, unique approach to dance music that incorporates the synth and guitar and vocals into a cohesive sound. There was nothing else like it!
Who Is New Order?
“New Order is a new wave/synth-pop band which formed in 1980 in Salford, England, United Kingdom by the three remaining members of Joy Division after the lead singer, Ian Curtis, committed suicide. The band’s classic lineup consists of Bernard Sumner (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Peter Hook (bass, electronic percussion), Gillian Gilbert (keyboards, guitar) and Stephen Morris (drums, keyboards).” – last.fm
New Order were huge visionaries in the early dance music culture of the 1980s. They successfully bridge synthesizer and guitar music into a danceable format. They are Factory Records’ most successful artists and even helped fund Factory’s club, Hacienda, that is famous as an EDM and House venue in the UK. That fits considering the type of music they make!
The group split up in 1993 after they had made 5 studio albums. They reformed in 1998 and went on to release 4 more albums. The original member, Peter Hook, left the band in 2007, but they added a new bassist and continued to release albums.
Blue Monday
“Blue Monday” is packed with all the elements of a perfect dance record. Add to that the fact that is 40 years old last year, and anyone would have to be impressed! It is also not surprising to me that it is the highest selling 12 inch single of all time! What a masterpiece!
The song starts with that famous highly synthetic beat pattern with the doubled beat at the end of the measure. I love the pattern! It is one of the most sampled aspects of the song. The bassline comes in pretty fast too. There is an amazing blend of a new wave/synth pop and electronic vibe as it blends the synthetic aspects with guitar and vocals. The balance of elements in the song is unmatched. It is made on a sequencer, so even the original is totally mixable by a DJ. Check it out!
You can pick up a copy of the best selling die-cut single 12″ single on Discogs.
https://www.discogs.com/release/20755-New-Order-Blue-Monday
Blue Monday Impact on EDM Though Samples
A total of 50 songs use samples from “Blue Monday”. The vast majority of those songs are EDM, but there are a few Rock and Hip Hop squeezed in there. 50 times is quite a lot, but there are almost twice the number of covers and remixes of it, which shows how strong the original is! That being said, there are some amazing songs that sample “Blue Monday”!
The song we are looking at today is a fantastic example of using key elements from the song, but still creating something unique and new. The artist Viper creates a beast with their song, “Blue Sunshine”! The song is really a mix between “Blue Monday” and the classic vocal that says, “Tripping on sunshine.” It starts with the bassline from “Blue Monday” and a beat of its own. As the song progresses it shifts to the classic drum pattern from “Blue Monday” with the double beats. Check it out!
You can pick up the 12″ single on Discogs using the link below.
https://www.discogs.com/release/85364-Viper-Blue-Sunshine
Blue Monday Impact on EDM Through Covers
“Blue Monday” has been covered a whopping 63 times over the years! There really is a wide range of covers from the obvious EDM to rock to pop to mellow stuff. One of the most famous was but Rock band Orgy, which actually had EDM remixes of it.
For our example, we’re looking at a cover today by Trance outfit, Cosmosis. It has the witty title of “Re-Order”. Even if it wasn’t a cover of “Blue Monday” it would be a pretty cool song. Add the aural nod to the melody of the original and it’s pretty memorable. It’s a high octane interpretation. The BPM (beats per minute) are much higher than the original. There’s the melody of “Blue Monday”, but it is played with a different keyboard. Laying over the top is a pretty sick Acid line.
The song is only available on CD in a mixed 2xCD compilation via Discogs using the link below.
https://www.discogs.com/release/677688-John-Phantasm-Strata
Blue Monday Impact On EDM Through Remixes
There are 15 remixes officially of “Blue Monday. They are all EDM and there’s some amazing takes on the original. My personal favorite is the one by Hardfloor. Hardfloor are masters of Acid tinged music and they do not hold back the Acid with this remix.
It starts exactly as the original mix does with the staccato of the beats and the bassline. It doesn’t take long before Hardfloor bring in their signature sound! The Acid builds melodically along with the natural build of the original. There are some other minor deviations, but essentially, other than the Acid, the song stays true to the original.
You can get a copy of the 12″ single with the Hardfloor and other remixes on Discogs using the link below.
https://www.discogs.com/release/143955-NewOrder-Blue-Monday-95
Conclusion
“Blue Monday”, by New Order has cemented itself as one of the greatest dance tunes of all time! 41 years old and it is still fully playable. Few songs can retain their freshness after so long! The “Blue Monday” impact on EDM is undeniable and profound! The song is a beast!
We hope you have enjoyed this episode on New Order’s epic “Blue Monday”! Now go spread your knowledge far and wide and show the world how educated you are in the history of the music we all love so much! Be sure to subscribe to get updates when we drop new content!
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