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Most discussion of the most influential band of the 20th Century starts with the Beatles<\/a>, but Smashing Pumpkins<\/a> singer Billy Corgan<\/a> offered an interesting suggestion as the runner-up while taping an episode of Track Star*<\/a> about the greatest bands of all time.”<\/p>\n The podcast tends to speak with speak with specific artists while garnering their opinions and views on a certain theme. And in this case, Track Star*<\/em> was going through a wide array of acts with Corgan while discerning some of his musical tastes.<\/p>\n So who did Billy Corgan say was the most influential artist of the 20th Century outside of the Beatles?<\/p>\n As the TrackStar* host pulled up a bit of Joy Division<\/a>‘s “Disorder<\/a>” for the singer to hear, Corgan did a little dance before making his bold claim.<\/p>\n \u201cSo I\u2019ve argued for a good 20 years that probably outside of the Beatles, Joy Division<\/a> is the most influential rock band of the 20th century,\u201d shared the Smashing Pumpkins frontman.<\/p>\n \u201cI think it sort of speaks for itself. They sort of crystalized post-punk in a way that no bands ever did and they became the template for so many bands that followed,\u201d added the vocalist.<\/p>\n READ MORE:<\/strong> The 15 Biggest Bands With Three or Fewer Albums<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Further breaking down Joy Division’s music, Corgan shared, \u201cIt\u2019s pop music not made for a pop market and that\u2019s why people are still listening. But where does that music go? They had what, one big song, maybe, which is \u2018Love Will Tear Us Apart.\u2019 But I just think they\u2019re one of the greatest bands of all-time and it\u2019s such an easy case for me to make that I don\u2019t know how to make it.\u201d<\/p>\n He then added, \u201cImportant bands like the Beatles and Velvet Underground and Joy Division, they create a template by which other bands can create their own music. They\u2019re basically ripping those bands off in an unskilled way but you don\u2019t necessarily hear the influence. So there\u2019s 400 Joy Division bands but you wouldn\u2019t necessarily hear it. Even if they\u2019re trying to imitate Joy Division, they kind of really can\u2019t. That\u2019s where it gets weird. You can hear Beatles influences in people, but you can\u2019t necessarily hear Joy Division influences. I hear it in the way that they sort of produce their records. I think it\u2019s that post-pop minimalism thing that was very big in Chicago and it never leaves here.\u201d<\/p>\n Sadly, Joy Division’s history was a brief one. The band formed in Salford, England in 1976 after Bernard Sumnner and Peter Hook met and bonded while at a Sex Pistols concert.<\/p>\n Over the course of their history, they released two albums\u00a0 \u2014 1979’s Unknown Pleasures<\/em> and 1980’s Closer<\/em>. The group grew their fanbase stateside through airplay on college radio stations.<\/p>\n But just as the band were set to embark on a tour in 1980, singer Ian Curtis’ died by suicide. The remaining members of the band went on to form New Order, who would become one of alternative rock’s biggest bands of the ’80s and early ’90s. The two acts were simultaneously nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame<\/a> last year, but they were not among those inducted.<\/p>\n As Corgan indicated, the band did have a wide reaching influence with acts such as U2, The Cure, OMD, Tears for Fears, Husker Du, Future Islands and even Soundgarden pointing to them as an influence.<\/p>\n Before alternative became mainstream, college rock was holding it down for the left of the dial bands. Look back at the best albums of the college rock era.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Gallery Credit: Chad Childers, Loudwire<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe Act That Billy Corgan Claims is the Second Most Influential of the 20th Century<\/h3>\n
Billy Corgan Speaks With Track Star*<\/em><\/h3>\n
A History of Joy Division<\/h3>\n
Joy Division, “Love Will Tear Us Apart”<\/h3>\n
The Best College Rock Album of Each Year From 1976 – 1990<\/h2>\n