In 1993, New Order Had No "Regret"

New Order's 'Republic'
Photo Credit
Warner Records

On May 3, 1993, New Order released their sixth studio album Republic, an LP which ended the band’s three-year absence from the charts in a big way, thanks to its first single, “Regret.”

Co-produced by the band with Stephen Hague, Republic was New Order’s first new album since 1989’s Technique, and if you’re doing the math and can’t figure out how they had a three-year absence from the charts when it’d been four years since their previous LP, we can help you with that: in 1990, they issued “World in Motion,” a single performed by the group with the England national football team. (It’s technically credited to ENGLANDneworder, but close enough.)

Republic wasn’t just New Order’s first album in four years, it was also the band’s first album since the demise of their longtime record label Factory Records. But that didn’t stop it from becoming a huge success: it ended up being their second consecutive No. 1 album in the U.K. (not to mention a nominee for the 1993 Mercury Music Prize) and provided them with their highest-charting album ever in America, hitting No. 11 on the Billboard 200.

As far as that aforementioned first single, “Regret,” a tune credited to the band and Hague, it was - like Republic - New Order’s most successful U.S. single ever, climbing to No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the Alternative Airplay and Dance Club Songs charts. Beyond that, it was a Top 5 hit in the U.K. (No. 4), Ireland (No. 5), and Portugal (No. 3), as well as a Top 10 hit in Canada (No. 6).

Other singles from Republic weren’t quite as successful, but that didn’t stop New Order from making videos for all of ‘em, so we might as well share those with you, too:

“Ruined in a Day” (U.K. No. 22, Billboard Alternative Airplay No. 30)

“World (The Price of Love)” (UK No. 13, Billboard Alternative Airplay No. 5, Hot Dance Club Play No. 1)

“Spooky” (U.K. No. 22, Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play No. 6)

Lastly, before we go, we can’t resist sharing something with you that - if you’ve never heard it before - is going to blow your mind, melt your brain, and maybe even win your heart: it’s a solo piano cover of “Regret” by Afghan Whigs, and it’s absolutely gorgeous.

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