You lost me when you called James unbearable

It's hard to choose just ten with such a deep catalog (when I did my all Factory show on KEXP, I ran out of time LONG before I ran out of great music) , but I'm surprised you passed on the John Robie remix of Cabaret Voltaire's "Yashar." http://youtu.be/IPbDL98Grqc

The list lacks representation the the criminally underrated The Wake.

blue monday is certainly overplayed, but it's one of the few that still astounds me. it's the perfect blend of homage to it's influences and innovation... there weren't many songs that were so punchy and threw rhythmic curveballs like that.

The ON THE AIR Stranger Genius would likely have been laughed right out of the Factory Records offices. They cared A Lot about fashion, and his ugly ass clothes and bushy gnat infested beard may have been mocked. A perk for living in the more accepting present, and not giving two fucks about the 1980s.

"24 Hour Party People" is an awesome film.! Just loved it. It brought back some fond memories of my time in the UK in the 80s. Also, I do have essentially all of New Order's vinyl releases on vinyl in addition to the "Love Will Tear Us Apart" EP. Those are charming to play on my B & O turntable.

A great list, but weighted too heavily towards JD, NO, & ACR. I would have included something by Durutti Column ("Madeleine"?) or Swamp Children, or, for good measure, a corker dance tune from Quando Quango. Better yet, Section 25's "Looking from a Hilltop".

I'm with @3. More of The Wake.

Good call on ESG, though (although I think of them as being on 99 Records, which is what I was able to find them on, being the one you could find their records on in the US). All of their early songs are great -- I might pick "Earn It".

Kurt: I swear, at the last minute I subbed OMD for that Cabaret Voltaire track. Very hard choice!

My pick for Durutti: "Without Mercy," either side.

Quite a sharp list even if weighted towards Factory Records' earlier phase. James, meanwhile, just took over the BBC for a couple of hours, spinning inspirations like The Fall, Cocteau Twins, Joy Division, Talking Heads, and The Undertones, and playing new and past live tracks chosen by fans -- all while avoiding the most obvious singles and making people write sentences that sound like press-releases: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b046sfpj

Was this supposed to be a Pitchfork article?

Agreed, CV would be my list as well but you did choose my fave, "Everything's Gone Green" is just mind blowing to this very day.