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During this period rock bands such as Inspiral Carpets (from Oldham), The Stone Roses, and The Happy Mondays emanated from Manchester as well as electronic music outfits such as 808 State and A Guy Called Gerald. The city had earlier seen punk rock outfits such as Buzzcocks, Magazine and Joy DivisionJoy Division was a post punk band formed in 1977 in Manchester, England. The band dissolved in May of 1980 after the suicide of its lead singer Ian Curtis. The remaining members reformed as New Order a couple of months later. Joy Division were described a (from which New OrderNew Order are an English indie rock band that formed in 1980 from Joy Division following the suicide of lead singer Ian Curtis. The members of New Order are Bernard Sumner (lead vocalist), Peter Hook (bassist), and Stephen Morris (percussion), all from Jo grew), and Manchester band The SmithsThis article is about the English pop band, for other uses of "Smith or "Smiths", see Smith The Smiths were a hugely influential British rock group and " indie music" pioneers. Personnel Core line-up (1982 1987) Morrissey vocals, piano Johnny Marr guitars were one of the most popular indie groups of the 1980s.

The Madchester music was a combination of indie rock, psychedeliaPsychedelia is a style of music, visual art, fashion, and culture that is associated originally with the high 1960s, hippies, and the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco, California. It generally began in 1966, but truly took off in 1967 with the, and danceDance music is music composed, played, or both, specifically for social dancing. In principle, dance music includes a huge variety of music, from waltzes to rock and roll and country music or tangos. As of the late 1970s, however--particularly for people. In many instances it came out of collaboration between guitar-based groups and dance music producers. Producers such as Paul OakenfoldPaul Oakenfold (born August 30, 1963 in Britain) is a record producer and one of the best-known DJs worldwide. In the early 1980s, Oakenfold managed Run D. and the Beastie Boys. In 1987, Oakenfold and his friends, Trevor Fung and Ian St. Paul, spent sever, Martin HannettMartin Hannett (May 1948 April 18, 1991) was an innovative record producer, closely associated with Joy Division and Factory Records. However, a rift formed with Factory the company he co-founded and he sued them in 1982 over a financial dispute. At this, Andrew Weatherall and Stephen Hague had a significant impact on the Madchester scene, frequently incoporating elements of the mid-tempo "Balearic" dance style associated with IbizaIbiza or Eivissa is one of the Balearic Islands Illes Balears Catalan official name, Islas Baleares in Spanish) located in the Mediterranean Sea, and belonging to Spain. With Formentera, it is one of the two Illes Pitiuses. Major cities are Ibiza Town and nightclubs at that time.

It was also during this time that there was an influx of drug culture into the city (predominatly Ecstasy) that helped fuel the rise of the some of the most popular dance music clubs of the time, such as Fac 51 Haçienda. "The Haçienda" was run by Factory Records record label impresario Tony Wilson and Factory Records also signed many of the artists associated with the Madchester scene, such as the Happy Mondays.

Although Manchester has remained a key city on the UK music scene, 'Madchester' itself fizzled out by the mid-1990s; in part this was a consequence of the aforementioned drug culture, which greatly slowed the release schedule of the movement's key acts. The Stone Roses' disappointing second album was not released until 1994, whilst both the Happy Mondays and New Order found themselves caught up in the 1992 demise of Factory Records, the loss of which effect Manchester's music scene badly. By the time of Oasis' 1994 debut Definitely Maybe, Madchester was history; within eighteen months it would be replaced by Britpop, a movement tied to no particular city.

The 2002 film 24 Hour Party People is a semi-satirical depiction of the rise of Factory Records and many of the bands associated both directly and indirectly with the record label.