Factory Records was a groundbreaking independent label founded in Manchester in 1978 by Tony Wilson and Alan Erasmus, later joined by producer Martin Hannett and designer Peter Saville, that became synonymous with post‑punk and the “Madchester” scene; it launched Joy Division, New Order, Happy Mondays, and The Durutti Column, while also creating the legendary Haçienda nightclub, which became the epicenter of acid house and rave culture; known for its quirky cataloguing system and iconic design aesthetic, Factory embodied Wilson’s mantra of “making history, not money,” ultimately collapsing in 1992 due to financial mismanagement, but leaving behind a cultural legacy that still defines Manchester’s music identity today.
