On 17 August 1987, The New Order compilation “Substance” was released. The album compiles all of the band's singles at that point in their 12-inch versions, along with their respective B-side tracks.
In 2003, Substance was ranked number 363 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time. According to the magazine, it had sold over one million copies by that time. Rolling Stone ranked the album at the same position in the list's 2012 edition.