Goth VS Emo
Through the eyes of the mundane, it is easy to see why there may be some confusion around the Emo and Goth cultures. When examining the difference between the two, many people give answers that are not correct or only focus on fashion. However, there is more to the goth and emo cultures than what meets the eye.
GOTH HISTORY
The term “Gothic Rock” was first coined by music critic John Stickney in 1967 after describing the American band The Doors as “Gothic Rock”, Later, The Velvet Underground and David Bowie’s Diamond Dogs were described as “Gothic” (which is not the same as being “Goth”)
Goth Rock was born out of the post-punk scene of the late 70s and early 80s with bands like Siouxsie and the Banshee, The Cure, and The Smiths. Bela Lugosi’s Dead in retrospective is the song that defined the goth music genre. Bauhaus indicated that the song was supposed to be tongue-in-cheek, but they sang it with naive seriousness causing the audience to understand it differently.
EMO HISTORY
Emo originally stood for “emotive hardcore punk”, and was a reaction to the heightened violence in the Washington D.C. Hardcore punk scene. The term was later shortened to “emo-core” and then eventually “emo”. A Minor Threat fan by the name of Guy Picciotto formed Rites of Spring, said to be the first emo band, in an effort to turn the focus back…
