Misunderstood Genre Of Emo

NOTE: Do your best to ignore my spelling and grammer errors. I try, really I do. And no bashing emo until after reading the article or you’ll look ignorant and I will laugh at you..er*cough*

Emo is often thought of as an untalented genre that is not worth listening too. Why? Because it is for overly emotional teens that like to cry about how their boyfriend dumped them or how they want to cut themselves. For this same reason, a bunch of trend following music media viewers, live, dress, and act "emo" just to prove they are worthy of listening to such music. But in all actuality, emo has nothing to do with any of the above. This article however will explain what the genre actually is and how the name "emo" became the abused word of the 90's and 00's.

Now most people probably assume emo is new or relitively new. This is wrong, emo bands have been around for roughly 20 years. The first, and most influential band (obviously) is Rites Of Spring. But before we get into bands, I will try and explain as quick and painlessly as possible how the sound devoloped and what it sounded like. It is essential to know that emo emerged from the genre of punk, more specifically hardcore punk. For those that are not familiar with that kind of music, it is fast, loud, and usually containing lyrical themes of politics and anger. Emo is different, but not to much. It is still fast, loud, but the lyrical themes tend to be more introspective and personal. The most important difference though, is the fact that it is more guitar-oriented and melodic. Emo is not nor was it ever generic pop-punk bands, pop rock bands, or acoustic pop bands, with emotional lyrics.

Hopefully you now have an idea of what emo sounded like when it first began, but like every genre, it has evolved. During the 80's, Rites Of Spring, Fugazi, Indian Summer, and Embrace, dominated the emo scene, their sound fit the discription above fairly well, though each band had its own unique sound as all good bands do. During the 90s bands like Drive Like Jehu, Samiam, Texas Is The Reason, The Promise Ring, Jawbox, Sunny Day Real Estate, Angel Hair, Mineral, Elliot, and many other bands surfaced. The sound of some of these were heavily influenced by grunge, while others went from the underground punk scene to a more indie rock scene. Still all of these bands can be identified with those of their roots. Today (00's), more or less, emo has not changed much. Bands like Sunny Day Real Estate, Fugazi, the Promise Ring, Appleseed Cast, Cursive, The Fire Theft, ect. have released solid records, none of which are related to what is widely called emo by silly cooperations, though I won't name names.

You are probably wondering how emo could so widely be mistaken as something else. And if your not, just pretend, because I am going to explain just how that happened either way.

One cause is mainstream bands brought the term with them. The best example of this, in my opinion, is Jimmy Eat World. They released the album Clarity in 1999 before dramatically changing in sound and becoming popular. Clarity, though it is arguable, is considered a true emo album. Because of this, the label of emo was carried with them even though today they are clearly a pop-punk band. Another example of a mainstream band that took the term emo is Taking Back Sunday. They have made it clear that Fugazi is huge influence in their music, but that is not to be confused with the fact their music is far to simple and poppy to be considered emo.

Another cause is what lead to the actual trend of what some refer to as “emo”. The emo scene in the 80's, like many other genres that carry a scene, had the general attitude. It was anti-consumer. This is where the idea of thrift store clothes and dorky glasses came from. It was cheap and usually ill fitting. Today this idea has been commercialed, making it completely contradictory to what it had been, which ironically seems to be the theme in the seemingly identical generic bands coming out of no where today calling themselves emo.

I hope this article will stop those who stupidily make fun of what the media portrays as emo, (actually it’s sort of amusing but w/e) but most importantly will wake up some of those who blindly follow this trend giving an entire genre a bad name. And for those who already knew everything I said..um..cool? Anyway, the next time you hear Fall Out Boy, Senses Fail, Bright Eyes, Dashboard Confessional, Hawthorne Heights, The Matches, Funeral For A Friend, The Used, or anything that sounds remotely like that you will confidentily be able to say to yourself that the noise making your ears bleed, or the tunes you cry along to, are not emo.

POSTED: 07/01/2005 - 08:27 am

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Comments

[guitarist163]

Um..ok i guess...but since you basically stated a bunch of bands I considered to be emo (taking back sunday, senses fail, fall out boy etc.) not to be emo, Id like to know what bands today are emo.

[Lyf]

Well basicly I agree with that. Except I never would of considered Bright Eyes that Pop Emo Hot Topic thing you were going for. Other than the fact that he always looks so sullen in photo ops.
But other then that good selfdefence.

[dmasterfunk]

yeeeeah... if dashboard confessional and hawthorne heights arent emo, who is then? im curious.

[joyful womble]

don't brand fugazi as emo.

[soclax15]

emoISaDEADgenre, you are smart. Congratulations on writing one of the better explanatory articles in recent months. Everyone else, read this and know that he is right.

[Rock agnst Bush]

Now I know... my life has been a waste until now...
wait... umm... no, emo is, was, and never will be good.

[pyrofreak]

Well that cleareed mer up a bit....I still dont like emo.....But maybe now i should stop beating on the cutter kids at my skool....nahh

[#_of_the_beast]

booo.., that was a complete waste of time

[liamg1988]

so what is emo now then?

[Tyler the Great]

Why are people asking what emo is if it isn't this band or that band? He listed a ton of them by decade, morons. Anyways, I guess I'll have to check out some of this for myself. Good guide.

[AC/DC Dude8]

dude, get the hawthorne heights cd. every song is whining about a differnent girl.

[EZLN libertad]

there's a difference between between emotional music, and emo music. emo just plain sucks, emotional music is somewhat good.

[EZLN libertad]

there's a difference between emotional music and emo music*

[r_lightning]

HeyStoopid:
emo sucks....plain and simple

dude, your STOOPID!

[EZLN libertad]

let me clarify what i said before a little more

emo: i miss you, come back home


emotional: f you i wont do what you tell me

[RedGibsonSG]

The guy is saying that Hawthorne Heights is NOT emo.
He didn't say what it was, but that it wasn't emo.

To me its just crap. More like a pop-punk band trying to be hardcore...Popcore, or something. Fall Out Boy is a pop-punk band, but after their new album I'd say more Pop-rock or Power Pop...like Weezer. Same place I'd but The Matches.
The Used is more Post-Hardcore. Bright Eyes is a homo

And ALL music is emotional. Other wise their wouldnt be a point to it. It'd be manufactured noise and notes.

[EZLN libertad]

emo is manufactured bs last time i checked, where they're all sell outs looking to make it big...

[merfsullivan]

Tyler the Great:
Why are people asking what emo is if it isn't this band or that band? He listed a ton of them by decade, morons.

Do you realize that he said every band people say are Emo aren't? Yet because he says they are they are? You're the true moron for saying that.

As far as saying all those bands at the bottom aren't, that's crap too, they absolutely are. That's what emo has evolved too. One opinion doesn't change everything. Especially when it was clearly fabricated as a "defense" against those that don't like it. Quit being a bitch, people aren't gonna like everything you listen to. You emo kids don't like metal, do we care? Hell no. We like it that's all that matters. There's no need to defend it.

Saying there is a difference between emo and emotional is also crap. Just because you choose to use the first three letters because saying the whole word out would take "2 much time" doesn't change the definition. It's still all about whining about things aren't going your way.

And to those of you who say things like, "OMG!11!1 AlL mUSiC iS EmOtIOnaL!1!11 LoLz!!~" It's not an issue of playing with feeling at all. It's labeled emotional because it's all whining about how your best girl hurt you or that a girl you like doesn't know you exist or something sappy and bitchy. It has nothing to do with playing with emotion. It's singing about prissy stuff like that, while playing something in a somewhat sad manner.

[Zavorash]

merfsullivan is amazing.

[SavestheDon]

i just don't understand why everyone has to brand every band into a certain category ... i mean, if you like it, then you do, if not, don't listen to it. i think everyone is too wrapped up in bashing genres to even care about the music anymore, which is just ridiculous.

[mrbassman]

5th symphony? i can't remember what its called

[boxcarblink41]

Um...I can't believe you said Dashboard isn't emo.

[SickMetal]

I've heard about this, but the underground emo bands aren't THAT different from the commercial guys.

[drmmrboi]

its impossible to know what is true around here

[Cymbaline]

yeah, I don't like emo but it wasn't a terrible article... BUT I disagree, Dashboard is emo. You can try to say The Used and all that isn't, but Dashboard is... besides I have friends in a "hardcore screamo/emo" band, they could tell you the same thing, emo stands for emotional so if Dashboard isn't emo what do you classify them as?

[merfsullivan]

SavestheDon:
i just don't understand why everyone has to brand every band into a certain category ... i mean, if you like it, then you do, if not, don't listen to it. i think everyone is too wrapped up in bashing genres to even care about the music anymore, which is just ridiculous.

I agree with you to a point. You're right about "if you like something you should listen to it, if you don't then you shouldn't." But when it comes to genre bashing, although it may seem like that's what is going on with emo, it's not. People don't bash emo because it's cool to do, well atleast a lot of them don't. It's because the genre is aimed at one type of person, those that are weak and whiny and aren't comfortable with their lives, so they can associate with the whining nature. Just like Metal usually is geared towards aggressive males and that's why it's "cool" to bash it. But I haven't seen any articles or constant posts defending metal. It's usually people whining about how emo is so good, then those that disagree with them. If you really like emo, just like it. There's no need to defend it, people don't have to like everything you like. No amount of explanation is going to make a difference to anyone. I can gaurantee this article didn't change anyone's opinion. THere's not a soul out there that is going to say, "hey! you know what? Dashboard isn't emo!" That's bull. They're emo deal with it. If you like it, listen to it, morte power to you. But don't expect everyone else to like it, or try and change or convert anyone.

[merfsullivan]

I meant to add in my last post that emo is geared toward that one audience and due to it's nature (of just being whiny) it doesn't cross over to anyone but that one kind of person. No one else can really associate with it, so it's hard to like.

[Cyrus-602]

I misundestood emo, i feel unlighten..

only joking ot s stil ***ing bullshit

[dre-0]

Your article gave me a slight understanding of what is "Emo". I feel like i understand it a little better. I come from a pour country and the only reason i imagine wanting to die or hurt your self is if your starving butnaked on a street sniffing paint. I understand that life isent perfect but I guess be thankful for what you have. Becuase once that crap is gone then you really see life for what it is.

[thefinalcut]

merfsullivan is basically spot on. Also the author is giving his OPINION on what is and isn't "emo", just because he says a certain band is "emo" doesn't mean they are. It's all just opinion and he surely isn't emo god...

[Pumpkins4Life]

there's a difference between between emotional music, and emo music. emo just plain sucks, emotional music is somewhat good.

let me clarify what i said before a little more

emo: i miss you, come back home


emotional: f you i wont do what you tell me

well put, emo is, has, and will always, suck

[lost_it_again]

uhuh uhuh yeah, i still hate it

i have bad experiences with emos, the fake ones and the more real ones that realy do cry, i hate them

[5:15_Whofan]

i think you made a good point, but the fact is, all that stuff has been commercialized, and you can't change that. in the collective conscience, bands like 'the used' are considered emo, and the a****les who listen to that crap are really annoying. but what really gripes my a** is when bands like 'the used' arecalled alternative. all that kind of music is about as pop and commercial as it gets. plus it all sounds the same.

[DorkusMalorkus]

Fugazi isn't emo! (I don't think they are anyway...) Neither is Minor Threat...They are just straight edge punk bands...

Thats what I think...

[SumXnofx]

Who the hell cares what band is emo and what band isn't. If you like the band then who cares what genre they are considered to be. If u dont like them then dont listien to them. Hawthorne heights sings about girls in juss about every song, but i still like them and i listein to punk bands and hardcore bands.

[kennasty182]

And to those of you who say things like, "OMG!11!1 AlL mUSiC iS EmOtIOnaL!1!11 LoLz!!~" It's not an issue of playing with feeling at all. It's labeled emotional because it's all whining about how your best girl hurt you or that a girl you like doesn't know you exist or something sappy and bitchy. It has nothing to do with playing with emotion. It's singing about prissy stuff like that, while playing something in a somewhat sad manner.


remind anyone else of blues? No one bags the blues for being whiny.

[paddyo]

i still dont know which bands are emo and which arent! this article just confused me more!

[kennasty182]

sorry, that was supposed to be a quote...

[any14doomsday]

Fugazi is not emo and neither is embrace

[Goddamnit]

who cares whats emo and whats not? all that matters is if the songs are good or not

[Chen928]

^Yes, who cares, music is just pre-packaged these days, like Punk and Metal.

Don't deny it kids. The music you listen to sucks, but it's all you have, so hide behind your little wall, and continue to argue and squabble like you have since forever.

The point is, if you don't like a certain genre, no one cares. STFU.

[ANGERisaGIFT]

But still, when people bash emo they aren't saying anything against Fugazi or Rites of Spring, they are more geared towards The Used and Taking Back Sunday. If you look beyond the genre whores, you'll notice that peoples definitions of different kinds of music are completely different. For example, the kids at the mall are into metal. This happens to be Korn, Mudvayne, and Sevendust. The guy at the tattoo parlor is into metal. It happens to be Nile, Slayer, and whatnot. The guy on the motorcycle is into metal. This happens to be Quiet Riot, Kiss, and Molly Hatchet. See what I mean?

[Abyssal]

Genres this, genres that. Heh. Why dont people just categorize it all under Punk. Instead of Hardcore and other shit. Same thing with Metal. black metal, death, heavy, speed, thrash? Theres a lot more.

[Anty 7]

I won't name names.

"I won't give any names" or "I won't name anybody" lol

so you basically said what was not emo, but you didn't say what IS in today's music
and anyway I don't care

[seekanddestroy]

This article is pointless. I mean come on emo still sucks.

[dresedtodepres]

I always figured that what ever the greater populous calls something, THATS WHAT IT IS!. Even if it started as somethign different. If everyone started calling trees, Beltbuckles, That is what they would then be called, no matter how "wrong" it is.

[spiderman]

NOTE: Do your best to ignore my spelling and grammer errors. I try, really I do. And no bashing emo until after reading the article or you?ll look ignorant and I will laugh at you..er*cough*

i read the thing and ur the one who ends up looking ignorant...

[HamBoy10]

yeah, maybe...but i still hate it.

[Kartman]

Fugazi in NOT Emo.

[Kartman]

merfsullivan: You piss me off.

[MCRrocks]

yeah fugazi is totally not emo, but i love them. AND I LOVE EMO. *cuts wrist* yeah that's ***ing right i like emo, all of you can go ***ing die.

[merfsullivan]

Kartman: I don't give a damn about what some 13 year old thinks.

[bass_man_dan]

this sucks! where did u get this info? n why? oyu must have made it up or youre a very very lonely person.
Emo is good and so is punk and those band you stated(TBS, the used funeral 4 a friend, fallout boy) ARE emo so... like... go rethink your life or something!

[ramonesfan]

I actually think this article was good. he did have a point between the differences of 'emo' and 'emotional', emo is made to make money. they aim at certain audiences that want to fit in. emotional is a tougher emotion. its hard to explain. its like punk rock...most people hate pop punk bands on mtv because why? they say their something and their not. media smokesscreens the truth often in music. just because you listen to blink 182 your not punk, he has a point like this but with emo. and i dont like emo to tell you the truth but just respect his opinons for what it is. i also agree with him.
and if any of this is jumbled...i just woke up

[L.A. Woman]

still don't get it.. :/

[BigBassFishing]

I'm a big fan of emo. But I personally think that article was pretty bad...

[Kartman]

Merfsullivan, you tool, emo sucks. Get used to it. Good article, though, even though I hate emo.

[BlindingStrings]

I hate Emo, You hate Emo, We all hate Emo.

[burndttoast]

Shit man, "emo" is such a touchy subject.

And it's "you're," not "your."
You're = you are; Your = possessive form of "you." Sorry, I tried to ignore it.

[Kartman]

Naw Im playin man. I love you

[mrFood]

Emo is emo. It didn't come from hardcore punk, and it isn't fast and/or loud. It's emo. And it sucks. Ty.

[emoISaDEADgenre]

"Because it is for overly emotional teens that like to cry about how their boyfriend dumped them or how they want to cut themselves. For this same reason, a bunch of trend following music media viewers, live, dress, and act "emo" just to prove they are worthy of listening to such music. But in all actuality, emo has nothing to do with any of the above."

i know you guys who make the comments on "whiny singers" (since when has a genre ever been defined by vocals and lyrics alone?!) and cutting wrists think you're clever and all...but well, maybe you can use that extreme intelligence you have there and actually read what i wrote...or leave? yes, good idea. and you can refer to me as she instead of he...

[CraZyMac0021]

this is just my opinion but personally i think your all ***ing gay for arguing about what emo is and isnt, now im not defending emo or bashing it, but i think genres are gay as hell, its pointless to try to classify something so precisely because theres always someone who defies genres, and to me good music does just that, defies genres. and also i think its stupid to bash an entire genre of music seeing as there so broad these days and overlap others so much.

[omertoscar]

then "que pinches bandas" are emo? would you mean alexis on fire isnt emo and it is like a hardcore band? if emo term comes from emotional i think every musician makes his songs with his own emotion or maybe im wrong whatever... i like taking back sunday and emery and a static lullaby as well as dashboard confessional the get up kids so please somebody tell me a band that can be called an emo band cause my band plays with melodic and heavy riffs and screams and the kids around start saying "i like that band it is so emo" then what the fok are we playing?

[CraZyMac0021]

i ment to say this in my last post, emo is short for emotional... all music is emotional in some way whether its in the lyrics, the instrument playing, theres emotion in all music, thats what makes it unique(if it is unique)so if you put it that way all music is emo because all music has emotion in it

maybe im way off but thats what i think and also i think people shouild just listen to what they like and not get on peoples nuts for liking something that they dont, thats fu**ing bullsh*t

[loyd]

another opinion.. its nothing but a personal opinion.. dont hate, appriciate.. if you love emo well continue playing it and loving it.. if you hate emo just STFU!..

[Raistlin27]

Emo, standing for emotional music, is a ridiculous name for a genre. Any and all music that someone puts time and thought into is going to be emotional, wiether its songs are personal, or about anger, politics, violence, lust, whatever, its all emotional. Lets get past this horrible name and just listen to music that you enjoy.

[Ash_Lawrence]

I hate it when people try and trace Emo back, doesn't work. It's a modern subculture for untalented Guitarists and unpopular teens.

[ProjectDark]

Emo sucks and i never heard of most of those so called bands

[ArtOfSuffocatin]

Not that bad of an article. I still don't like emo though. I guess all I can say is, like what you want. I have no reason to bash your music because I don't care for it. I like metal, some people like emo. Too me, just listen to what you want and we're all good. I do however, have a problem with the Rap and Hip-hop fans.....

[guitar21@WE]

emo goes too far and wrecks talking about emotions to a b unch of rich suburbinite kids taht think life sux and they think by listening to this crappy music and acting 'emo', it really pisses me off, im a musicision, so i respect all forms of music, but sometimes emo goes too far, and how shitty groups that sing abnout shit can make it, what happened to the led zeps, and the EVH's?? what happened, we need a rebirth of the guitar and high quality music sometime soon to stop all this shitty music that is on the radio now days

[deathmetal911r]

you all say its a waist of time yet here you all are...lol..ya i cant say i kno what a "real" emo band is...i like avenged sevenfold?whats that count as?..later music people

[deathmetal911r]

u guys r funny

[deathmetal911r]

losers

[boarder4823]

fershizzle emo sucks nut sack classic rock is where it at

[Overrated]

a

[Overrated]

lol, forgive me for the previous post. But last time I checked, emo is about a bunch of whiney little faggots bitching about how life sucks and how they can't find a prom date. Please do the world a favour and kill yourselves. I would like to tar and feather every last emo band out there, but replace the tar with acid, and the feathers with me shooting them.

[Overrated]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CANADA!

[ktkline7]

i completely agree with this article. i disagree with the way you guys put down emo....great music emo is.

[Drazil]

This article is shite.

[Drazil]

Just kidding!
Not bad.
Personally, I'm not to interested in emo, but to each his/her own, I say.

[Drazil]

Overrated:
lol, forgive me for the previous post. But last time I checked, emo is about a bunch of whiney little faggots bitching about how life sucks and how they can't find a prom date. Please do the world a favour and kill yourselves. I would like to tar and feather every last emo band out there, but replace the tar with acid, and the feathers with me shooting them.

LMAO!

Dude! That was genius! Seriously, I can't stop laughing!

[bluesgod313]

emo takes no skill, and if it does, call me @ 586-873-0133
so i can laugh @ u

[MestPunk182]

jimmy eat world, theyre not an example of an emo band that turned pop, theyre an example of a once punk band that turned pop. and fugazi isnt emo, theyre also a punk band. and i dont know those other bands that you say are real emo so i cant say anything about them. and true, you're right that emo came from punk and hardcore but it didnt happen 20 years ago like you think, as a complete genre it actually really is fairly new. punk and hardcore bands used to write emo songs, but it was just a type of a punk song. it wasnt actually a genre until these new poser punk bands started making nothing but those songs.

[istats]

. . .

[megamanxzero35]

^ totally agree

[easilyoutdone31]

Every where i go there are people fighting about what emo is or is not, or how u hate emo ppl een tho u have no Effing idea what emo is. Guys music is music. Who cares wut genre is sopusively is. Listen to what u like. This dude is just one of those ppl that think they are so smart and know everything bout music. What emo is to someone wont be the same to other ppl. Emo is short for emotional so in some sense almost all rock is emo is some way. Screw the scenes, the genres, the media. Listen to what u want to listen, wear what u want to wear, and be yourself.

[ThorMx]

This article was pointless cause emo is still talentless and you cant say people stating their political thoughts and anger in songs is considered emo cause almost every genre they do that. Emo pretty much is just faggot music that contains shit riffs and generally no solos, call me ignorant if you want but thats what emo is so dont say you know anything about music cause emo isnt music.

[dez18]

the Appleseed Cast, one of the bands mentioned in the artical, is really the only emo-ish band worth listening too (..and i say this as a fan of the genre). They really dont even fit into one genre or another, they change with every release; "The End of Ring Wars" was basicly a post hardcore album, then "low Level Owl, VOL 1 and 2" can probbly be descirbed as space rock...then their most recient cd, "Two Conversations" sound almost new wave. Anyone with who is open minded (which is about 6 or 7 people on this site) should check them out if you have never heard of them.....

[Ledzep2301]

Emo is just pop that sucks even more. O yeah and pop has better singers. To be a good emo singer all you have to do is pretty much sound like something is being shoved up your ass. Okay but seriously, emo is talentless. I'd prefer to hear people to let their problems out in anger like in alotta metal songs then listen to some white boy whine about his life like a little girl. Emo sucks and you can't change anyone's mind about it. If you like the music though, fine by me.

[dez18]

i cant even count how many times someone has said that emo is just faggots whining about their lives....well i guess thats better than being a sweaty fat kid listening to metal alone in his/her room...wow....ignorance is fun!!!

[tyler 417 714]

EMO SUCKS

[thrashing moles]

last time i checked emo was music that is actually coming from peoples hearts, music thats personal and all of u faggots calling emo bands faggots then dont listen to it

[Clarkinator]

heres my take: there should be no more genres. Like the bands you like, dislike the ones you dislike, but dont categorize things into genres. Im sick of people saying "emo sucks" or "nu-metal sucks" because people have different opions on what is emo and whats nu-metal. NO MORE GENRE BASHING, lets get rid of genres altogether and call it: music

[battleofla]

It would be so simple if we had three ''rocky'' genres

Rock
Metal
Punk

[ikky_slimy_bugs]

slimy bugs

[metallica6285]

I dont like EMO boo hoo,face it, it requires little to not skill, wait it requires no skill. Thank you i will be here if someone wants to tell me that EMO is talented music.

[Volkl]

If people that aren't emo want to call themselves emo then they're emo to me and I still hate them.

[Juneau]

Well... Taking Back Sunday and Jimmy Eat World are emo... But you didn't really get your messege across. You need to talk more about how it developed and about the lyrics. Good original article though needs editing. It was fun to read though.

[Lord_Xian]

So basically what you are saying that emo was in the 80's and there arnt any emo bands any more?

[RedGibsonSG]

Well. At least I can relate to emo.
I've gotten out and lived a normal life. I haven't just been in a room listening to metal bitching about everyone who listens to different music, or doesnt dress like me.
Alotta you guys need to get laid.
You can't listen to metal and *** any girl.
Maybe hair metal, but thats it.

[reckless_life]

I almost feel sorry for you reading this article. You really have genuinely tried.

Unfortunately, not even the most heart-warming article can save emo from what it actually is - shitty pop music.

What's the point in trying to change people's opinions on music? It's not like someone who's reading this is going to have a conversion to emo is it? And this is exactly the kind of article i would expect from an emo fan. No other type of music fan would write a plea for people to stop taking the piss out of the music they like.

[moobear666]

ok, i think everyone here is in a certain camp, either for emo or against it, but dont you think you can like the bands rather than a genre as a whole, i like taking back sunday,the used, and hawthorne hights but i dont like jimmy eat world or death cab for cutie , inm the same way that i like metallica and slayer but i dont like megadeth or anthrax. its the music that counts not the genre.

[gotajackbass2]

metal is wank.

[merfsullivan]

The fact that you put your opinion out there (talking about the author), and not just in some stupid forum post or something, but you wrote an article for all to see stating your opinion (not fact, but opinion), and then expected no one to give you theirs is really foolish. Not everyone will agree with your opinion, you need to face that. Your opinion means no more than mine or anyone elses. Even those people that just constantly say Emo sucks with no type of reasoning. Just ignore the bad if you don't wanna hear it. But don't put an opinionated piece out there and then expect no one to respond to it. Especially in a manner that isn't what you expect. Don't be ashamed of liking Emo, music is all personal, if you like it, that's good. Don't expect anyone else to though. Not because it's bad, but just because some people don't like what you like. I don't like Emo, but I respect someone elses right to like it. But when my opinion is prompted, I'm gonna give it.

P.S. I apologize to you for typing "he" earlier, that really was uninformed of me.

[enimy06]

i'm not emo but seriously, if you dont like it dont listen to it instead of wasting half your life bashing music and never really knowing why you're up so f***.. late talking to your "internet" girlfriends.

[enimy06]

p.s. never once have i heard or seen someone actually go up to a 'emo' person and talk sh*t to them, maybe because you're all hipocrits?

[mikethebassman]

Emo music sucks and is for untalented musicians. Anyone who thinks that any band like Taking Back Sunday, My Chemical Romance, or The Used is talented, please continue sliting your wrists and crying yourself to sleep.

[Cone 21]

don't make him cry about the article cause it IS TERRIBLE, make him cry cause he is EMO.

[Bassplayer17]

According to this article, all the "maintstream" so-called emo bands aren't really emo. If this is true then emo must not exist, eh? What are all the mainstream bands anywho? Pop-punk? You seem to forget that all genres evolve and emo has evolved into the whiny, tasteless bitchings of many-a-twenty year old wanting to be complainy teens again. As I see it, Pop-punk and emo are the same thing. True punk is dead because of these sickening bands that make today's music so meaningless. I disagree with this article.

[RatiugLink]

mrbassman:

EMO IS SHIT EMO IS SHIIIT (TO THE TUNE OF BEETHOVEN'S FAMOUS DA DA DA DAAA..)

That's the Fifth, dumbass.

[i_am_lamb]

Fucking insane. This just makes everything more confusing...

[Soulbleed]

wtf, so wrong.
Cradle of Filth is the only real emo band.

[Maverick49]

EMO IS PUNK WITH ALL THE REBELLIOUSNESS AND POLITICS SUCKED OUT.

[lost_it_again]

yeah emo is like bad punk, it's like a worse form of pop punk which has a trend about it, if you even thought pop punk had a trend

[Brunswick]

Emo stands for emotional. Any sort of music you make contains emotion (at least mine does). You can't write a guitar riff without any emotion put into it. The term "emo" is pointless and just a simple tag. Every music on earth is "emo". This genre is simply a pop-punk brand of music.

[TheMadTabber]

say wat you want, emo sucks stop whining.

[Lord Hypnos]

Punk is ***ing gay, emo is even worse, its not even music.

[nihilus]

taking back sunday are crap. i saw them live and they are shit. i hope they all just drop dead. they're a bunch of ***ing american freaks and i hate emo. true music is jimi hendrix or decent influential people like that. i hope taking back sunday *** off and go self harm til they die

[Lyf]

Lord Hypnos:
Punk is ***ing gay, emo is even worse, its not even music.

Music is arranged noise and silence, and if it seems like music enough to get on Mtv, or enough that someone signs them, then it's music. Wether you like it or not.

And the whole... "Keep slitting your wrists and crying yourself to sleep" thing is just a generalization that didn't need to be made.

[toha33]

Emo...You know I first found out about it on this site. I don't mind the music but I consider the lyrics crappy. Even though I get dumped alot, i don't wanna listen to music about getting dumped. I basically agree that real music is bands like Led Zeppelin, Black sabath, Nirvana (STFU! I love that band alot!), Jimi Hendrix (not a band but yeah...). Emo is ok..but the lyrics suck ass!

[The Big Irish]

I still can't wrap my heads around the gener of emo...To quote The Mars Volta:" If you don't put your heart and soul into your writing, what's the point?". I don't mind emo.You really need to get used to hearing it because it doesn't look like it's going anywhere for a while.

[The Big Irish]

Sry for the multiple spelling mistakes. I only have one head.

[dizzyupthegurl]

Alright people, the only reason why we are having this huge misunderstanding about "emo" is because it's all around us. It's on tv, it's in downtown, it's in the malls, it's in school, and most importantly it's in people. First of all, all these mtv bands are successfull as hell, and there number 1 proof is this whole argument we are having. Infact, they are not fake, there just selling there image, and selling some albums they made probably in a matter of weeks. However, it's all worth it for them, they know alot of us hate them, but they don't care there doing this for the money, what we see from them and there videos, and music is not them..there totally different mature people that don't deal with these issues, and they probably are way more talented on their instruments and lyrically. However,there thinking it does not take much to sell to these dumb kids, so lets just write any bullshit and sell it to them, and that my friends is what is happening. It's all phony, they know it and we know it and all the "emos" know it.

[cmm_08]

god emo sucks big time

[Clarkinator]

I agree with dizzyupthegurl ^, and further more if all you people hate "emo" so spend time coming here reading about it and then flaming it. Go read about your metal and metallica, and let people who actually like emo music discuss it (for the record I dont really like emo, i dont dislike it either though). Some emo guitarists are actually very talented and play riffs as hard as metal bands. People need to stop being so nieve and stop trying to sound like hardasses by saying "yeah go cut yourselves, stupid emo punks" etc. You all sound like a bunch of dumb football players

[donnerparty]

i thought it was a good article, even if i dont like emo THAT much it was well written. besides, if you guys dont like the idea of genres why go to "genre battles"??

[blackregimeb]

EMO is gay-o. regardless how stupid that comment was, it is still gay.

[negrotaurist]

emo can suck my big black nutsickles.
Anyone who likes emo deserves to be strung up by their testicles and beaten with my guitar strings. unless ur a hot chick, i can make exceptions

[negrotaurist]

o yea, if u have ne rebuttle, im me on aim. I am emokdssckdck

[Cobain-iac_90]

Finally, somebody realizes that alot of the "emo" you hear today is not what it seems. I agree that the whole emo thing has gotten way too mainstream and highly marketable. I may not be a big fan of emo, but I know when something is pop-punk/power-pop, and many of those bands (i.e. Taking Back Sunday, The Used, Dashboard Confessional, etc...) are just that. Pisses me off to see people who think they're emo listening to that. This is Seattle/Grunge/Nirvana all over again...

[cosmetictragedy]

Bands like Cursive and Fugazi are considered alternative/indie, not emo.

Emo didn't really emerge from punk. I think the term that you might ues when defining emo, and what most teenagers who truly know emo music define emo as overly emotional/exagerrated emotion/full of emotion.

[xchris78]

EMO SUCKS!!!..

[Canadiens1160]

[QUOTE=First Post]i know what emo is. it still sucks.
Quoted for truth! +++..

[Canadiens1160]

I think the term that you might ues when defining emo, and what most teenagers who truly know emo music define emo as overly emotional/exagerrated emotion/full of emotion.

Don't forget singing like a cunt, add that to the list! :

[monkeyspks]

apparently, nobody knows what emo really is. (i'm not saying i do, just so ya know) personally i think emo is a fad. like hippies. we'll make fun of it 40 years later, on "My Coolest Years" on vh1. Emo doesn't really have the staying power to last.

[Spydr]

So what are those crap bands if there not emo...

[metallica4evah]

some ppl like metal and some dont..some ppl like punk and some dont..some ppl like EMO and some dont...!!
its that simple....

[pistols]

describes hardcore punk the same way as punk rock is generally described. So whats the difference-basically just that hardcore punk is a little more like metal (in my opinion) rather than rock n roll.

[pistols]

some ppl can spell people

[captain_bunker]

emo sucks even before it was posered i mean how can you poser emo? its just naturaly posered

[RipTheSystem]

how come popular band cant be emo? some of there music is fast and loud, and also has emotional lyrics. I also DO NOT consider fugazi to be emo.

[carlsbad]

...eh there still idiotic for cutting themselves and crying for some guy or girl taht left them

[Cyrus6789]

Ive never heard of any of those bands... and now i know why.

[sphereagram]

EMO SUCKS EMO SUCKS EMO SUCKS EMO SUCKS

[sphereagram]

If emo was a person I would cut off their penis and stick it in their mouth

Because emo SUCKS COCK

[erin_eb]

uhmm...i thought emo was modern and was developed from pop punk...whatever..

This article made me confused.

[mangablade]

some people like emo, some dont, i think it sucks more cocks than the coloum writer's mom

[kennasty182]

for all you guys bashing emo for being Pop...

go ahead and tally up all the posts, i think there are maybe 10 pro emo posts and like 200 pro metal posts. Who's poppin now??

[nihilus]

me

[nihilus]

i can pop my bones out of place but atleast i don't slit my wrists like you ***ing emo's. some people like emo??? those people belong in a mental asylum. i don't like emo but i don't hate it.

[carpesaxum]

okay... fallout boy are self accused emo
taking back sunday ARE emo...
the used, ARE emo...

okay, so get your facts right before you make silly posts like this.

[cantshreddave]

who cares what emo is, you either like some of the above mentioned bands or you dont end of

[howaceisjoe]

i like all music.
genre shouldn't be an issue

[StuartR]

I like this i'll give it a 5.
Ian Mckay rules your anus

[hardcoreatheist]

I like Danzig & Slayer I also like Taking Back Sunday & My Chemical Romance they are all good bands I'm not an "aggressive" male and I'm not a whiny cutter kid If bands have talent then dont bash them. What I don't like is talentless manufactured crap like Good Charlotte etc thats just plain pop to me same level as Britney Spears and Busted. I also don't like bands where every song is about the same thing IE i got dumped/ i want to die. The fans of that really piss me off tho "I want to die" okay heres a knife ***ing do it!!! And they never do.

[Spicer_UK]

ha ham you're a co c k eye, you've just wasted your time, emo sucks get over it!!!!

[Agemoi]

no offense man but that article is totally pointless, emo is lame and talentless, they dont show there true potential in music, (even though some still have none), and they get signed anyway, atleast the bands in the 90's sounded good and didnt sound like dudes crying and all they did was 4 different power chords, these days it sounds all the same and its pathetic, i want to throw up when i see or hear My Chemical Romance, NFG, Hawthorne Heights, Yellowcard, Fallout Boy....must I go on? I flinch when i even hear their names, cuz they just cant write good music, ANYONE can write about that bullshit, they just want to be coperate and make money and sound like theyre favorite emo band, thats all its about, I'll just feed you guys who are reading this some lines from these bands "slice my wrists and black my eyes!!!!"...."im not okay!!!"....."girls dont like boys girls like cars and money!!!".....just wow guys, I've moved on from this genre, which i liked back in middle school but evryone is messed up then, cuz i realized how awful it is, i can seriously write a full album with this bullshit in under a week, i mean how many cds can these losers make? evry single damn song on evry single album is the same, there is no progression, its sad, dont get me wrong im not a big agressive macho guy, i just hate this lame MTV esque trends, just do ur own thing, with their nice styled gelled hair and their make up and little black and red suits, gimme me a ***ing break, u dont have to a wear a uniform to let ppl kno who you are, this stuff just gets too much credit while other musicians like many of us in here work our asses off to create good music, anyway i just hate emo, always will, its a fact of life not an opinion, some people may like it, but its just bad "music" not bad rock, bad "music", when its just about ONE thing, then yeah, its sad to see how far mainstream rock has fallen in the past 6 years

[Agemoi]

just atleast i gave you guys a reason, it may have been long but its to fill u in, rather then people just calling emo weak i just told you why i feel this way, just responding to a comment i read above

[Nirvana101]

i want to throw up when i see or hear My Chemical Romance, NFG, Hawthorne Heights, Yellowcard, Fallout Boy....must I go on?

Me to. I hate my chemical romance with a passion, same with yellowcard. I could play any one of their songs with my eyes closed and one finger on a sitar. Man, I'm 16 and every day I hope to turn on MuchMusic and see a new great band like metallica. We have no great bands of our age so far... Up to me to make one I suppose

[Agemoi]

AMEN BRO! shit im turnin 16 in like a month and i already have a better music sense then like anyone my age, its such lame shit

[The_Trooper14]

Yea emo sucks I mean what has music come to so we can either listen to our 80's and 70's bands or lose faith in music or we can find some underground metal groups and support them by buying their albums, that is the only way that emo will die... and rap too

[The_Trooper14]

emo is for those fags wearing skater clothes and studded wristbands that dont actually skate and are not hardcore enough to listen to real punk like, the clash, or the ramones, or the dead kennedys to name a couple.. metal kicks aaa..sss..

[JelloPuppet]

i know what emo is and it sucks...

[JelloPuppet]

AND HOW DARE YOU CLASSIFY FUGAZI AS EMO YOU CUNT

[Fajitaman22]

Regardless of what you say emo used to be, at this point in time (21st century) emo is embodied by what the mainstream says it is.

And it sucks.

That's about it.

[merfsullivan]

enimy06:
p.s. never once have i heard or seen someone actually go up to a 'emo' person and talk sh*t to them, maybe because you're all hipocrits?

They're not hypocrites, they're just too chicken shit without the shroud of anonymity that the internet provides.

But for all you who are "true emo" fans that think Dashboard isn't Emo, you're morons. You can't say a band that is clearly part of the genre isn't just because you think it gives the genre a bad name. Dashboard is pure emo. No if's and or buts about. You're ashamed that emo sucks like that, then you're a hypocrit for listening to it.

[Gumbi89]

i think you gots a good article hear, seems as though alot of people didn't understand what you meant, but i think i did, and yeah that crap they say is emo today sucks, but i'll check out that stuff you say is real emo

[ashe124]

WHO CARES???

THERES TOO MANY GENRESSS..

ITS JUST CONFUSINGGG.. DAMMIT

Oh and by the way , Embrace aren't 80's u fool, there 90's to the present!

[Punk Poser]

All those bands at the bottom are screamo-pop-nu-power metal/ pre-punk emo/ emotional-olde metal- cross over/ cover bands.

[roo6339]

very good!

[slinks]

Huh, guess I don't hate emo as much as I thought, since emo is something completely different than I thought. I actually like a lot of those aforementioned "true emo" bands like Fugazi (?) and Sunny Day Real Estate. Does that make Fall Out Boy like pop-punk or something then? Guess I hate pop-punk now in that case.

[hitormiss]

good articles man
and this is to basically over half the commesnts who said EMO SUCKS and ended with that, go shoot yourself because the chances are you have no knowledge about emo and are stereotyping and jumping on the bandwagon saying EMO IS A BUNCH OF WHINY FAGS THAT SING ABOUT CUTTING THEIR WRISTS!!! But I do agree with people that it hs become a trend...and yes trends are annoying as shit. (and no I'm not trying to be punk saying *** trends haha just bein safe)

[sealab89]

emo sucks you pussy

[sealab89]

i hate you

[DonFelipe]

Not well written, nor supported. What I got from the voice was a poor sap of a scene kid whose beloved music got blown up into something everyone liked. Personally, I think emo has such great potential that its extremely hard to be any good at it. The mainstream garbage smells, as garbage often does. The not-quite-so-mainstream usually has an odor about as well. As it was said before, all music is emotion, or at least all real music. Thus, a music that relies so heavily on the gimmick of being "emotional" quickly falls. It quickly quickly quickly becomes canned, fake.

If you want to hear some real emotion in music, listen to some mewithoutYou. Talk to me about emotion in music after you do that.

And as for me, I like my thrift store clothes, they've been loved once and I love them again. and I'm sure if I needed glasses, they'd be "dorky."

[thedankle]

you're all nut faces.....if you listen to emo.

[TheSuperPunk]

Simon And Garfunkel is the first emo band.