Is “goth music” a thing?

Discussion in 'General Advice' started by tickingnectarine, Jun 16, 2018.

  1. Okay so a couple days ago I was talking to Mom about music in the car, and I brought up the subject of, I quote, “goth music.” She didn’t believe it exists, I mentioned The Cure as an example (despite their own aversion to the label). She talked to one of her coworkers and he said, melodramatically, “these millennials are ruining the eighties!”

    Then the next day we were having lunch along with my dad and my sister. I mentioned Siouxsie and the Banshees as another example of goth music, Mom said she didn’t know she liked that genre so much. My dad refuses to believe goth music exists, and my younger sister is giving me shit over not specifying I meant gothic rock.

    So- first off, does gothic rock exist? Does goth music in general exist? And if so, what are some examples of bands that play that genre of music?
     
  2. Aondeug

    Aondeug Cringe Annoying Ass Female Lobster

    Yes goth rock exists, though many of the bands included in the genre argue that they aren't goth. Goth music in general also exists, again though many people included in the genre argue that they aren't goth. Genre is an arbitrary and complicated matter. It's never a fact, simply an argument. Hence you run into things like this. I do personally believe that goth rock exists though due to having been raised by a goth and taught that certain groups are goth rock. Anyway, onto some examples! The Cure is an example, as you've said. Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, the Sisters of Mercy, and Fields of the Nephilim are some other examples, with Bauhaus often getting credit as being among the first pioneers of the genre. Most of this list also denies being goth rock. This list here has some more examples.

    My mother having been a goth during the 80's. With goth friends during the 80's. Who all called this shit goth rock in the 80's. Just so you're aware. Seeing as your mother's coworker thinks that it's just our generation ruining the 80's. Nah. It's the 80's generation ruining it too! They started ruining it first with their wacky morbid subculture and clubs!
     
    Last edited: Jun 16, 2018
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  3. KingStarscream

    KingStarscream watch_dogs walking advertisement

    I'd definitely say it exists--Evanescence and Within Temptation come immediately to mind as pretty standard for the genre, though I think they both lean closer to gothic metal than specifically gothic rock. I wasn't ever deep into the scene, but I know a bunch of my goth friends had playlists over a dozen bands deep specifically for that sound, so...

    Gothic country is definitely a genre too, and Delta Rae is a great example of that. Johnny Cash's later stuff is supposed to be a more classical take on gothic country/southern gothic music, so that's a good one to point to too if you need proof of other gothic music genres that aren't straight rock.
     
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  4. Birdy

    Birdy so long

    I think there’s “music that goths generally like” and “self-consciously Goth Music”. I’d cite Joy Division as an example of the former and The Birthday Massacre as an example of the latter
     
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  5. Codeless

    Codeless Cheshire Cat

    Goth as a subculture Started with music. It now contains many other things like the fashion, literature etc, but it started with the music. Such as yes, Souxie and the Banshees, or The Cure, or Christian Death.
    There are even those who claim you cannot be goth if you´re not a diehard fan of the music. I disagree, but it should illustrate how amazingly wrong your mother and sister are.
     
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  6. And my dad. Can’t forget him. -_-

    Thanks guys, I appreciate it.
     
  7. Athol Magarac

    Athol Magarac I prefer reading posts without a lot of topics.

    I'm not sure if it's completely "goth" but in the 90's the goth group I was in turned me onto Sisters of Mercy, Apoptygma Berzerk, and Oingo Boingo. Ramstein probably isn't considered goth.
     
  8. Codeless

    Codeless Cheshire Cat

    No, Ramstein is metal.
     
    • Agree x 1
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