Today's Lesson: Emo

Emo is one of those genres that is so often misunderstood. While some of what is considered emo today has roots in real emo music, a lot isn't of the genre at all. Emo, short for emotive hardcore, started in D.C. in 1985 during what is called "Revolution Summer". Sometimes also referred to as post-hardcore, emo started when people from the hardcore punk scene were getting disillusioned with where the scene was going. There was a lot of violence, and a lot of uniformity in the sounds. The same rebellion that led these kids to start and to join the punk movement led them to start emo music. These people started playing slower, more introspective songs, intentionally making a scene apart from where punk was at the time.
Out of this scene and this summer came Rites of Spring featuring future Fugazi Guy Picciotto, and Ian MacKaye's Embrace. The D.C. area would host the first wave of this new sound, but it would soon spread. Bands would build on the D.C. town, and the classic Dischord ethic. Your typical emo band was short lived, anti-commercial, and somewhat mysterious.
What followed the D.C. scene in the years and decades to come would build on the foundations of emo in different ways. Some would play a more refined version of the traditional D.C. sound, while others would go heavier, louder. Some would play with the loud/quiet dynamic. Some would take the anti-commercial ethic to new extremes. Some would develop popularity and sign with big labels.

What follows isn't a definitive list, but rather a beginners sampler of sorts. These tracks come from important records in the genre, and all are highly recommended.

Embrace are considered one of the originators, alongside Rites of Spring.


Moss Icon were from nearby Maryland. A very clear D.C. influence, but still a sound all their own.

Native Nod were part of 90's emo, from the east coast. They released a total of 9 songs.

Julia were another 90's emo band, this time from the west coast.

Saetia is a perfect example of "screamo", a term often applied to the louder, screamy emo bands.


I Hate Myself were from Gainsville, Florida. One of many bands from the brothers Jim and Jon Marburger, I Hate Myself were at the same time a quintessential later emo band and satire on the genre.