Origins and early development
Emo emerged in the mid-1980s from the Washington, D.C. hardcore scene, where it was known as emotional hardcore or emocore. Early practitioners such as Rites of Spring and Embrace pioneered a style that combined hardcore punk intensity with more melodic and emotionally charged, often confessional, lyrics and less rigid song structures.
Evolution or diversification
In the early to mid-1990s emo was adopted and reinvented by alternative rock, indie rock, punk rock, and pop-punk bands including Sunny Day Real Estate, Jawbreaker, Cap'n Jazz, Mineral, and Jimmy Eat World. By the mid-1990s regional variants such as midwest emo emerged with bands like Braid, the Promise Ring, American Football, and the Get Up Kids, while screamo developed as a more aggressive style using screamed vocals. Emo and emo pop entered mainstream culture in the early 2000s with artists like Jimmy Eat World and Dashboard Confessional, and commercial success continued with bands such as My Chemical Romance, AFI, Fall Out Boy, and others.
Cultural or musical significance
The emo subculture came to signify a particular relationship between fans and artists and specific fashion and behavioral markers, including skinny jeans, black eyeliner, tight t-shirts, studded belts, and distinct hairstyles. The genre's rise in popularity in the 2000s brought social stigma and controversy, including purported links to depression and self-harm, and inspired both backlash and debates over which artists should be labeled emo. A late 2000s revival revisited 1990s sounds and the 2010s saw further diversification including emo rap and post-emo experimental directions.
