History Main / GothRock

* PostPunk: Originated as a subgenre of this, before gaining a life of its own around the time Post-Punk as a whole began to decline (mid-'80s).

Goth Rock or Gothic Rock emerged in [[UsefulNotes/{{GreatBritain}} the UK]] in the [[TheSeventies late 1970s]] as an {{evol|vingTrope}}ution of PostPunk, with its essential features [[TropeCodifier codified]] by bands such as Music/SiouxsieAndTheBanshees, Music/JoyDivision, Music/{{Bauhaus}} and Music/{{The Cure|Band}}. What differentiates Goth from Post-Punk is a more theatrical style (and arguably more GlamRock influence) and (most of the time) more elaborate songs with more frequent use of electronics. The theatrical style, with its connotations of artificiality, resulted in a situation where most of the bands closely identified with Goth vehemently denied being Goth bands, notably Music/{{The Cure|Band}} and Music/TheSistersOfMercy. Goth Rock has four subgenres which are Deathrock,[[note]] which is characterized by a much greater punk influence and a more theatrical presentation that often takes heavy influence from BMovie {{horror}} and '50s kitsch, occasionally overlapping with {{psychobilly|Genre}}.[[/note]] DarkWave, Cold Wave, and Ethereal Wave. [[note]]Not to be confused with DreamPop or {{Shoegazing}}.[[/note]]

[[caption-width-right:350:''[[https://youtu.be/mZ_tR2tZI3I "Some wear leather, some wear lace / Some wear makeup on their face"]]''[[note]]Clockwise from upper left: Music/{{Bauhaus}}'s ''Bela Lugosi’s Dead''; Music/{{The Sisters of Mercy}}'s ''First and Last and Always''; Music/{{The Cure|Band}}'s ''Pornography''; Music/{{Fields of the Nephilim}}'s ''Dawnrazor''; Music/{{Christian Death}}'s ''Only Theatre of Pain''; Music/{{Siouxsie and the Banshees}}'s ''Juju''; Music/{{The Damned|Band}}'s ''Phantasmagoria''; Music/{{Specimen}}'s ''Batastrophe''; Music/{{Xmal Deutschland}}'s ''Fetisch''.[[/note]]]]

Goth Rock or Gothic Rock emerged in [[UsefulNotes/{{GreatBritain}} the UK]] in the [[TheSeventies late 1970s]] as an {{evol|vingTrope}}ution of PostPunk, with its essential features [[TropeCodifier codified]] by bands such as Music/SiouxsieAndTheBanshees, Music/JoyDivision, Music/{{Bauhaus}} and Music/{{The Cure|Band}}. What differentiates Goth from Post-Punk is a more theatrical style (and arguably more GlamRock influence) and (most of the time) more elaborate songs with more frequent use of electronics. The theatrical style, with its connotations of artificiality, resulted in a situation where most of the bands closely identified with Goth vehemently denied being Goth bands, notably Music/{{The Cure|Band}} and Music/TheSistersOfMercy. Goth Rock has four subgenres which are Deathrock,[[note]] which is characterized by a much greater punk influence and a more theatrical presentation that often takes heavy influence from BMovie {{horror}} and '50s kitsch, occasionally overlapping with {{psychobilly|Genre}}.[[/note]] DarkWave, Cold Wave, and Ethereal Wave [[note]] not to be confused with DreamPop or {{Shoegazing}}[[/note]].

* Bauhaus - "[[https://youtu.be/Fqy-fCf6Ymg Bela Lugosi’s Dead]]"
* The Cult - "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCOSPtyZAPA She Sells Sanctuary]]"
* The Cure - "[[https://youtu.be/SbAxbmAHgx4 A Forest]]"
* Siouxsie and the Banshees - "[[https://youtu.be/TjvvK-Rj0WI Spellbound]]"
* Joy Division - "[[https://youtu.be/atXB3qQ5CPU Heart and Soul]]"
* The Birthday Party - "[[https://youtu.be/tvyInFFLJoc Mr. Clarinet]]"
* Southern Death Cult - "[[https://youtu.be/NDAGBXPFYXM Moya]]"
* Virgin Prunes - "[[https://youtu.be/IimsciWwHHk Baby Turns Blue]]"
* UK Decay - "[[https://youtu.be/-xs_dPDeA8Y Black Cat]]"

* Xmal Deutschland - "[[https://youtu.be/rzV8rhDKLN0 Incubus Succubus II]]"
* Specimen - "[[https://youtu.be/giE78F2k6Dk Kiss Kiss Bang Bang]]"
* Skeletal Family - "[[https://youtu.be/8weD6mClMIo Promised Land]]"
* Christian Death - "[[https://youtu.be/7OTADgfTpIQ As Evening Falls]]"
* The Sisters of Mercy - "[[https://youtu.be/x2mwjng0Jkc Lucretia My Reflection]]"
* Fields of the Nephilim - "[[https://youtu.be/AqrNMK6rDKc Laura II]]"
* The Mission UK - "[[https://youtu.be/yAo42BFos98 Wasteland]]"
* The Damned - "[[https://youtu.be/ks_xu8JSL0Q The Shadow of Love]]"

* Witching Hour - "[[https://youtu.be/CK9RZ9qgSfg Ligea]]"
* Suspiria - "[[https://youtu.be/BTj7U22EF70 Allegedly, Dancefloor Tragedy]]"
* Mephisto Walz - "[[https://youtu.be/FdVr8nKlC7Y Mephisto Walz]]"
* Nösferätu - "[[https://youtu.be/Hn7xKulTBHI Vampyres Cry]]"
* Corpus Delicti - "[[https://youtu.be/rmyLpy03vmQ Saraband]]"
* Inkubus Sukkubus - " [[https://youtu.be/B2D6C2IC1U0 Wytches]]"
* The Wake - "[[https://youtu.be/w0tLidnbcHo Nazarene]]"
* London After Midnight - "[[https://youtu.be/egLAkA4HrXU Sacrifice]]"

Common musical features of the genre include [[LeadBassist melodies carried by the bass guitar]], with the electric guitar taking a secondary role, sparse and minimalistic beats,[[note]]Commonly created by drum machines, if not a real drummer.[[/note]] effects-laden scything guitar patterns with [[EchoingAcoustics lots of reverb]], and (often) use of synthesizers. The most common vocal styles tend to be [[PerishingAltRockVoice gloomy]] [[CreepyMonotone monotones]], [[note]]As exemplified by Ian Curtis, Dave Gahan, and Peter Murphy[[/note]] [[BadassBaritone deep, droning baritones]], [[note]]As exemplified by [[Music/TheSistersOfMercy Andrew Eldritch]], [[Music/FieldsOfTheNephilim Carl [=McCoy=]]], Louis DeWray and Music/NickCave[[/note]] or a more flamboyant, glam rock-inspired style. [[note]]As exemplified by Ian Astbury, Robert Smith, and Rozz Williams.[[/note]]

Common musical features of the genre include [[LeadBassist melodies carried by the bass guitar]], with the electric guitar taking a secondary role, sparse and minimalistic beats,[[note]]Commonly created by drum machines, if not a real drummer.[[/note]] effects-laden scything guitar patterns with [[EchoingAcoustics lots of reverb]], and (often) use of synthesizers. The most common vocal styles tend to be [[PerishingAltRockVoice gloomy]] [[CreepyMonotone monotones]], [[note]]As exemplified by Ian Curtis, Dave Gahan, and Peter Murphy[[/note]] [[BadassBaritone deep, droning baritones]], [[note]]As exemplified by [[Music/TheSistersOfMercy Andrew Eldritch]], [[Music/FieldsOfTheNephilim Carl [=McCoy=]]], and Music/NickCave[[/note]] or a more flamboyant, glam rock-inspired style. [[note]]As exemplified by Ian Astbury, Robert Smith, and Rozz Williams.[[/note]]

Common musical features of the genre include [[LeadBassist melodies carried by the bass guitar]], with the electric guitar taking a secondary role, sparse and minimalistic beats,[[note]]Commonly created by drum machines, if not a real drummer.[[/note]] effects-laden scything guitar patterns with [[EchoingAcoustics lots of reverb]], and (often) use of synthesizers. The most common vocal styles tend to be [[PerishingAltRockVoice gloomy]] [[CreepyMonotone monotones]] (as exemplified by Ian Curtis, Dave Gahan, and Peter Murphy), [[BadassBaritone deep, droning baritones]] (as exemplified by Andrew Eldritch, Carl [=McCoy=], and Nick Cave), or a more flamboyant, glam rock-inspired style (as exemplified by Ian Astbury, Robert Smith, and Rozz Williams).[[note]]The occasional [[CarefulWithThatAxe spine-chilling shriek]] is not uncommon either.[[/note]]

* {{Goth}}: Goth Rock and its four subgenres are the center of the Goth Subculture.

%%* DarkerAndEdgier: Than most other PostPunk and AlternativeRock.
%%* EchoingAcoustics: Common, though by no means universal. It tends to add to the dark atmosphere.

%%* {{Goth}}: Obviously.

%%* LighterAndSofter: Some individual bands headed in this direction, however.

The child of PostPunk, and the genre of music that is the center of the [[{{Goth}} Goth Subculture]].

* SpinOff: To Post-Punk. And DarkWave is a Spin-Off to it.

The child of PostPunk, and the genre of music that is the center of the [[{{Goth}} Goth Subculture]], a fanbase of the music.

The child of PostPunk, and the genre of music that is centered around the {{Goth}}Subculture, a fanbase of the music.

The child of PostPunk, and the genre of music that is centered around the{{Goth}}Subculture, a fanbase of the music.

The child of PostPunk, and the primary genre of music associated with {{Goth}}s.

Goth Rock or Gothic Rock emerged in [[UsefulNotes/{{GreatBritain}} the UK]] in the [[TheSeventies late 1970s]] as an {{evol|vingTrope}}ution of PostPunk, with its essential features [[TropeCodifier codified]] by bands such as Music/SiouxsieAndTheBanshees, Music/JoyDivision, Music/{{Bauhaus}} and Music/{{The Cure|Band}}. What differentiates Goth from Post-Punk is a more theatrical style (and arguably more GlamRock influence) and (most of the time) more elaborate songs with more frequent use of electronics. The theatrical style, with its connotations of artificiality, resulted in a situation where most of the bands closely identified with Goth vehemently denied being Goth bands, notably Music/{{The Cure|Band}} and Music/TheSistersOfMercy. Goth Rock has four subgenres which are Deathrock,[[note]] which is characterized by a much greater punk influence and a more theatrical presentation that often takes heavy influence from BMovie {{horror}} and '50s kitsch, occasionally overlapping with {{psychobilly|Genre}}.[[/note]] DarkWave, Cold Wave, and Ethereal Wave.

[[caption-width-right:350:''[[https://youtu.be/mZ_tR2tZI3I "Some wear leather, some wear lace / Some wear makeup on their face"]]''[[note]]Clockwise from upper left: Music/{{Bauhaus}}'s ''Bela Lugosi’s Dead''; Music/{{The Sisters of Mercy}}'s ''First and Last and Always''; Music/{{The Cure|Band}}'s ''Pornography''; Music/{{Fields of the Nephilim}}'s ''Dawnrazor''; Music/{{Christian Death}}'s ''Only Theatre of Pain''; Music/{{Siouxsie and the Banshees}}'s ''Juju''; Music/{{The Damned}}'s ''Phantasmagoria''; Music/{{Specimen}}'s ''Batastrophe''; Music/{{Xmal Deutschland}}'s ''Fetisch''.[[/note]]]]

* [[Music/LordsOfTheNewChurch Lords of the New Church]] (had members of The Damned)

* Music/TheDamned - Helped pave the way with a theatrical vampire lead singer and the name of the band itself. Mixed gothic stylings with Hard Rock and then later became a full-on Goth Rock band themselves.

Common musical features of the genre include [[LeadBassist melodies carried by the bass guitar]], with the electric guitar taking a secondary role, sparse and minimalistic beats,[[note]]Commonly created by drum machines, if not a real drummer.[[/note]] effects-laden scything guitar patterns with [[EchoingAcoustics lots of reverb]], and (often) use of synthesizers. The most common vocal styles tend to be [[PerishingAltRockVoice gloomy]] [[CreepyMonotone monotones]] (as exemplified by Ian Curtis, Rozz Williams, and Peter Murphy), [[BadassBaritone deep, droning baritones]] (as exemplified by Andrew Eldritch, Carl [=McCoy=], and Nick Cave), or a more flamboyant, glam rock-inspired style (as exemplified by Ian Astbury, Robert Smith, and Siouxsie Sioux).[[note]]The occasional [[CarefulWithThatAxe spine-chilling shriek]] is not uncommon either.[[/note]]

* Music/{{Suicide}} - Known for minimalistic song arrangements that consisted of electronic droning and a single, repeated drum beat and also Alan Vega's gloomy (and sometimes [[CarefulWithThatAxe terrifying]]) rockabilly-styled vocal delivery. [[https://youtu.be/8_dXp0eF8s0 "Frankie Teardrop"]] is probably the best example of their work. It's also worth noting that they were an influence for Joy Division, and also on Bruce Springsteen for ''Nebraska''.

Common musical features of the genre include [[LeadBassist melodies carried by the bass guitar]], with the electric guitar taking a secondary role, sparse and minimalistic beats,[[note]]Commonly created by drum machines, if not a real drummer.[[/note]] effects-laden scything guitar patterns with [[EchoingAcoustics lots of reverb]], and (often) use of synthesizers. The most common vocal styles tend to be [[PerishingAltRockVoice gloomy]] [[CreepyMonotone monotones]] (as exemplified by Ian Curtis, Rozz Williams, and Peter Murphy), [[BadassBaritone deep, droning baritones]] (as exemplified by Andrew Eldritch, Carl [=McCoy=], and Nick Cave), or a more flamboyant, glam rock-inspired style (as exemplified by Billy Duffy, Robert Smith, and Siouxsie Sioux).[[note]]The occasional [[CarefulWithThatAxe spine-chilling shriek]] is not uncommon either.[[/note]]

Common musical features of the genre include [[LeadBassist melodies carried by the bass guitar]], with the electric guitar taking a secondary role, sparse and minimalistic beats,[[note]]Commonly created by drum machines, if not a real drummer.[[/note]] effects-laden scything guitar patterns with [[EchoingAcoustics lots of reverb]], and (often) use of synthesizers. The most common vocal styles tend to be [[PerishingAltRockVoice gloomy]] [[CreepyMonotone monotones]] (as exemplified by Ian Curtis, Rozz Williams, and Peter Murphy),[[BadassBaritone deep, droning baritones]] (as exemplified by Andrew Eldritch, Carl [=McCoy=], and Nick Cave), or a more flamboyant, glam rock-inspired style (as exemplified by Billy Duffy, Robert Smith, and Siouxsie Sioux).[[note]]The occasional [[CarefulWithThatAxe spine-chilling shriek]] is not uncommon either.[[/note]]

Common musical features of the genre include [[LeadBassist melodies carried by the bass guitar]], with the electric guitar taking a secondary role, sparse and minimalistic beats,[[note]]Commonly created by drum machines, if not a real drummer.[[/note]] effects-laden scything guitar patterns with [[EchoingAcoustics lots of reverb]], and (often) use of synthesizers. The most common vocal styles tend to be [[PerishingAltRockVoice gloomy]] [[CreepyMonotone monotones]] or [[BadassBaritone deep, droning baritones.]][[note]]The occasional [[CarefulWithThatAxe spine-chilling shriek]] is not uncommon either.[[/note]]

Goth Rock or Gothic Rock emerged in [[UsefulNotes/{{GreatBritain}} the UK]] in the [[TheSeventies late 1970s]] as an {{evol|vingTrope}}ution of PostPunk, with its essential features [[TropeCodifier codified]] by bands such as Music/SiouxsieAndTheBanshees, Music/JoyDivision, Music/{{Bauhaus}} and Music/{{The Cure|Band}}. What differentiates Goth from Post-Punk is a more theatrical style (and arguably more GlamRock influence) and (most of the time) more elaborate songs with more frequent use of electronics. The theatrical style, with its connotations of artificiality, resulted in a situation where most of the bands closely identified with Goth vehemently denied being Goth bands, notably Music/{{The Cure|Band}} and Music/TheSistersOfMercy. Goth has four subgenres which are Deathrock,[[note]] which is characterized by a much greater punk influence and a more theatrical presentation that often takes heavy influence from BMovie {{horror}} and '50s kitsch, occasionally overlapping with {{psychobilly|Genre}}.[[/note]] DarkWave, Cold Wave, and Ethereal Wave.

[[caption-width-right:350:''[[https://youtu.be/mZ_tR2tZI3I "Some wear leather, some wear lace / Some wear makeup on their face"]]''[[note]]Clockwise from upper left: Music/{{Bauhaus}}'s ''Bela Lugosi’s Dead''; Music/{{The Sisters of Mercy}}'s ''First and Last and Always''; Music/{{The Cure}}'s ''Pornography''; Music/{{Fields of the Nephilim}}'s ''Dawnrazor''; Music/{{Christian Death}}'s ''Only Theatre of Pain''; Music/{{Siouxsie and the Banshees}}'s ''Juju''; Music/{{The Damned}}'s ''Phantasmagoria''; Music/{{Specimen}}'s ''Batastrophe''; Music/{{Xmal Deutschland}}'s ''Fetisch''.[[/note]]]]

Goth Rock or Gothic Rock emerged in [[UsefulNotes/{{GreatBritain}} the UK]] in the [[TheSeventies late 1970s]] as an {{evol|vingTrope}}ution of PostPunk, with its essential features [[TropeCodifier codified]] by bands such as Music/SiouxsieAndTheBanshees, Music/JoyDivision, Music/{{Bauhaus}} and Music/TheCure. What differentiates Goth from Post-Punk is a more theatrical style (and arguably more GlamRock influence) and (most of the time) more elaborate songs with more frequent use of electronics. The theatrical style, with its connotations of artificiality, resulted in a situation where most of the bands closely identified with Goth vehemently denied being Goth bands, notably Music/TheCure and Music/TheSistersOfMercy. Goth has four subgenres which are Deathrock,[[note]] which is characterized by a much greater punk influence and a more theatrical presentation that often takes heavy influence from BMovie {{horror}} and '50s kitsch, occasionally overlapping with {{psychobilly|Genre}}.[[/note]] DarkWave, Cold Wave, and Ethereal Wave.

* Music/TheCure - Their first album was something akin to Pop Punk or early {{New Wave|Music}}, but the three albums following it grew progressively towards Goth Rock. ''Seventeen Seconds'' began the trend as a pure Post-Punk album, ''Faith'' followed it with strong Joy Division influences, and the third in the "trilogy" ''Pornography,'' was pure Goth Rock. After ''Pornography,'' they moved more towards {{New Wave|Music}} for many years (and most of the rest of their career), with a few exceptions such as the theatrical second wave goth of ''Disintegration.'' They never fully abandoned Goth; each of their post ''Pornography'' albums contain a few Goth Rock songs or pop songs with some Goth Rock textures.

* AlternativeRock: It's usually considered a subgenre of this, and some Goth Rock artists (Music/TheCure, Music/SiouxsieAndTheBanshees, Music/LoveAndRockets, and Music/TheSistersOfMercy) were pretty popular on CollegeRadio back in TheEighties.

* NobodyLovesTheBassist: Usually averted -- the bass is often quite important to the overall atmosphere of the genre, and bassists like [[Music/TheCure Simon Gallup,]] [[Music/SiouxsieAndTheBanshees Steve Severin,]] and [[Music/{{Bauhaus}} David]] [[Music/LoveAndRockets J]] are both well known by fans of the genre and highly regarded.

** ''Music/SeventeenSeconds'' (1980)
** ''Music/{{Disintegration}}'' (1989)

+ {{New Wave|Music}}, sometimes also PsychedelicRock, ProgressiveRock, Surf Music, KrautRock and HeavyMetal.

[[folder:Second Wave Goth Rock and Batcave]]

Some Batcave and second-wave goth rock tracks:

Some third-wave goth tracks: