Goth: A Brief History of a Brooding Subculture
I’m sure you’ve seen someone walking down the street, dressed in all black, and thought to yourself: oh that's a goth person if I’ve ever seen one.
And hey! You might be right! But, there is only one true way to determine if that black-haired girl or that eyeliner-wearing guy are actually goth – the music that they listen to.
Because, goth is first and foremost a music-based subculture.
While the term “gothic” has been around since the Roman Empire, the goth genre of music is still relatively new in terms of music history. Emerging from post-punk in the late 1970s in the United Kingdom, goth music can be loosely described as “a less aggressive but a more extravagant offshoot” of its predecessor. The usage of the term “goth” to describe music was first coined by the band manager of Joy Division, Anthony H. William, in reference to the band’s sound as compared to the mainstream. Joy Division, a band with limited history due to the early demise of its lead singer Ian Curtis, is said to have pioneered the goth sound. The genre then began to take hold in the early 1980s with bands such as Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and The Cure following in Joy Division’s footsteps.
Goth music itself has a very distinct sound, with lyrical themes leaning towards the melancholy and dark of life. Sonically, goth falls under the genre of rock with an emphasis on “heavy baselines” and “atmospheric keyboards.” In my opinion, Joy Division’s “Decades” from their album Closer (1980) is the epitome of this description. The song opens with a slow, rhythmic baseline followed almost immediately by a haunting synthesizer riff that feels as though it belongs in a New Age gothic cathedral. The lyrics of the song follow a similar brooding aesthetic:
We knocked on the door of Hell’s darker chamber,
Pushed to the limit, we drag ourselves in.
and
Portrayal of the trauma and degeneration,
The sorrows we suffered and never were free.
While Joy Division did pioneer the goth genre, setting a distinct sound for the bands to follow, not every goth song requires lyrics that match its haunting (and quite frankly sometimes depressing) sonic feel. The Cure’s “” keeps the steady baseline and synthesizer we’ve come to know and love from goth music, but it adds a more energized drum beat to accompany lyrics about the joys of being in love. For example:
Whenever I’m alone with you,
You make me feel like I am home again.
The goth genre was definitely at its peak in the 1980s in the U.K. However, that doesn’t mean that the only goth music worth listening to comes from that era. Goth music continues to flourish in the 21st century with bands such as Drab Majesty, Soft Kill, and Male Tears. The genre has also pushed its reach past the U.K., with bands like She Past Away, a Turkish band with a sound very similar to that of Joy Division.
In regards to the people that make up the goth subculture, there are many many varieties of goth. The most well known is the “trad goth,” y’know the ones—with the white cream face paint, extravagant eyeliner, and spiky black hair (think Robert Smith and Siouxsie Sue). Then there’s the “romantic goth,” who can be seen wearing a mix of black and deep reds, typically in velvet or lace fabrics, and usually paired with a corset. Another option is the “mall goth” who tend to have brightly colored hair and pair their fishnet tops with black baggy (or skinny) jeans. A “baby bat” is the goth subculture’s term for those who are just starting to dip their toes into the genre (I’ve been goth since 2016 and I still consider myself a “baby bat”). These four are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all of the different styles of goth. Not every goth loves bats, or wears all black, or has pristine eyeliner skills, but they are all united by a shared love for the music. And that is what matters.
If you’re thinking of becoming a “baby bat” yourself, below are a few songs to welcome you to the lovely, spooky, and haunting world of goth: