gothic rock
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AI overview
Gothic rock is a style of music that emerged from post-punk and alternative rock, characterized by dark, moody atmospheres and theatrical elements. It became an influential subgenre that shaped the aesthetic and sound of alternative music in the 1980s and beyond.
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Key facts
- Other names
- Goth rock goth positive punk
- Stylistic origins
- Post-punk glam rock
- Cultural origins
- Late 1970s, England
- Derivative forms
- Ethereal wave cold wave dream pop
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
Gothic rock (also known as goth rock or simply goth) is a subgenre of rock music which grew out of British post-punk in the late 1970s. The genre draws from gothic literature, nihilism, dark romanticism, poetry and tragedy. The style evolved through early post-punk bands such as Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, Bauhaus, and the Cure, who shifted their music toward darker gothic overtones through an emphasis on minor chords, reverb, dark arrangements, and melancholic melodies.
In 1981, Sounds writer Steve Keaton published an article on "punk gothique", a term coined by UK Decay frontman Steve Abbott to describe their music. By 1983, the NME briefly used "positive punk" to describe a music scene associated with a London club known as the Batcave, which included artists such as Alien Sex Fiend, Specimen, UK Decay, Sex Gang Children, Rubella Ballet and Southern Death Cult. The British press later opted for the term "goth" to define the subculture and style of music, which was further developed by the arrival of the Sisters of Mercy. Followed by, Flesh for Lulu, Play Dead, Rubella Ballet, Gene Loves Jezebel, Blood and Roses, and Ausgang.