Top Tem Emo Singles
I have chosen only singles to make life easier. I have given myself no limit with regard to time periods as emo has been around forever and was only given a name about 20 years ago.
To me emo has always been about the presenting of a certain type of lyric on a classic musical canvas.
Anyway a ‘proper’ emo list would just be Keane, Athlete and Belle and Sebastien and I hate 2 of them.
Anyway, in no order -
The Drug’s Don’t Work – The Verve
Creep – Radiohead
Seasons in the Sun – Terry Jacks
This is How it Feels – Inspiral Carpets
Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now – The Smiths
The Ceder Room – The Doves
Skinny Love – Bon Iver
Say Hello, Wave Goodbye – Soft Cell
Is There a Ghost – Band of Horses
Love Will Tear You Apart – Joy Division
Comments
You shut your whore mouth! B&S is not emo…they’re fuckin’ punk rock.
I back those songs very much. That’s a great playlist.
But being an old american with a slightly different frame of reference I consider emo the late 80’s DC or mid 90’s west coast post-hardcore stuff that first had the name over here. Rites of Spring, Soulside, Split Lip/Chamberlain, Christie Front Drive, Elliott, Still Life, Struggle, etc. Any song by those bands ranks on the list. I just hate that the term got applied to watered down pop punk.
I usually find any new term for a genre of music is prime example of the music press trying to fill print.
I first saw it in the N.M.E. and I am sure they made the term up so they could do an article and fill a page. it was the same with Shoegazing……..now that may make an interesting list.
Hey Kev, is Lifetime an emo band? I’m interested in your perspective on this.
I don’t think I thought so back then, but in hindsight….yeah I’d lump them in with those other bands I listed.
“Calvary Song” and “Calm Americans” by Elliott
“Believe in what you want” by Jimmy Eat World
I don’t know too much Emo that I can tolerate, if you go by what Emo stands for nowadays… but these songs/bands were awesome emo bands (with J.E.W. still being awesome, but a lot less EMO today) when I was in high school.
The only two songs on your lists that I have heard, I happen to like a lot.
Are Rival Schools Emo? What about Placebo, they sure did whine a lot.