Before My Chemical Romance: How Emo Became Emo

[@TrashTheory]

So what do you think? Where did you come into the Emo story and what do you feel I've missed? EMO SPOTIFY PLAYLIST is available free via my patreon: patreon.com/trashtheory Also Official Trash Theory playlist - Spotify: tinyurl.com/yxp32pjf Deezer: tinyurl.com/y2mdp8h2

[@bibbyboxx2219]

So happy you rightfully mentioned Forever Got Shorter as Braid’s best song.

[@6AM_YT]

Samiam

[@Genny-Zee]

I’m sure Finn McKenty would love this

[@joelonergan1757]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/l4PRooVqbbqDis0

[@joelonergan1757]

Or.... kzbin.info/www/bejne/pHeVkGyjarScetU

[@Lo0519]

Although this comment will most likely be lost, I would like to say thank you. This video popped up in my recommended and I didn't expect my dad to be in it! Gared O'Donnell was my father and he put his heart and soul into his music, he was a very loving person who would always find time to play the music that he loved!

[@cornkobmansanto17]

I just made a similar quote! PMSF is definitely a favorite. I lived them through high school and was lucky enough to see them live around 03-04. My condolences.

[@kingofshitters]

Hate the fact that Gared is gone as PMFS is one of my favorite bands starting with the original Deep Elm release but up until Prey which is a killer album. I saw them years back when they did a doubleheader after Thursday in Pittsburgh and played to maybe 20 people with terrible sound quality through the first like 3 songs...

[@jodino6953]

He’s my dad too!

[@BiscuitGeoff]

Planes ripped. I saw them three times and every one was amazing.

[@bonniejamie]

Your Dad's music brought me a lot of comfort as a teenager. Real life changing stuff that lives with me til today. Bless him and bless you.

[@GCHR1991]

"every generation was a teenager once" thats freaking beautiful

[@Realasadonut]

You should get out more

[@Culled]

Wish more people would remember that

[@Culled]

@@Realasadonutinsulting random comments on a video on the history of emo proves how outside you are 😂

[@NathanShepard]

Agreed. Very on point.

[@minnesotafats6662]

Not really, you’re just 14

[@JMD501]

I am constantly impressed by the amount of work and the depth of research that you do. I always find new bands to check out when you do these genre videos, thanks.

[@nachovichoZX]

Trash Theory is the GOAT of the large collection of music history documenters.

[@meatpuppet1312]

there almost hasn't been single video on this channel that didn't make me add at least one song to my spotify favorities

[@natalierojas7388]

Their recent paramore video was so detailed and it had better research than mainstream media outlets I love this channel !

[@alk34eva1]

Right?? So enjoyable.

[@danteshollowedgrounds]

Forrealz

[@joshcowdrey7894]

This is an absolutely gorgeous history of emo as a genre. I would love to see a part 2 of this - emo from it’s “mall punk” era to the revival era to now!

[@Rufio629]

I agree I would LOVE to see Marietta be talked about.

[@ryed8118]

I love the new generation for keeping it alive. There may be hope for this world yet. 🌍🌎🌏

[@scotthallgv]

Its such a tease every time a clip starts playing a song, and I start to sing along, only to be left singing all alone.

[@RaverHates]

you should turn that into a song/poem. It sounds great!

[@scotthallgv]

@@RaverHates I think I already did ;)

[@RaverHates]

@@scotthallgv nice! more please

[@ambert.3792]

this is a very emo comment. its perfect.

[@hewhoisnamed9050]

- by fall out boy

[@HTNPSullivan]

I'm 68 years old. I stumbled across MCR three years ago when my narcissist ex finally left after 11 years to go suck the life and joy out of another unsuspecting soul. I came across "I don't love you," and must have listened to it a hundred times in the first couple of months after he left. My ex was so much like the character created in that song. I texted him about a year after he left to say that it's painful enough when someone stops loving you, but so much more wounding to wake up to the fact that he never actually loved me at all the entire 11 years we were together. Needed me, yes. Loved me? He cannot love anyone. His reply would make good lyrics for a song like "I don't love you." He wrote, "While my feelings for you are different now, they still run deep." I just laughed. So my dears, you can be my age and feel "emo" about giving 11 years of your life to Mr. Wrong. And you can learn from it, and build a new life. And discover some great music. And right before their reunion (and a freakin pandemic).

[@chase152]

Yea, you definitely don't have to be a teenager to relate. It's a worn out cliche but it's true that this type of music -whatever you wanna call it- isn't just a phase

[@elizabthharris6741]

Yeah I did that with a covert narcissist for 18 years. The only relationship I ever had. Usually I just had f*CK buddies. But he convinced me and the first 10 I was on heroin so....lol I had an excuse for my stupidity. It was just a trauma bond after that. Took me 5 years to finally get him off my tit. Frickin child that he was! But anyhow, I understand. Frank was a literal child that made my screwed up, cptsd having, people pleasing ass feel needed and necessary. It has been 6 years and I plan to be single forever.

[@matheusreuter9600]

Good music is good music, I like a lot of things from older bands, like Guns n roses, Aerosmith, bon Jovi, Metallica, Nirvana, Ozzy, Skid Row... so nice to know you liked MCR, they're great, music is timeless in my opinion

[@NiquitaoPhilharmonic]

that mf didn't deserve u

[@cheyennepetersen3417]

@@chase152 Now that I'm entering a new stage of adulthood I'm realizing how much I still relate to the music I listened to as a teenager and college student. There are definitely embarrassing ones that I don't need to revisit but it was surprisingly comfortable to return to

[@TransgenderSisyphus]

As someone who's been diving into emo music, and culture over the last year this is already the best video I've seen covering emos history.

[@austintrousdale2397]

Not surprised. Mr. Trash Theory is part journalist, part historian, part detective, and all rock music fan.

[@saneneweyes6189]

I agree! At the time this is the most comprehensive video I've seen, covering all of the key essential points from pre-revolution summer all the way to 2000s mall hot topic / zumies emo. It would have been easy to overlook the likes of appleseed cast, cap'n'jazz, etc but he managed to squeeze them in. For that I applaud him. Kudos.

[@143jcm]

@ghost mall What is your problem?

[@mikebrowne4289]

As someone who lived most of this video from the late 90s, there is a long journey but a lot of great music through the years.

[@Leonisdarko]

@@143jcm They were allowed to have Internet access

[@skeletonsystem]

God I wish someone would make Spotify playlists of your video subjects. I'm always so interested in hearing the full songs you're putting out. Even in genres and times I wouldn't normally hear. Would love it after watching your videos. FAVOURITE CHANNEL ON KZbin.

[@chloefourte3413]

YES! you should make them!

[@jaoblia]

I'm pretty sure he has playlists as a Patreon perk

[@ZingaGuitars]

he posted it on his patreon for free :)

[@baxoutthebox5682]

They have their own free Spotify playlists pinned

[@heartsburstintofire5]

Clarity by Jimmy Eat World is nothing short of a classic, Lord knows how much it helped me through my high school years.

[@lil_astrid_adderal]

more like lord snows

[@NinjaTylerBlack]

i just saw jimmy eat world live for the first time a few months ago at riot fest when they played the middle it was unreal how big of a hit that song is. Ive seen blink live who you could argue is a significantly bigger band. it was nothing compared to reaction that song got and the ammount of crowd surfing

[@bartocorleone]

Goodbye sky harbor is everything

[@bartocorleone]

To have read in “sellout” how clarity was recorded makes me like it even more

[@ZettsSlayer]

clarity the goat

[@emojack]

As a long time "Emo" in my late 30s it is really satisfying to see something more than bad jokes and insults towards emo but a very well researched documentation about the history of emo music.

[@happyzombiikitti]

Brought tears into my eyes seeing Emo get the respect it deservesz

[@JennRighter]

Oh man, I'm such an old head and I always used to cringe about what we used to call emo back in the day versus what people came to know as emo. I got over that a long time ago and stopped trying to explain it. I'm so glad to see a video that explains the origins of it, though. I also don't have any hatred toward what is now considered emo music. I took my baby sister to the 2005 Warped Tour for her 17th birthday; I was 24. I saw MCR there and it was PHENOMENAL. My sister got me into a lot of bands that I wouldn't have found on my own, and at that time they were mostly "emo" bands. I loved them and I still do. I have never been embarrassed to like whatever music I like. All of that said, I remember hearing and using "emo" to describe bands throughout the 90's, and those bands were almost NOTHING like MCR.

[@Nono-hk3is]

Same here. I've been confused for years between what I knew as emo in the 90s (a very loose understanding) and what is called emo since then. Good video.

[@amandamacabre]

I agree and this is why I like the distinction of "emo pop" vs "emo" - like pop punk vs punk

[@brutaljustin1349]

I think early MCR, FOB, and Paramore albums have enough elements to qualify as emo, definitely MCR's Bullets album. Now the "emo" rappers like Lil Peep and Juice Wrld, ehhhhhhh.....

[@B4CKWARDS_CH4RM]

Don't worry, since emo stopped being pop music the newer generations have revived what emo used to mean. Finally we're playing DIY venues, hanging out, playing mixed bills with hardcore and punk bands, and enjoying emo music again. You just don't hear about it as much because it isn't that same pop style that was popular.

[@johnindigo5477]

@lucas also xxxtentacions album 17. There's a few straight acoustic songs on there. My favorite was depression and obsession. Hellboy and crybaby were built around 90s and 2000s samples. Hotel rooms and skyscrapers samples deathcab, hellboy samples underoath, beamer boy samples the microphones. I forgot what star shopping was but it's another post hardcore band. I actually got into emo and hardcore through videos of lil peep samples and thier bands. Those two mixtapes were tapestries.

[@walwin]

I remember when I first got into emo in 2005, I wrote in an emo forum about how much I was loving the genre and spoke about all the bands I was feeling like FOB and Dashboard etc and instantly I was jumped on by all the elder emo gatekeepers who were like 'that's not real emo' and told me to listen to Sunny Day Real Estate etc and I remember HATING it. I was like - this sounds NOTHING like the stuff I like. Years later and the early emo vibe has totally come back around to today's music and I absolutely love it. Weird how your tastes change and grow. This was a great and well put together documentary. Well done mate

[@CRT.v]

It still blows my mind how many people were parroting the "Dashboard Confessional isn't real emo" line--to the point where younger emos don't even know them (him? a lot of my favorite songs are the band-less ones). Dashboard Confessional was quintessential emo, in my opinion, raw and emotional and personal.

[@qwerty28432]

But fob isn't really emo...

[@johnathansteil8186]

@@qwerty28432 Fall out boy back before they got on the radio toured with pop punk/emo bands. I saw a show they were added onto with TheStart and Keepsake(fearless records).

[@JK-gm6kk]

Ugh dude shut up! Their show at lost horizon got canceled cause of covid

[@amstreater]

I feel the same way about MCR 😂 I had moved on by the time they hit the scene and I totally missed that whole phenomenon. I don’t get it but I also didn’t live through it. I started with Dashboard, Jimmy, Thursday, Taking Back Sunday and others around that time. I did become aware of Sunny Day and other older bands but missed their heyday.

[@ケイリakaケモイ]

It's so telling of the genre that even after watching this 70 minute video I still don't know what emo is.

[@jonnyvelocity]

It's emo.

[@matthewking7571]

I've been looking for what emo is for like 2 weeks, even what an emo person is. There really isn't an answer

[@yeyoandrew1987]

"everything is emo"

[@alfsmith4936]

From what I can work out, It's looking like Green Day and acting like you want to die.

[@maraphernalia]

honestly, emo is just a vibe. and it's hard to verbalize it.

[@naught_.]

I feel like the reason emo was so misunderstood as a genre was because of how it coincided with the popularity of other rock subgenres like grunge and pop punk, and how little it really distinguished itself from such subgenres. Yes, emo has its origins in punk music and focuses on more confessional, melancholic lyricism... but so did grunge, if you break it down. It certainly didn't help matters that grunge hit the aether first, Kurt Cobain of Nirvana cited Rites of Spring's first album as a huge influence, and Sunny Day Real Estate came straight from Seattle while fusing elements of post-hardcore, grunge and a bleeding heart to make Diary. And of course, that album had to be released the same year as Dookie, Smash and a plethora of other pop punk albums as well, which brought punk to the mainstream to the point where emo bands started emulating the poppy formula established by those respective bands. So not only were second and third-wave emo bands a chimera-like hybrid of Emotional Hardcore and poppy-grunge-punk, but virtually any band that even remotely sounded like one of those hybrids were lumped into the genre like an extra appendage glued to Frankenstein's body. And people wonder why so many purists jump from the bushes to tear apart anyone that says MCR is emo.

[@mannyprieres7150]

One band I was obsessed with was Sense Field. Their 1996 album Building is a masterpiece. Speaking of basement shows, The Promise Ring played at my art studio wearhouse in Miami, 1997. Those were the days. One more thing, I love that the videos are getting longer. Can't get enough gimme more!

[@Solenne3]

Yes, while I'm not an expert, when I think of emo I think of Sense Field. I used to listen to Building on repeat when I was in HS. I wonder how they would fit into the chapters outlined here.

[@marcusc6825]

Sense Field my number 1. Samiam 2. Two missing from the video storyline.

[@evanfelch7689]

I am just happy that that you mentioned Cursive and Tim Kasher, he and his works have had a huge impact on my life.

[@jeffmiller6025]

Quick corrections: Screamo (and “screamy emo”) was being used in the mid90s to differentiate bands like Moss Icon, Indian Summer, Lincoln, and Iconoclast (NJ-particularly influential on the metaly-emo of the later 90s and early00s) and bands they’d influenced, like Navio Forge, Still Life, Portraits of Past, etc., from what was happening in the Mid West (“melodic emo”). Honestly, I think the lacuna of Ebullition Records and it’s massive influence is a missed opportunity. And I think missing mentioning “metaly emo” bands like The Assistant and Catharsis or “emoviolence” bands like In/Humanity and Orchid-let alone Refused!-also loses track of huge influences on not only how we got MCR, but the ongoing developments of emo bands. I think it’s also vital to mention that all of these different kinds of emo bands were sharing basements with one another and all kinds of other punk/hardcore bands (as they still do) all over the place. Additionally, the hardcore / punk kids with acoustic guitars playing shows with all the other bands thing dates back to at least the mid90s. I saw it constantly, and I think I first saw it starting in ‘92 or ‘93.

[@chaosaintme9067]

By NJ do you mean the new jersey emo scene? Also is interesting you say screamo was being used in the mid 90 because pretty much every single interview i remember seeing/reading with a screamo band, they say they never heard it until early 2000's, they say that nobody called it that back then, they just called it hardcore but the editor of Punk Planet said he heard the term in the 90's being used to label bands like john henry west and others.

[@jeffmiller6025]

@@chaosaintme9067 Yeah, there’s a few different Iconoclasts around, but I’m referring the one from New Jersey that put out a few 7”s on Ebullition and Old Glory in the early 90s, and who had a huge influence on the developments of the screamo, metaly emo, and emo-violence end of things in the 90s. And the PP editor is right. I think it first popped up in California, in the scene that included all of the Ebullition, Gravity, etc. bands, like John Henry West (and everything else Sarah Kirch ever touched). But I was hearing it in my little enclave in West Virginia by 94-95. I was in a band in 95-96 that took a lot of influence from Falling Forward (Chris Higdon’s band before Elliott) and were listening to all of the Gravity and Ebullition stuff, and we referred to ourselves on flyers as “screamo.” I think it’s fair to say that we understood is as describing the sounds of the kinds of hardcore we were interested in. I’ve generally been of the school of thought that doesn’t see punk / hardcore has having anything to do with aesthetics per se, but more to do with the ethos and dynamic cultural lineages that flow out of the early 80s.

[@chaosaintme9067]

@@jeffmiller6025 Thanks for sharing a bit of your life in these comments. I found it pretty interesting. I was always in doubt as to when did that term came around since several screamo bands said they never heard the term until the 2000's (maybe they did, but just did like being associated withe term so they lied, idk) But it was cool getting your input. But i guess as far as origin of ther term, tehre isn't one like there is for emo or emocore i guess

[@jeffmiller6025]

@@chaosaintme9067 I think there was some discomfort with the term, just like with “emo” and “emocore.” The constant differentiating of hardcore / punk into all of these different sub branches has always been a bit weird; like a bizarre and unnecessary marketing ploy. It’s one thing to try to describe what your band sounds like, and quite another to try to build walls rooted in aesthetic differences. I mean, as I noted in my original post here, all of these aesthetically different kinds of bands were playing basements together all over the world. I was in bands that toured North America throughout the 90s and 00s and I don’t think I ever played a show where there wasn’t at least one kid with an acoustic guitar and/or one band with keyboards and so on-let alone all of the variations of distorted guitar driven whatevers. All of my bands were “emo” of one sort or another, but we never played a show within a strictly “emo scene” per se. The bills were always beautifully aesthetically mixed, which, to me, is part of the whole point of hardcore: creative freedom within the contexts of supportive communities. And yeah, I think the origin of “screamo” is a bit more amorphous. I suspect a few people in a few different places were talking about “screamy emo,” caught the dad-pun of shoving them together into “screamo,” and we’ve been living with it ever since.

[@brianmayabella5992]

Emo in 90s is under the radar to music scene. 90s at the time is like a Rennaisance of music. It was in 2000 that began Emo Rising. Finch, Fenix Tx, Jimmy eat, the used, starting line and many more. Though i have to admit MCR is where emo at its peak and gain recognition

[@void0094]

When Hüsker Dü started to write songs about personal problems in the early to mid 80s it seemed to be strange when considering most other hardcore bands were focused on politics. I think that played an important role in the development of emo.

[@SW-fn7cl]

That's a great point 👍

[@dylantodd9574]

long live Bob Mould.

[@ammagnolia]

Who???

[@girlcalledheaven]

@@ammagnolia i guess you forgot to watch the video?

[@benamisai-kham5892]

I feel like their song "what going on?" is a pretty good indicator, it's a bit of a dissociation song in my ears, especially dissociation feeling is the dissonant guitars on standing by the sea.

[@harveyradius]

Glad Jawbreaker is getting more recognition nowadays. They played and continue to play such an important part for so many of us in the underground.

[@wezcurrie4040]

Dear you is a perfect album.

[@Woozy.0]

Jawbreaker is music for abusive boyfriends lol

[@elderyear]

@@Woozy.0 Well, at least someone loled at your comment 🤷

[@TheYoziel]

blake one of the best lyricist on the planet

[@InkAndPoet]

But it's also not hard to see why they failed on a major label. I have a theory that they wrote Dear You with the intention of telling their already existing fans "we're still the same band you love. Nothing's changed." But those fans didn't care because they saw them as hypocrites (they said for years they would never go major and they did). And the reason for doing that could be because they KNEW the backlash was inevitable. And because of that, the MTV "normies" couldn't get behind them and they floundered as a result.

[@MonkDave666]

Great video! From 1997 to 2003 I was the co-creator of a large UK fanzine called Fracture. We were literally in the eye of the Deep Elm era storm! Some of the UK bands we covered like Sunfactor and Spy Vs Spy actually ended up on those Emo Diaries compilations. The label owner John Szuch was a good guy, always paying for advertising with us and sending us albums for review. I remember being completely blown away by Appleseed Cast's "Mare Vitalis" when it came out (still a classic). In 2003 I also put out a record on my record label Newest Industry by a band called The Enablers that had Dan Bonebrake from Dashboard Confessional on bass. in September 2003 I had VIP access to the back stage area of a Dashboard Confessional / Brand New / MxPx show at the Universal Amphitheater in LA. The bar was free. I drank cocktails, got smashed, told Chris Carrabba to go fuck himself, then got kicked out by security. Not my finest hour lol.

[@waxl121]

Watching this I completely forgot how incredible The Appleseed Cast was. Super underrated band. Thanks for the hours of research to put this together!

[@youthofyesterdayrecords]

Low Level Owl is crazy amazing. Two Conversations makes me lose my shit as well.

[@saneneweyes6189]

Such a great band. I really hope they tour with SDRE again when they pick the reunion tour back up. I was supposed to see them in portland this week but the show was postponed >_

[@ForeverGotShorter]

Hell yeah.

[@bartocorleone]

Mare vitalis and end of ring wars are formative for me

[@GamiGreen]

Fight Song is just incredible

[@nokiae51yangu]

Your channel is the shit, I've never seen anyone cover rock this passionately (I'm Kenyan & we appreciate this documentation, i just wish there were people covering our local scene at the time, too bad I was too young, broke & i didnt know I was living in a moment in history)

[@robg6501]

Not sure if it was like due to time restrictions, but I was surprised to not seeing a deeper dive into "screamo". You know, bands like Orchid, Portraits of Past, pageninetynine, Joshua Fit For Battle, etc. Great video, discovered a few new interesting bands for watching it.

[@emiliogallardo6370]

Same, I was a little disappointed but I can't complain because I feel like screamo(skramz if you're so inclined) is a beast of its own and deserves a separate video.

[@youthofyesterdayrecords]

Stay Inside and Dreamwell are bands to watch out for in this genre. And Gatherers are amazing as well, but also have a big Deftones vibe going. So many amazing bands coming out to react to how insane our world is becoming.

[@saneneweyes6189]

@rob g yeah I see what you're saying but that would have derailed the entire video cause that really runs parallel. I mean going from gravity records late 80s stuff like heroin and Antioch Arrow to mid 90s stuff like pg.99. To do that genre justice, would have added another 45 minutes to the video and would have to go back and forth between genres. It wouldn't have been fair to either genre as they developed in tandem but in different bubbles

[@kvltizt]

Funeral Diner, Circle Takes The Square, Saetia 🥹

[@MrMmnngghh]

@@kvltizt "As The Roots Undo" is my favourite screamo / skramz / whatever album of all time.

[@schlenderman1589]

*THIS* is the video on emo I've been waiting to see on YT for far too long. Thank you so much, your work cannot be understated!

[@mold_wizard]

This is a truly monumental review of emo for all the new and old fans of the genre. Hands down the most straightforward and to the point video on the topic. With examples even. I've been following the channel for some time, the form in which information is presented is just remarkable. I've waited for you to touch on my most beloved music tag, it being so broad and complex, and I am so pleased to see you've put out such a great job

[@mattbatmattcat]

I came in sceptical, as a (now grown up) emo kid who used to obsess over this music. I was thinking "I bet they won't mention such and such a band" but you've really done your research and nailed it. Good job!

[@Zargon314]

Great as always Trash Theory! The song "Unsatisfied" by The Replacements is pretty influential to the sound as well, one of their best tracks by far.

[@smoshbooz]

Yes a beautiful song that is

[@katrinanemchik9300]

I found The Replacements, my current favorite band, by working backwards from Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance and their influences. Very happy to see all three featured, plus hometown darlings The Juliana Theory

[@elderyear]

I was surprised Unsatisfied wasn’t one of the featured clips from The Replacements.

[@jvasey]

Exactly, I’ve always thought Unsatisfied was the foundation emo was built on. Every MCR, JimmyEatWorld etc vocal performance sounds like a homage to Westerberg’s

[@matthewmcintosh5612]

Gotta say I was expecting this to start where mid-'90s bands started co-opting the emo tag (where many under 40 believe emo began), but kudos for doing your research. Rites of Spring, Embrace, Husker Du, Dag Nasty; these were the progenitors for certain. Well done, sir.

[@scotthallgv]

I grew up in that era (80's onward), in the DC/MD/VA area where emo started, and not everyone hated the term or idea of emo. It was something that was embraced by the kids and bands in the scene who were looking for something more substantive than the "screaming for change" that we all grew up on in the scene. Sure some people thought it was a dumb name or idea, but it got under peoples skin in a hurry and really cemented pretty quickly into a really strong and tightknit scene. It was a bit of an awakening honestly for kids like myself who were in bands, in school chorus or played classical music and had a backround in things with more melody and more depth but who also loved hardcore and punk. Finding a way in which those two seemingly divergent worlds could come together was a watershed moment to be sure and it lead to a lot of great bands and music. **EDIT** If I had to put a finer point on it, the people who didnt like the title emo-core or emo from my recollection were the older punks and hardcore guys/girls who had been in that scene a bit longer and by that time were really trying to get away from the labels and associations with the hardcore punk scene. Hardcore and punk basically died in the mid to late 80s and I remember people being sick of all the baggage and how they didnt want another label, so while there were some folks who didnt like it, the younger kids and the ones who werent so...grumpy and jaded, took to it pretty quickly. The only time I can think of people actively starting to hate on the idea of it or the term itself was when MTV literally ran a piece about ATDI and used it when talking about them because that was kind of the beginning of the whole mall punk/Hot Topic era and most of the people who had been around a while kinda hated that aspect and commercialization of the scene as it blew up. It also got conflated with these kids who were goth and started "claiming" emo and didnt really know anything about it. Then memes happened and well it was all downhill from there.

[@DEFKONSIXTYSIXlml]

It lead to kids competing to see who cut themselves more frequently, the scene glorified tantrums and attention seeking and ultimately MCR became the cringuest representation of a really subpar weak and watered down musical brainwashing.. Instead of glorifying your victimhood of a stale period in music maybe learn to understand why your generation ruined the proper evolution of quality music

[@justwentfullchuu2]

@@DEFKONSIXTYSIXlml dude it's just pop music. Calm down.

[@ComradeJae]

@@DEFKONSIXTYSIXlml touch grass

[@Eclecticompany]

I know little to nothing about emo, apart from discovering albums from bands like SDRE, Jawbreaker, and Jimmy Eat World, mostly in retrospect, and didn't make any associations between them. Nirvana - indie - folk has been my musical evolution. I'm curious whether SDRE or Jawbreaker were ever considered emo while they were active. I associate Jawbreaker more with Green Day, and (proto) pop-punk, and prefer the second pink lp by SDRE, whose lyrics I'm not sure make any sense!

[@DEFKONSIXTYSIXlml]

@@justwentfullchuu2 it's just garbage and it affects society and culture. Fuck calming down!

[@damesoumbi]

11:54 funny because jeremy enigk was like the only emo singer of that era who COULD actually sing and in fact he’s one of the best singers of the 90s

[@scotttill3847]

His solo work has been pretty great too.

[@retromingency]

Saw SDRE a few months ago, Jeremy said he JUST got his voice back after losing it; he nailed that show though

[@damesoumbi]

@@retromingency i saw them too. he was incredible

[@dahliafiend]

Jonah Matranga of Far could sing as good as anyone.

[@yesterdaydream]

@@dahliafiend I was just singing some onelinedrawing last night!

[@xThePinkApple]

this is EXACTLY the video i was looking for a couple of years ago!! luckily i found a couple reddit posts that went over much of the same history and read Nothing Feels Good, etc. but this video is a very good intro and overview imo (and easier to take in since you give so many musical examples that obviously a book or a reddit post can't do)

[@Tigerbythetoe]

Thanks for this! These bands were my favorite bands of that time and in many ways still are. I loved punk and hardcore and skateboarding and it all was ours. The emo music back then still had so much mixture of angst and melody it was like a natural progression. Like minor threats morph into fugazi and Bold with their hardcore history changing final album running like thieves. When people today talk of EMO as lame, whiny music they don’t know about emo’s roots in hardcore music. I was especially surprised and psyched to hear a band like Lifetime mentioned since they were, I thought, a largely unknown band from my native new jersey. I met and hung with them way back in the day, played a show with them. I was forever impressed with their musicianship, creativity and passion. They were, to me, the embodiment of what emo was back then. Tough, tight, melodic, and lyrically and vocally complex. So much of the music we loved back then was played on small stages in unpopular clubs, with most of the fans being straight edge so the venues knew they’d make little money from alcohol sales lol.

[@garrettlison4992]

Well, time to listen to Transatlanticism until I cry. This video took me back to some good times, some great times, and some rough times. Thanks for this!

[@the1heart]

Heads Up! Ben Gibbard is pulling double duty next year with a 20 year anniversary tour playing Postal Service's Give Up and Death Cab's Transatlanticism and early ticket sales start on Wednesday if you sign up

[@cblattner1]

@@the1heart There is no stop in Chicago. I'm super bummed about it. I went to Columbus to see the postal service when they did the 10 year tour and it was great. I would love to see Transatlanticism live.

[@baxoutthebox5682]

@@the1heartit was indeed amazing

[@detourne]

This has got to be one of your best videos ever. You did a really great job of teasing bands, then talking about them at length later on. Really kept me hooked throughout the whole thing.

[@Raitor33]

It’d be great if you made a video on the history of post-rock. Lots of fascinating bands to cover.

[@Raitor33]

@ghost mall incredebly fascinating

[@hardgainer7396]

Thats actually a great idea

[@ninialintu]

I second this!

[@smurfquake]

So many great bands of the genre. Especially when you dig into it like I Hear Sirens, Long Distance Calling (personal favorite) and Don't Mess With Texas (who are from Croatia)

[@Raitor33]

@@smurfquake Didn't know about these, I'm checking them out. Thank you!!

[@islab2458]

I didn't think a video on the history of emo would make me emotional, but I shoulda known better. I was a teenager in the late 2000s-early 2010s, so I feel like I was right in the middle of what people would conventionally call the "emo scene;" I had a smorgasbord of bands and polished, established sounds to choose from. Seeing this, where it all came from, where it started, how it developed, and to learn I actually *still* listen to mostly emo music but in a totally different form. . . it really brought me full circle in a very unexpected and beautiful way. I guess I was always be an emo kid, and it really was never phase. This music was and is home for me. Thank you so much for this. Incredible work as usual.

[@MrBogantilla540]

What an incredibly thorough video. When I was cutting my teeth musically in the local hardcore/emo scene, I came into the bands you mentioned towards the end of your video, like Modern Baseball, Into It/Over It, and TWIABPAIANLATD, and was of course aware of the pop-emo of the early 2000s that dominated my middle school iPod, but I am looking forward to diving into the older bands mentioned here to really get an idea of how the sound evolved. Thanks for the great (as always) video! Somehow, it always seems to come back to Fugazi.

[@keithwaynejones]

such a good video! this is the best anyone has ever described emo. a lot of ppl misunderstand what emo but this perfectly encapsulates it

[@happyzombiikitti]

The last minutes of this sent CHILLS down my spine. Emo has been there for me as a teenager, as a young adult and now approaching my 30’s. It really is a genre of music that EXPANDS and everyone I know back in the day, knows at least 1 MCR song. Im glad emo resurgence is back 🖤👍🏽

[@simonnovak]

Hell ya. From getting made fun of in school for tight pants, band t's and being a sad boy, in the mid 00's to seeing the huge revival of this culture is fucking unreal and I love and hate it. Hate it because of ticket prices.

[@roachmorphine8018]

Personally I just saw "emo" bands as post-punk, screamo and pop punk. What's the real difference, honestly?

[@TheRedneck883]

The medley from 1:02:52 on made me have to pause as the waves of high school nostalgia and memories associated with every one of those songs absolutely tried to crush me

[@floatingdisembodiedhead8975]

​@@roachmorphine8018probably the aesthetics and fashion, I guess. But yeah it's hard to pinpoint the difference through music.

[@RonPrice-sf2nz]

I watched this while working today. Very well done. I played in a band amidst the late 90's emo scene called Epstein. We were on the Emo Diaries Chapter Three actually with some other good bands back then. We met some great bands in the late 90's, played some fun shows and while never able to crack any charts; would not take back a day of it. The scene to me (us) was different back then. My collection of "emo" CD's and music faded away in the early 2000's. Not taking anything away from any new wave acts, but my go-to's always seem to go back to 2000 and before. Many of those albums talked about in the video put me right back in time; its pretty amazing. Not mentioned in the video was Jejune (out of Boston). I think Epstein may have actually played their last show with them at a college in northern Baltimore MD. Anyway, thanks again!

[@drennansmith595]

That's the power of nostalgia! Your favorite bands are whatever you were listening to when you grew up; even new groups with a similar sound are not as good because you are attaching all of these *feelings* to the stuff from before.

[@draxgoodall3685]

I am loving the spotlight on all the early emo that so many younger (35 and younger) seem to overlook/not recognize.

[@Squ34kus]

I started listening to those bands thanks to a random youtube video around 2012 xd

[@lightfusegetaway]

Didn't discover Appleseed Cast until 2006 (Peregrine) but they're probably a standout among all the whininess that was to follow.

[@draxgoodall3685]

@lightfusegetaway I got to see them and sunny day this year at Furnace Fest and they are on tour together (the dallas date got pushed to next year) and im beyond excited.

[@lightfusegetaway]

@@draxgoodall3685 Awesome! Bet that was a great show.

[@che3rub]

it’s so interesting to hear the snippets of each song. you can hear after every snippet emo becoming more like the sound we know today. the decades long development of emo is so fascinating to hear.

[@BrickSomething]

Appreciate your research. Born in ‘76, and so much of this was my coming of age. Some less known stuff that helped define and refine things… Still Life, Antioch Arrow, Evergreen, and “heavier” stuff that I feel transitioned our scenes…Downcast, etc. But you hovered there with awesome pulls Moss Icon, Policy of Three, and Indian Summer. Living in Goleta, CA (Santa Barbara) from 94-98 was a good time musically.

[@johnathansteil8186]

This video made me feel old, but from 1998 on I experienced lots of these bands in their infancy. Saw Alkaline Trio at a church basement with MeWitoutYou opening. Saw Cusive right after they got back together Saw Appleseed cast so many times in Lawrence, KS. Get up kids used to hang out in a van in the parking lot at Beaumont Club. Some of these bands slept on the floor of my apartment or my parents basement. Great timeline and video.

[@rizkiesanugraha7015]

Thank you for giving us the video of the year. So much new refferences, the one that not reach Asia until today. Whether you are a teen, or 30's something with 2 sons like me, you will always need something to scream out of your chest. Emo is a personality.

[@Funnylittleman]

What I call “midwestern mall emo” was big when I was in high school. In ten years when it becomes retro and they start making movies about 2005, everyone will be emo just like how kids in Stranger Things wears dad jeans and metal t shirts lol.

[@zackakai5173]

Ten years? It's already here.

[@DanJackson1977]

People still wear metal shirts. Did... you not know this?

[@BeartoeConCarne]

Omg i remember snowing!

[@Jcage22]

dashboard confessional has held a huge part of my life since 2003. love Chris. i even have the Live MTV DVD at the beginning of the video.

[@yashsolanki589]

Really hope this blows up. Emo got me into alternative music with American Football and Sunny Day.

[@MostlyCloudy]

Thank you SO MUCH for bringing Rites of Spring into my life. I have a whole list of bands to check out from this video alone, but Rites of Spring is so amazing. Too bad there isn't more from them.

[@BloodPepsi]

Excellent work! Minor quibble that you overlooked a lot of the San Diego / Gravity records (Heroin, Antioch Arrow, Clickitat Ikatowi, Swing Kids, etc) and Ebullition records stuff of the early to mid-90s; all tied in with HeartattaCk, MRR, (and yeah, later even Punk Planet) and so many smaller zines like them from that time and expansive networked scene. Impressed at the mentions of Policy of 3, Moss Icon, and Indian Summer, which were all part of that world and a lot further into the weeds than most essays in this stuff tend to go. (A nod to the influence of early Rye Coalition, Native Nod, Merel, Frail, etc… along with labels like Troubleman and Gern Blandsten would have floored me had they been included in the Lifetime / NJ segment). But I get it, every band links you to a dozen other bands and labels and a dozen from each of those - holding any kind of focus with a daunting task like this is impressive in itself. Also understandable that a lot of bands associated with ones you mentioned, all by varying degrees, spread out into the larger frame of 90s punk/hardcore, and you can’t and shouldn’t include everything if you’re threading together an identifiable progression-timeline of a nebulous sub-cultural aesthetic, so please take this comment with a grain of salt from a nostalgic middle aged geek. Like I said, excellent work and much more in depth than so many other casual attempts at essentially encapsulating 40 years intentionally obscure culture

[@joshuafrahm8778]

Really makes me miss the late 90's/early 00's when I was a teen/early 20's. I still love a lot of these bands, as well as some of the revival bands.

[@IdoSchacham]

What a wonderful documentary. Emo or not emo, music is music, and some wonderful music has been recorded under this genre. I only wish I've heard of it as a teenager in the 90s, since this could've been the soundtrack to my life. I'm in my 40s now possibly going through a divorce, so better later than never to hear the saddest songs. Thanks for this and all the wonderful videos that you make

[@lukehoran6460]

Thank you so much for this! Incredibly well done in production and in research. A genre filled with a rich history of great underrated bands. Finally bringing these bands to more people and not having to find an Emo Elder at your local music store!

[@lancemiller7658]

Thank you for this one! I was and forever will be a Midwest Emo kid (though I'm 40 now!) That wave of music was happening when I was in middle and high school in middle America, Braid even sang about my hometown on Frame and Canvas- "Slow as Rapid City..." My record collection (especially my 7'"s) is stuffed full of so many bands from this mid to late 90's era and it really helped shape the younger me. Hell, I even lost my virginity with Texas is the Reason playing in the background.

[@lancemiller7658]

@ghost mall ?

[@charlie.drowned]

Honestly blown away by how well-researched and on the nose this was. Incredibly well done.

[@ampersand2001]

You've outdone yourself again...I grew up in all of this, and you've hit every single important band along the way. I'm so very impressed by your research and the overall quality of all you do. Thank you so, so much for shining a light on this important yet (IMHO) misunderstood genre.

[@johnytwotimes4072]

Ok at 7:50 got me😮 I didn't think anyone remembered "Far" ! Saw them open for Deftones in 97 and I bought their EP and liked it but this is probably the first time in 20+ years I've heard or seen them mentioned. I love this channel so much❤

[@Memfys]

Another excellent documentary. Your video are simply on another level. Thanks! My emo story: I listened a lot to Welcome to the Black Parade and I saw the emo term thrown around. Not knowing exactly what it meant, I googled it. Jimmy Eat World was the first band to pop up. Needless to say, it was and instant love that has followed me to this day. Saw them again earlier this year and they still rocked. One of the best gigs I've been to. Sadly, I missed the reunited My Chem because of other commitment.

[@gemin.r.j]

But mcr was never emo, all of their albums sound different, even their looks are different for every album.

[@Leonisdarko]

I strongly encourage you to see them live if they tour again. It was amazing after having never seen them live before

[@Memfys]

@@gemin.r.j I know, I love My Chem. I've argued that myself many times. Although to be totally honest, Three Cheers is a little bit emo...😀

[@Memfys]

​@@Leonisdarko I have seen Gerard with his solo stuff but have had no luck so far with the whole band. They don't come here very often. This time, I even had tickets but had to pass to be the best man for my friend. No regrets, just bad timing.

[@gemin.r.j]

@@Memfys revenge is a savage punk/rock album, with a little bit of hardcore but nothing on MCR is emo. You've been influenced by the media, to made you believe that. Besides emo has no sound at all, you can listen to tango and recognize it, you can listen to reggae as well, etc etc but emo... It has no sound, it's just fashion. The old music that used to be called emo was just punk music with introspective lyrics, that's why those bands found it stupid, it's a stupid idea. Pop can be introspective, rock can be introspective.... That's why the concept of emo makes no sense. Even green day or twenty one pilots are called emo, wtf.

[@mrgalaxia12]

It is incredible to see how each video improves, this is an incredible document to understand the history of a genre so difficult to explain, with so many stories and contexts. Outstanding job!

[@bobasquid3339]

Jawbox is incredibly underrated. Or at least much more deserving. Amazing band.

[@Shoeg4zer]

The first Burning Airlines album is great too.

[@pavelmakarov3565]

I'm firmly standing on the point that "for your own special sweetheart" is the best album from so-called post-hc in 90s, even though it can be considered heresy

[@flamingoflame]

I honestly can't believe you've pulled this off. It was so hard to find half of this music back in the 90s, you'd have to have that special relationship with the record shop guy who knew you'd eat up the latest Deep Elm record in order to really hear any of this in the UK. Hats off for covering every inch of every corner that genuinely had an impact on what was considered 'emo', literally decades of amazing music before it became that stereotypical sound people think of today

[@rossseed1451]

Earthtone9. This band were my gateway into music with this degree of deeper feeling, particularly 'walking day', from the ArcTanGent album. More screamo/harcore etc, but these guys were fantastic live, and though obscure, they're criminally neglected; I would really appreciate it if you gave them a listen. Thank you so much for this great documentary, too, and for all your work telling the stories behind so many great sounds! All the best to ye!

[@ariescustom]

Their first three albums were immense. My mate designed the art for their later stuff, but I was less keen on that.

[@davequiquegg]

My first gig was Earthtone 9 at Yeovil Ski Lodge in like 2000/2001. They were supported by LostProphets of all bands. A lot of bands rode that wake of Earthtone 9 like Biffy, Hundred Reasons, HEll is for Heroes, FFAF etc.

[@ecmc1072]

*applause* Love the Mats & Descendants representation... been telling mom they're Emo for years lol. The whole 90s hardcore is something I've skipped besides a few, but you've shown me I should really go back and get a better look. Super sad that my two favs weren't mentioned (alexisonfire & saosin) but they're massively overlooked, always have been. Thank you for that Brand New callout, specifically. And thank you for everything. What an excellent video.

[@jonnykanesantos]

I hope this video turns people on to Empire! Empire! and the like. I watch Trash Theory so much but this video was all stuff I knew already, which is usually not the case. It felt cool to see someone put all this effort into showing off this kinda music, a kind that means so much to me. No, "Is this emo? Is that emo?" just a great little history on all the bands close to the word. Very cool. Thank you! You didn't have to go this hard but you did! Hour and seven minutes! incredible

[@gamerx07gaming28]

I searched for an emo documentary over the summer and couldn't find anything good, just a couple short essays that weren't very good. And now here you are, with this amazing history of the genre that was really spot on at the parts I did know and really easy to follow for the parts I didn't yet. So thank you, for making such an incredible video on this. I hope it motivates others to listen to more 80s and 90s emo because that shit actually goes so fucking hard! Anyway, great video, might start listening to emo primarily again, I've been on a punk and metal kick for a few months and I could really use the words of some kids that felt like I do now

[@johngayer7136]

Thank you so much for another incredibly well researched, well produced and well presented music education video. Again you deliver, entertaining, educational and inclusive content. Thank you for making my continuing music education both rich and rewarding. You are genuinely laying out the music genre cannon. Good work!

[@sh4tteredpanda]

Thankyou for making this video. It’s an excellent look at the Genre and gave me so many memories. Thanks also for not shying away from the controversies around certain singers in bands and I agree that it should change your opinion indefinitely. I’d love a post hardcore look back too.

[@aheadachewithpictures]

i have been HOPING FOR THIS ONE!!!!!!!! prayed for just midwest emo but ill more than happily take the healthy chunk :)

[@Ohyouknowit]

Taking Back Sunday and Brand New will forever and always be on my Spotify next up and played often. The lyrics, melodies, passion, angst. Beautiful art

[@fibbthehuman]

I really appreciate how you covered Taking Back Sunday and Brand New. I had always felt that Brand New had a toxic grip on emo, and how TBS often gets shot down by more elitist emo fans. I always thought Tell All Your Friends was the best diss album i've ever heard, and exposed a lot problems with Lacey.

[@trevorfreeman9239]

Love the way this video covers Lacey. I got into the scene on the TBS side, and when everything came out about Lacey, it was like "Wow, yeah that tracks."

[@madisonj7421]

I'm so glad to see this comment - I've loved TBS for years and never understood why brand new were the more beloved band when it was so clear how disgusting a lot of the lyrics were. It's even worse how people try to defend him now, it makes me sick

[@naught_.]

@@madisonj7421 Probably because from an artistic standpoint, TBS were basically the Nickelback of emo while Brand New's evolution was akin to Radiohead shifting from second-rate grunge to first-class "artsy" rock. Anyway, despite everything Brand New achieved musically, it's a shame that TBS will most likely go down in history as the better band, all because Jesse just had to succumb to his inner devil raging inside him. In a perfect world, Jesse would've never done those vile acts and Brand New would be way more popular than TBS, MCR and FOB. My condolences to everyone who was ever taken advantage of by a person like him.

[@TheInsaniacGuy]

@@trevorfreeman9239 News is 5 years old at this point (not to degrade the seriousness of the allegations), and many let their biases cloud their view(s) when making an "artistic" opinion on their catalog. Which is fair given what took place. And I really like TBS. But even though some of the lyrics are intertwined with the real actions, speaking from a purely objective standpoint, Lacey dogwalked Adam & Josh lyrically, albeit immaturely (Tommy Gun), and BN's penmanship is still top caliber material - which is why it's had such an impact. Ultimately though, it's an old feud, and both bands are solid, so 🤷‍♂️

[@fibbthehuman]

@@naught_. I feel like you didn't have to throw shade at TBS like that. You literally commented to someone else who liked TBS, and decided to call them the "nickleback" of emo. Artistic standpoint my ass. Music is subjective, and debatable. This is the exact stuff me and the person you replied to were talking about. You are the elitist emo fan. Forever bemoaning the loss of what you considered peak emo, while you lambast anything else for daring to be popular or more well liked then the thing that you enjoy. The guy sucked. He made bad lyrics that showed that he sucked, and even if his music was influential to many emo bands, i'm glad he's going to be remembered for being the person he was. And if you think TBS is the "nickleback" of emo, then more for people who like them then👍

[@q_p-q_p]

This channel is a freaking goldmine. I pause every couple of minutes to look up a band or artist I don’t know. This video is going to take me 7 years to finish.

[@kristalcampbell3650]

So many bands I loved that I haven't listened to in ages. Braid, cursive, Thursday,piebald were all fabulous 👌🏾. I need to go back for a relisten 😍. Thanks for this 💛

[@MichaelStrick9]

Diary is one of my top 10 favorite albums of all time. William Goldsmith is one of the best drummers in any vein of rock. He has a unique way of intertwining the drums as an integral part of the storytelling of a song, rather than just a driving beat. As a teenager living in the moment when that album broke, and not caring about what sub sub sub genre it was supposed to be called, I never understood how it got confused with what would become the "emo" of the 2000's. I never thought the 2000's bands sounded anything like SDRE.

[@ForeverGotShorter]

The first 50 minutes of this video serve as a great primer on Emocore and Midwest Emo, but it's really just scratching the surface. There's the San Diego sound and Swing Kids' own take on emo, which popularized the bowl cut and got the genre branded as "spock rock" for a while. Heroin and Native Nod's role alongside Indian Summer and Policy of Three in furthering Emo and Screamo. J Robbins' enormous influence in shaping the sound as part of the DC scene, with Jawbox and as a producer. There's Fire Party, the first all-female Emo band. The dark pop punk of Samiam and Knapsack. There's The Van Pelt first bringing Indie rock sensibilities to the genre (as an aside, it was The Van Pelt/Native Nod's Chris Leo who came up with the name Texas is the Reason). There's Penfold and Recess Theory perfecting the mix between quiet-loud dynamics and twinkly guitar play. There's Time Spent Driving taking emo to new atmospheric heights while remaining very much a band that played earnest songs about romance, fatherhood and friendship. There's Rival Schools and Hot Water Music, leading a pack of bands equal parts heavy and melodic while featuring Jawbreaker-style whiskey soaked vocals. And, of course, there are "Revival" bands, more diverse in sound and people than the bands that have come before. Aside from the likes of Empire! Empire! and the Hotelier, there's Football, Etc; Dowsing; Kittyhawk... way too many to mention.

[@sonikku956]

It might be controversial, but I'd also include emo rap into the equation as well, both the first wave which was still leaning a little more into cloud rap's influences but had plenty of emo kids from the 2000s, and the new wave which is essentially emo pop but with 808s for drums and occasionally live instrumentation sprinkled out (as well as live bands), with either very melodic rapping or outright singing.

[@NuclearSad]

Meme's aside, as a 30 year old who spent the last 20 years of my life in hardcore venues and basements seeing bands, who holds hardcore and the surrounding culture incredibly preciously as a huge defining part of my identity - you KILLED this. This is REALLY well done, this will be mandatory viewing for kids learning whats what in the future.

[@bartocorleone]

[edit] now is in sync!! :) The fact that you featured julien baker’s jawbreaker cover tells me that the video was going to be amazing… I just loved it! 25% of my cd collection is emo… I pretty much have all the albums featured here :P

[@adrianr.9685]

I’ve watched this video twice in one day, I’ve suggested it to my mother and my two very best friends. Job well done. I am so glad you made this and I’m extremely impressed with how accurate it is to history.

[@gardenboydon]

You really put a lot of work into this one TT! You've done an amazing journalistic job! Loved it 🙏

[@Atsinganoi]

I’ve been enjoying your videos for a good while now, but going out of your way to bring up Brand New and the allegations against its front-man, and making the link between them and the lyrics, was absolutely necessary and very much appreciated. It would’ve been easier to ignore or gloss over, but you didn’t. Respect.

[@InfallibleGoose]

I am blown away at the amount of research that was done for this video. As a fan of later emo bands Thursday, thrice and mcr I had no idea it could be traced back all the way to '81. I AM AN IMMEDIATE SUBSCRIBER TO YOUR CHANNEL. Bravo.

[@Zeerokool]

Never noticed before but the old footage of these band recordings really immerse you into that time.

[@chris_troiano]

Excellent as always, such a broad narrative of so many sub-scenes, written and delivered so tightly and dense with details. Coming from my own narrow expertise, I’m especially glad for the accurate way Death Cab were covered here, how they sort of backed into this genre from a completely different background. When Transatlanticism came out, someone anonymously dropped into the Barsuk message board complaining they had become “super pop and GAY,” a descriptor fans enthusiastically co-opted. Since I guess I am kind of a Harvey Danger channel, I ought to add that Sean Nelson would joke that Harvey Danger “invented emo” with Problems and Bigger Ones. There is no case to be made here, with Sunny Day Real Estate down the street already broken up and back together. Still, as Weezer contemporaries with a strong Smiths influence who helped bring Death Cab on the scene, there are a few places I could squeeze them in.

[@brutaljustin1349]

I wish this would be the first video that would appear if someone were to search "emo" on KZbin. Great video.

[@TheOrangization]

I'm in awe of the work you put into this. Thank you for that. To whoever may read this, I'd recommend checking out The Van Pelt's second album, Sultans of sentiment. One of the finest emo albums ever, imo

[@christian7469]

Amazing video. The band that impacted me the most is Saves the Day. I know perhaps 80% of the bands mentioned, but never knew the history. Excellent, excellent video.

[@quintonholley5923]

It’d be pretty awesome to see a video on Hanoi Rocks’ influence on glam rock and hair metal, or something like that. I just think they deserve to be recognized.

[@Jusu03]

Every wave have their own thing. What I love about the genre, beside the raw energy and relatable introspective and sad lyrics, is that it always changes and evolves being influenced with new topics and sounds. I really want to know how the 6th wave of emo would sound like I can't wait. Thank you so much for doing this

[@connectedsolutionsgroup4684]

This video is awesome. TY so much for singling out The Juliana Theory, who I believe does not get recognized enough for their influence. I'd say Not nearly enough of a mention of Drive-Thru records and their impact, a passing nod to New Found Glory and The Starting Line is not enough. The merge between the traditional emo and true pop-punk was not covered here, as that as what really brought this music to the mainstream and MTV. Taking the emotive lyrics, removing the croon and instead putting them into high energy punk derivatives with earworm pop hooks.. that is what took emo from a scene to a movement which is what allowed MCR to do what they did.

[@truckloadjenkins5950]

Should have extended it with a part two so Vagrant Records could've been covered completely and give the shout to Jawbreaker for planting the seed and The Get Up Kids for kickstarting it.

[@sarahpoole2795]

Dude this was SO FUCKING GOOD. i rediscovered multiple bands and songs I haven't been able to place for fucking years. I'd love to see a video on the next gen of emo that came after this but GOD DAMN THIS WAS SOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODDD. THANK YOU 😊

[@joeydlc]

I lived through almost all of these bands and I’m incredibly impressed by your work. Much love. this was a great trip down memory lane. Cheers!

[@redxracing90]

Been a fan of Saves the Day for quite some time and finally saw them perform live this year. Such an amazing show. They played "Stay What You Are" in its entirety. Such a great band.

[@Driver8takeabreak]

It's just Chris Conley at this point. He's burned through so many band members.

[@redxracing90]

@@Driver8takeabreak he's been with his current line up for quite some time. They've stuck with him, even with all the shit that happened with Chris, so I consider them as much of Saves the Day, as the OG members. Those are true homies.

[@Driver8takeabreak]

@@redxracing90 My interest in the group waned after Stay What You Are. To each his own.

[@redxracing90]

@@Driver8takeabreak I feel you. Stay What You Are is the last good Saves the Day album. It's "Cant Slow Down," "Through Being Cool," "Ups and Downs: Early Recordings and B-Sides," and "Stay What You Are" on repeat for me.

[@bluenomadbruh]

Man im jealous. Thats the one album i own.

[@bigc181]

This video is incredible. The level of research. The recommendations I've picked up from this video are numerous. It's just very interesting and extensive. Incredible video

[@amstreater]

This really captures the breadth of emo. My best friend was into Dashboard and Bright Eyes and I was more into Thursday and other acts on the hardcore end. But we both loved Saves The Day, Jimmy Eat World, Death Cab and Get Up Kids - curiously I feel these bands nail that balance of sweet, catchy vocals, heart wrenching lyrics and intense instrumentation. Now in my mid-30s I still listen to much of this music myself, and I’ve recently started learning drums. Reflecting on this time in my teens, I’m struck by how many of my favourite bands, albums and tracks were heavily drum-based or had very complex and prominent percussion. This no doubt planted a seed in wanting to play the instrument myself one day.

[@Dd94949]

This is ridiculously thorough. Wow.

[@greglane334]

You just reminded me how much I love Planes Mistaken For Stars. RIP Gared

[@flipflopperson4493]

Thanks for including Far. Nobody I know has ever heard of them but Water and Solutions is a masterpiece.

[@bibbyboxx2219]

Such a great album.

[@netminder831]

The TITR and Lifetime footage from the Unitarian Church in Philly…My band Gameface was on that bill as well. Best show I ever played in my life!!

[@RafikiandCo]

One of the best music docs I've ever seen! I love how deep are your findings, the way you explain the style, and create the aura of the time. Really outstanding, like the NoClip of music documentaries

[@alisonjane7068]

"job's eyes" is a great needle drop from an episode of buffy that no one ever seems to talk about. as a tween, i was so struck by it, and it's a song that i'm still really into to this day.

[@richnothnagel]

That Buffy clip of the hyena kids walking to Far got me to check out the band and was key into getting me into rock outside top 40 MTV stuff