Q&A for How to Know the Difference Between Emo and Goth

At the end of the day, it’s your identity. Try having a respectful conversation with your parents to talk through your differences, so you can explain why you enjoy wearing dark clothing and makeup.

You can definitely incorporate fashionable elements of both subcultures into your outfits.

Try to talk with them and work out a compromise. While they might not want you to make permanent alterations to your hair, you might be able to strike a balance on which emo clothes you can wear.

If you’re under 18, you have to respect your parents’ wishes about any permanent alterations you’d like to make to your hair or body. However, if adopting an emo fashion style is important to you, it might be worth discussing with your parents.

There are several bands named in the article, however, if you wish to listen to more goth artists then check out some second wave goth artists like The Merry Thoughts, Solemn Novena, Frank The Baptist, Nosferatu, etc. If you want to listen to some emo artists, check out bands like Braid, Sunny Day Real Estate, Indian Summer, Texas is the Reason and if you're wanting something more modern then try The Hotelier, Joyce Manor, and Modern Baseball.

Don't dress it, focus on the music on either scene first. Learn about and study both subcultures, then start developing yourself into each sub-genre of each music genre. Your parents don't have to know. Make sure to avoid all negative stereotyping of either subculture.

It's mainly due to the mainstream not understanding that goth isn't synonymous with "darkness". Other shock rock/nu metal/alternative metal bands were also labelled as "goth", most notably Evanescence, Korn, and Slipknot. Every decade, there seems to be a new crop of bands or musicians who are incorrectly labelled - "goth" is a buzzword to the mainstream media as every time a celebrity wears black, they claim "goth is back!" despite it never going away.

60's psych rock isn't very close to gothic rock at all, at least not in terms of rock music (obviously it's closer than, say, smooth jazz). But there's nothing stopping a goth from listening to gothic rock AND 60's psychedelic rock, and psychobilly combines elements of both.

Goths listen to gothic rock (and today, many originals of the goth scene think that clothing isn't important at all as long as you listen to the music), and emos listen to emo music. If you don't listen to either of these specifically, you're just a bassist with great fashion sense.

If you mean rock & roll as it's usually meant today (rather than just rock) - Elvis, Buddy Holly, etc - then, depending on the clothing, that sounds like a rockabilly who happens to like Victorian literature. If your clothing is more punk inspired then that's not really a subculture, you're just someone who wears alternative fashion and likes rock & roll and Sherlock Holmes. But no subculture can encompass any member's entire taste.

Not at all (and many emo songs aren't depressing, despite the subgenre's reputation). Emo is pop punk influenced by hardcore, with emotive lyrics; these days a lot of emo has "twinkly" rather than distorted guitars. Other depressing songs belong to different genres: Evanescence is symphonic metal; Arvo Part's Cantus In Memory of Benjamin Britten is minimalist classical; Nine Inch Nails' Hurt is industrial rock (and Johnny Cash's cover is country), etc.

It might be down to the 'e' subculture being influenced by the late emo pop scene in the beginning of the 10s. Alternative fashion in general is shared among these groups, so you can't tell just by looking at someone what, if any, group they're part of. It's also possible that people who aren't into any subcultures themselves can't tell the difference, so they often mislabel others not realising the damage, if any, or confusion it's creating.

Usually down to stereotypes. When it comes to goth, many people create visions in their head of figures in black who are stereotypically gloomy or unhappy. A lot of people are intimidated or scared of things they're uncertain of or don't understand, which creates negative reactions against you and others. Being a "bad kid" could be one of these.

If you're mainly into metal music and you like to discover bands of that similar sound, you're a metalhead.

Neither, their music is alternative metal and hard rock. Their band just uses dark imagery.

Don't join. Don't change yourself in order to become part of a group - they'll never be your real friends.

You can be focused on what you like. However, the simplest definition of a goth is someone who listens to goth music, so if you don't listen to goth music, you may not be a goth. However, you don't necessarily need to call yourself one. There's other options like alternative and darkly inclined.

You can be part of two subcultures at the same time, but they still stay their separate things. There's no "emo goth" subculture, for example.

Emo pop is edgy and intense, this article is based on original emo, Midwest, even modern emo like Snowing and Mom Jeans and screamo. Emo fashion isn't dark, it's just sweaters, Converse, horn rimmed glasses and messenger bags.