100+ Essential Emo Songs: The Hits That Define a Genre

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The ultimate emo playlist to cry, scream, and sing along to
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Do you want catchy music that captures all the raw emotions you’re feeling? Then it’s time to blast some of the biggest emo songs of all time! Whether you want to hear classics from the 90s or nostalgic 2000s hits , we’ve got the perfect suggestions of what to listen to next. Keep reading our list of our favorite emo songs that you can add to your playlists right now!

Classic Emo Songs to Listen To

Section 1 of 8:

Popular Emo Songs

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  1. Check out these emo essentials for a crash course on the genre. Emo music started in the 1980s with the band Rites of Spring, and the genre became popular in the alt scene because of the personal and relatable lyrics. Since then, the emo genre has only gotten bigger with each decade. These prominent emo songs are some of the best since the genre began, so they’re a great starting point. [1]
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Section 2 of 8:

Saddest Emo Songs

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  1. Emo songs are known for deep, personal lyrics that hit right in the feels. Emo artists use their music as a way to express sadness, frustration, anger, heartbreak, and all the emotions in between. Some songs use aggressive and cathartic guitars and drums, but others stick to acoustic guitars and piano for a more somber sound.
Section 3 of 8:

Best Emo Love Songs

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  1. Emo songs don’t just have to be sad or angry–they can also be romantic! A lot of emo artists have slower songs that talk about falling in love and being together with someone special. Whether you want a sweet song to send to your emo crush or just want to listen to the softer side of the genre, these songs are the perfect choices.
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Section 4 of 8:

Nostalgic 2000s Emo Songs

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  1. These 2000s songs that are right at home on your MySpace profile. The 2000s marked a big change for emo music. Stores like Hot Topic opened their doors, and concerts like Warped Tour showcased new emo bands around the country, so more people were able to find music in the genre. A majority of bands got their start in the 2000s and have only grown in popularity since then. [2]
Section 5 of 8:

Classic 90s Emo Songs

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  1. Check out these influential emo songs to see where the genre started. Even though emo music got its start in the Washington, D.C. area in the 80s, it grew more prominent in the 90s as bands experimented in the genre. These bands added their own twists to emo music that were popular at the time, like heavier punk elements, pop song structures, and grungy production. [3]
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Section 6 of 8:

Midwest Emo Songs

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  1. Midwest emo has rawer emotions with prettier instrumentals. Midwest emo is a subgenre of emo music that has a lyrical focus on being an outcast or stuck in a small town. Many Midwest emo bands use raw vocals that sound scratchy or out of tune, paired with twinkly or intricate guitar riffs. While bands don’t necessarily have to be from the Midwest to make Midwest emo, a lot of these bands got their start in places like Ohio, Minnesota, Illinois, or another central state. [4]
Section 7 of 8:

Screamo Songs

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  1. Screamo bands shout or yell their vocals to make them more emotional. When singing just isn’t enough to capture the emotions in the lyrics, some artists scream them at the top of their lungs. While it got its start in the early to mid-2000s, screamo really took off around the 2010s and became one of the most popular subgenres in the scene. Some bands started to lean more into metal and punk sounds, but many groups kept the original emo influence in their music.
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Section 8 of 8:

Emo Karaoke Songs

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  1. Sing along to these catchy emo songs that everyone knows. If you want to bring a little emo edge to your next karaoke night, there are tons of popular songs that can get everyone singing with you. Jam out to one of these emo radio classics, and it’s sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/emo-wave-guide-evolution-2302802
      2. ↑ https://wvau.org/blogs/emo-explained-its-origins-evolution-and-revival/
      3. ↑ https://wvau.org/blogs/emo-explained-its-origins-evolution-and-revival/
      4. ↑ https://veniceoarsman.com/15347/entertainment/the-misunderstood-beauty-of-midwest-emo/

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