Tuesday, May 22 is World Goth Day, opens a new window, a time to take pleasure (or pain) in all things dark: music, movies, clothes. Sometimes people don't get it: why dress in black, listen to depressing music, and spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about coffins? However, to anyone who's of this nature, it's a desirable state of being-- it just feels right. And, of course, some of the best music ever created is goth.
Alice Cooper
My love for musician Alice Cooper, opens a new window knows no bounds. Yes, I will go down to Universal Studios to run around in a 3D Alice Cooper horror house! Is Wayne's World a classic, partly because it features Alice Cooper discussing the origins of "Milwaukee" after singing about feeding Frankenstein? Yes! Does the opening of "Under My Wheels", opens a new window send shivers down my spine? You bet!
Golden Age of Goth
Alice Cooper, the master of macabre, theatrical concerts, heavy black eye make up, and black humor is considered a proto-goth musician, inspiring classic goth rock acts like Siouxsie and the Banshees, opens a new window, Joy Division, opens a new window, the Birthday Party, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, opens a new window, This Mortal Coil, Bauhaus, opens a new window, The Cure, opens a new window, Einstürzende Neubauten, opens a new window, the Sisters of Mercy, opens a new window, Throbbing Gristle, opens a new window, the Damned, opens a new window, and countless others.
80's Pop
And who says goths can't have fun? Lots of goth music is perfect for the dance floor--and many 1980s pop acts (Echo and the Bunnymen, opens a new window, Modern English, opens a new window, the Human League, opens a new window) have darker goth elements to their music.
Goth Music Recommendations
Here are some recommended goth artists to listen to. Also, many more classic goth albums are available on our streaming service Hoopla.
What is your favorite goth song or band? Tell us in the comments below.
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