80s Goth

The 80s subculture called Goth is hard to define and no one seems to really agree on any standard definition.   What everyone does seem to agree on is that 80s Goth grew out of the post punk movement, much like the New Romantics (New Wave) did.   When you ask for people’s top Goth bands some of the replies aren’t bands that you would think of as Gothic.

I loved a lot of Gothic music during the 80s and I went through a stage where I dressed as a goth, although I wasn’t as full on as some people I knew.   I was shocked when I saw an article a few years ago that listed a group I enjoyed listening to as a Goth group – I certainly wouldn’t have characterised them as Gothic back them, although now the idea has been planted I can see why they have earned the label.

Music of our youth is often seen this way when we look back and musical historians and writers of pop culture start to put their opinions out there, but let’s have a look at what we can find out about the origins of 80s Goth.

The idea of a gothic band began in 1979 when Joy Division were described as a band who’s music was, “dancing music with Gothic overtones.”   The same year the band were again described as Gothic and we were on the cusp of a new musical genre.

How much of the Goth influence was actually from the band and how much were due to their producer Martin Hannett is hard to know as Martin has been quoted as saying he tried to bring out Joy Division's "eerie spirituality" when working with them.

As punk died there were a lot of different bands trying to create their own brand of music, at the same time there was the use of synthesizers coming into music and bands were also experimenting with drum machines and the like.   These two different factors led to the rise of at least two different types of music genre – the New Romantics and 80s Goth.

With both of these musical genres the music and songs alone was only part of the story as these bands had grown up on television and wanted to create a whole image package to go with their music.

Although Joy Division was the first band that was described as Gothic, the first single that is generally considered to be the first Gothic record was by Bauhaus and was released, not in the 80s but actually in 1979.   We’re talking about their debut single and a classic 80s goth song – Bela Lugosi’s Dead.

To me you can clearly hear the punk influence in this song along with lots of glimpses into what 80s Gothic music will evolve into.   It’s really not one of my favourite songs, but it does have small sections that I really like in amongst the song when I listen to it in it’s entirety.

I can certainly see why (in parts) it’s considered the start of Goth music, but I really think that the 80s Goth music I remember does get a lot better – I’m open to hearing your thoughts in the comments though.

Around the same time as Bauhaus groups such as Siouxsie and the Banshees (who also had a punk background) and The Cure were developing what is thought of as a Goth sound.   Siouxsie and the Banshees fourth album Juju was said to establish them as a Gothic band as it encompassed the classic Gothic qualities both lyrically and sonically.

At some point in the 80s their did emerge two more definite Gothic subgenres – the Traditional Goth and the Romantic Goth both of whom are often referred to as 80s Goth.

The traditional Goth loved Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure and Sisters of Mercy whereas the romantic Goth enjoyed more of a brooding and ethereal brand of music that has it’s roots in folk music such as All About Eve – although they still enjoyed The Sisters of Mercy as well as The Cure they would also play atmospheric classical music from composers such as Bach or Wagner.

The other difference between the Traditional Goth and the Romantic Goth is their fashion.   The Traditional Goth still had a lot of their punk backgrounds with huge black hair and heavy make up combined with black clothes including studs and leather, piercings and the occasional piece of bondage gear worn as fashion.

The Romantic Goth was more into the sensual emotional side of Goth music and loved the use of flowing clothes, lace, velvet and would add touches of red or purple to their black clothes.   The use of graveyard images and roses in the Gothic genre can be attributed to the Romantic Goth.

A number of musical groups that were categorised as New Romantics started to incorporate elements of Goth in their music in particular Depeche Mode who I personally think were an awesome band.   It is often debated as to whether or not they were truly Goth or truly New Romantic – I think they straddled between the two and were mainstream enough to have hit records, but also incorporated just enough of the Gothic influence to capture teens who were rather put off by the ‘dark culture’ of the Goths, but liked the sounds.

You can find out more about different 80s Gothic Bands by clicking on the links below which will take you to either the band’s official site or their Wikipedia page.

I hope I've helped to explain 80s Goth to you a little, unfortunately like so many different genres of 80s music there are lots of overlapping occuring which does get confusing.   Just do what I do and lose yourself in the music and memories and don't worry about what type of Goth you're listening to or if it's really rock, pop or new romantic!

Gothic Birthday Cards
This collection of Gothic birthday cards covers just about every sub-genre of Goth there is and is an awesome place to get a card for a Gothic friend.

Unique Gothic Necklaces
This silver Gothic pendants make a great gift idea for any Goth you know. There are so many different ones to choose from the only problem is sticking to just one!

Gothic iPhone Cases
Even a Goth needs an iphone these days and these iphone cases add just the right amount of darkness to the phone so that no matter where you are you can still stay in touch!

Gothic iPad Cases
Stay connected with all the latest in Goth news with an ipad that's dressed to impress with one of these fabulous Gothic designed ipad cases.

Gothic Speakers
If you're looking for some portable speakers then you can't go past OrigAudio speakers for quality and if it's Goth music you're listening to then these Gothic designs are perfect for you.