Emo grew out of the Washington, D.C. area
Hardcore Punkscene, as former punk rockers looked for new forms of expression and formed bands like
Rites of Spring and
Embrace. The early Emo sound (also known as
Emocore) featured mid-tempo, rock based guitar with an occasional flourish riff, and punk vocals that were sung rather than yelled. The largely underground scene grew out of D.C.-based
Dischord Records and then quickly spread across the United States.
The 1990s ushered in a new wave of Emo bands. While retaining the genre's punk rock background, new elements were added. The quiet/loud dynamic became popular, as well as catchy riff based songs featuring octave chords, pop song structure, and cleaner vocals. Many consider
Sunny Day Real Estate's
Diary as the breakout Emo record, which went on the influence the rest of the scene – including bands like
Texas Is the Reason and
Mineral – and spawned
Midwest Emo later in the decade.
The 1990s also saw a number of other styles develop. Bands like
Braid,
Jawbreaker, and
Cap'n Jazz incorporated
Post-Hardcore into their music and made punkier music with harsher vocals and louder and faster riffing. The late 90s and early 2000s involved the inception of
Emo-Pop; bands like
The Get Up Kids,
Saves the Day, and
Jimmy Eat Worldpaved the way for the wildly popular genre which peaked with chart topping hits in the mid 2000s.
After a decade of declining interest, the early 2010s ushered in the so-called "Emo revival" scene. Record labels like
Run for Cover Records and
No Sleep Records gave a new platform to bands such as
Tigers Jaw,
Balance and Composure, and
Modern Baseball. This new crop of bands took influences from musical developments in the previous decade, incorporating
Indie Rock,
Post-Hardcore,
Midwest Emo, and
Pop Punk and creating a new wave of renewed interest in the genre.
