The character, Gir, from the series "Invader Zim" spinning.

Scene+emo music


This website functions as a loose, general "guide" to scene music, emo music, and all the music adjacent. This includes genres and bands associated with the subcultures, specific song and playlist recommendations.It also includes bands, genres and songs that were popular with youth internet culture during the scene and emo eras to begin with, especially otaku and fandom ones- because that overlap is undeniable!Every scene kid didn't listen to every "sub-genre" or scene-adjacent genres, and it was typical to see different kids or cliques who leaned more into one than the others.To get back to the main site, follow the first, purple button. To get to the old music page, follow the second, green button.


FYI

There is a LOT of conflicting info out there about what counts and what doesn't when it comes to scene music. Staple genres/bands for some OG scene kids aren't even considered scene by other OG scenesters!There's always been a lot of infighting about what is and isn't scene, what emo is and isn't, and on and on. Leave that p0s3r behavior in the past and focus on what really matters: making a scene everywhere you go xD


General Info


A Quick Rundown!Here's a reddit megapost about genres and band reccs!So many genres fall under the scene and emo umbrella, it's basically impossible that you won't like ANYTHING scene. I've divided things into four categories for the sake of organization, but in reality there was a TON of overlap between all four of them :3Scene Music has a wide range of genres, and therefor a wider range of bands. A handful of genres associated directly with the scene subculture are: Post-Hardcore, Metalcore, Crunkcore, Rap Rock, Sasscore, Myspace Bedroompop and Myspace Deathcore, EDM, Screamo, Horrorcore and HyperpopEmo Music is a controversial topic, and if you look around online you'll see a lot of debate and arguing. When I refer to emo subculture and emo music, I'm referring to the 2009 emo subculture. Emo music within this scope included: Pop Punk, Emo Rap, Rock, Emotional Hardcore, Crabcore, Midwest Emo, Geek Rock, Indie Rock and Acoustic IndieOtaku Music is my chosen term to describe internet culture music, and fandom music (anime and otherwise). Nintendocore, Chiptune, Dubstep and Remixes, Nightcore, Vocaloid, (pre-2014) K-Pop, Visual Kei, J-Rock, (pre-2014) J-Pop, anime OPs and EDsGeneral Alt Music basically meant anything popular, on the radio or on music TV channels that were alternative or edgy. Often, that meant: Alt-Rock, Post-Grunge, American Rock, Nu Metal and Alt-Metal

A handful of music playlists that either made or collected! Explore, find new music and build your own playlist~ discovering and sharing new music is a big chunk of what scene (and emo!) were about to begin with.


Band recommendations


For more, check out the various links to playlists and masterposts across this webpage! These are mainly just the ones that I know the most either because I like them, or because my scene friends and family liked them >_> by no means an exhaustive list.If you're looking at a band from this list, remember that this was pre-2016 at the latest. Anything that was being listened to by OG scene kids was made in the early 2000s, to the mid 2010s! Nothing later, but that doesn't mean you can't like or listen to anything newer than that! :3Also note: it is actually really difficult to categorize music or even list them under a specific genre, the lines are vague and sometimes they fit into multiple spots. Don't take any list too seriously.


Scene

Pierce the Veil, Black Veil Brides, Get Scared, Breathe Carolina, Mindless Self Indulgence, I Set my Friends on Fire, The Devil Wears Prada, Ghost Town, Cobra Starship, Hollywood Undead, Kreayshawn, 3OH!3, Jeffree Star, Escape the Fate, Attack Attack!, Insane Clown Posse, Owl City, Nickasaur!, Never Shout Never, The Ready Set, Suicide Silence, Ayesha Erotica, Millionaires, Brokencyde, Metro Station, La Dispute, The Medic Droid, Scotty Vanity, Scene Kidz, Dotdotcurve, S3RL, Skrillex, Knife Party

specific Songs

The Zombie Song - Stephanie Mabey
Perfect Two - Auburn
Do You Like Waffles - Parry Gripp
Butterfly - Smile.dk


EMO

My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, Panic! At the Disco, Bullet for my Valentine, Falling in Reverse, Paramore, Simple Plan, All Time Low, All American Rejects, The Used, Twenty-One Pilots, Death Cab for Cutie, Tokio Hotel, Sleeping with Sirens, Plain White Ts, American Football, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Sunny Day Real Estate, Taking Back Sunday, Jimmy Eat World, Silverstein, Funeral For a Friend, Yellowcard, Five Finger Death Punch, The Used, Thirty Seconds to Mars, Green Day


OTAKU

Lemon Demon, The Living Tombstone, Vocaloid and Utau, Anime OPs and EDs, Cartoon OPs, Dubstep Remixes and Remixes in General, Videogame Soundtracks, Fan Songs and Fan Covers

Noteworthy Songs

Lemon Demon - The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny

playlists

Old-Fandom Vocaloid YouTube Playlist

Old Weeb/Otaku YouTube Playlist

Old Cartoon Openings We All Knew YouTube Playlist

Old AMV Songs YouTube Playlist

Old Videogame Music YouTube Playlist

Homestuck Fandom Songs YouTube Playlist

Kingdom Hearts Songs YouTube Playlist

MLP:FIM Fandom Songs YouTube Playlist


ALT MUSIC

Slipknot, Skillet, Flyleaf, Puddle of Mudd, Seether, Evanescence, Breaking Benjamin, 3 Doors Down, Three Days Grace, Linkin Park, System of a Down, Rob Zombie, Puddle of Mudd, Linkin Park, Audioslave, Nickleback, Daughtry, Tool, Staind, Alien Ant Farm


Bonus/Other

Songs We All Knew during the OG era

Sorry for Party Rocking - LMFAO
Shots - LMFAO
Toxic - Brittany Spears
Circus - Brittany Spears
TikTok - Kesha
Blahblahblah - Kesha
Girlfriend - Avril Lavigne
What the Hell - Avril Lavigne
Fergalicious - Fergie, Will.I.Am
Genie in a Bottle - Christina Aguilera
Don't Stop the Music - Rihanna
S&M - Rihanna
Single Ladies - Beyonce
Halo - Beyonce
If I Were a Boy - Beyonce
Just Dance - Lady Gaga

Modern Stuff that has the vibes

Ashnikko, Lil Mariko, Softboiledegg, Sorry Mom, Chase Icon, Black Dresses, Sophie Hunter, Graveyardguy, Rei Ami, Rebzyyx, 6arelyhuman


Make the Most of music

A big part of scene subculture was the music- maybe even THE biggest part (besides, you know, the look). For a lot of us, even most of us, our communities were formed around the music: discovering new music, sharing it with friends, blasting it together at parties, sleepovers or during car rides.You don't have to fit your music taste neatly in a box, and even if you did, what fit in the box would vary from person to person, even (maybe especially) among the OG scene kids. Branch out. Make a ton of playlists for different occasions, play music that fits the vibe, listen to what you like and not just what used to be popular with a subculture you're reviving.You're reviving it because it died, so give it new life, too- don't just bring back the old (but definitely do that, too)!Local music was a major factor, too. Go to local shows, and support small, local bands! I can't tell you where they are in your area, but here are a few resources on finding that information yourself.


Disclaimers and Notes

Some bands are notably boycotted. I personally don't think you're never allowed to listen to problematic bands again, or never allowed to watch problematic media again- but you vote with your wallet. If you give views and engagement to creators who use their money to gain more influence and/or do more harm, you're actively contributing to that harm.I'm obviously not condoning illegal activities... but back in my day, we just pirated stuff if we didn't want to directly support the creator. Between burning CDs and looking up "watch Harry Potter online free" (as a random example) we basically didn't pay for anything or give views to anything we didn't want to. Again... not that I'm condoning this kind of thing. Obviously.Some problematic bands in question that frequently come up, even if they're not mentioned on this page, are Blood on the Dance Floor, Mindless Self Indulgence, and Jeffree Star.


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