best emo songs

25 most influential albums that define what it means to be emo

The genre affectionately known as emo started out as a wave of internalized rage bubbling under the surface of Washington, D.C.’s Revolution Summer in the mid-’80s. Within three decades, it had permeated the mainstream and changed beyond all recognition. Like it or not, the bands inspired by that initial breakthrough, including Rites Of Spring and […]

The essential emo albums from the genre’s 35-year history

Here at AltPress, we’ve learned a crucial lesson. Mainstream America doesn’t understand that the concept of “emo” is over 30 years old. We know it wasn’t invented in a Hot Topic store. But we also know that the Grammys don’t have a category for “Best Emo Performance By A Duo Or Group With A Minimum […]

10 emo songs from 2005 that never left your playlist

It’s hard to fathom that 2005 was 15 years ago, but it’s even harder to imagine that songs such as “Sugar, We’re Goin Down” and “I Write Sins Not Tragedies” have been spinning on repeat for one-and-half decades. 2005 birthed both classic emo anthems and killer debut albums from some of our favorite artists. Check […]

The best emo songs of the decade that defined the 2010s

One of the greatest feats of the emo genre is its ability to cross barriers, genres and fandoms to unite us all under the common denominator of music. Whether there’s a tinge of rap or a twist of pop-punk, the branches of emo music all extend from the same familiar source. While the early 2000s […]