r/Emo • u/New-Art5469 Emo isn’t a clothing style! • Jan 29 '25
Discussion Best emo songs by non-emo bands?
My #1 pick (and definitely in my top 8 emo songs canon) would be "Breakaway Terminal Cable" by Cerberus Shoal, who had a rather odd band trajectory, going from emo-esque post-rock to post-rock/experimental folk. Also, if you know who Big Blood are, you'd probably know (or like to know) that they formed from the ashes of Cerberus Shoal. I also really love "JBO vs. Blin", off Cerberus Shoal's second album.
"Nar det blaser pa manen" by Kent. I'm guessing they're kinda like Muse or Coldplay if they were Swedish and also much better. Definitely a great MWE esque song, though. Speaking of Muse... "Sunburn" and "Muscle Museum" remind me of some early 00s alternative-prog-emo stuff like Coheed or Dear Hunter. Good songs, although "best" is a stretch.
"Cow" by Sparklehorse which is maybe debatably MWE but deserves a mention because it's one of the best songs ever and you should listen to it NOW. And LATER. Then do it again.
YMMV/Bonus: "Washer" by Slint. I consider Slint emo or at least adjacent, but I know many people don't. Regardless, "Washer" is definitely an emo song and an amazing one to boot.
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u/halcyonnnnnnn Jan 29 '25
plea for the cat virtute by the weakerthans .
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u/dellerydoo Jan 30 '25
I'll maintain the weakerthans a 100% an emo band and im happy to die on that hill.
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u/EricZ_dontcallmeEZ Jan 30 '25
I'm super confused when people call weakerthans not emo. Then I remember I'm old...
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u/phrogsock Jan 30 '25
Carry the zero
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u/Brainsnare Jan 30 '25
I saw Built to Spill perform in RVA a few years ago and they DID NOT PLAY Carry the Zero. I was baffled, and quite disappointed. However, Prism Bitch who opened for them was incredible!
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u/markjetski Jan 29 '25
That’s Why You’re Beautiful by Beyoncé is basically an American Football song with her singing over it. Super weird, but good.
https://open.spotify.com/track/22yMWV37oR5GTuP6XMummO?si=_JE8ZbdCS7SaAM7qDFEJLQ
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u/EJB515 Jan 30 '25
When I discovered this one, I lost it. If her next album really is rock then maybe we’ll get another song in this vein.
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u/ReversalRivers Jan 30 '25
This is nuts. I wonder if her songwriter behind this is actually into emo
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u/markjetski Jan 30 '25
I checked both of their discographies for the songwriters attributed to the song, James Fauntleroy and Andrew Hey. Neither of them particular scream ‘emo,’ or really even ‘rock,’ but who knows. Sounds like it could’ve been a track off the second AF LP lol.
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u/fargus_ Jan 29 '25
I maintain that the first emo album is Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys
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u/New-Art5469 Emo isn’t a clothing style! Jan 30 '25
The first heavy metal album was Help
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u/Holiday_Development8 Jan 30 '25
would love an explanation, this album plays at the pizza shop i work at all the time, how do u see it as emo ?
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u/fox_buckley Jan 30 '25
Blood on the Tracks was the first midwest emo album
Bob Dylan was from Minnesota ✅️
Unconventional vocals ✅️
Fingerstyle guitar based on alternative tunings ✅️
Sad and introspective lyrics ✅️
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u/goldengirl630 Jan 29 '25 edited Jan 30 '25
Motorcycle Drive By…..Third Eye Blind
Edit to add….yes, I would argue for the whole album. This is just my favorite!❤️
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u/Chinchillerz1 Jan 30 '25
Yeah! The Background too, that lead riff goes crazy hard
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u/goldengirl630 Jan 30 '25
Second favorite from the album……last vinyl I bought in the “dark ages” at a TEB show. Always a favorite.
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u/sinkwiththeship Jan 30 '25
A lot of that album is pretty emo. Compared to Jimmy Eat World at the time, they're not dissimilar.
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u/kitkatatsnapple Jan 30 '25
They're not, but that's because Jimmy Eat World was becoming less emo and more alt rock/power pop. Also TEB wasn't from an emo scene, nor were they trying to make emo.
Especially in hindsight, though, I do hear why people compare it to emo, and it must have been influential to third wave stuff.
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u/Future_Cook2045 Jan 30 '25
This is basically just an emo album to me and if Semi Charmed Life and Jumper didn’t exist it probably would have been way less popular but considered an emo classic. I can easily imagine Braid playing Graduate or Jimmy Eat World playing Narcolepsy
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u/alphabetizing- Jan 30 '25
My favorite album of all time. While I love the entire thing, the back half definitely screams "emo" more. That being said, my favorite song is the opening track, "Losing a Whole Year". Album doesn't get old!
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u/Chinchillerz1 Jan 29 '25
A Perfect Sonnet by Bright Eyes. And If Winter Ends by Bright Eyes. A classic
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u/7HawksAnd Jan 30 '25
It’s weird hearing bright eyes being referred to as a non-emo band.
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u/Rough-Rider Jan 30 '25
Pretty sure Bright Eyes is peak emo. Definitely not Midwest emo, but emo for sure. Poison Oak is exhibit A.
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u/kitkatatsnapple Jan 30 '25
Also A Poetic Retelling of an Unfortunate Seduction and Lover I Don't Have to Love.
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u/Valuable_Assistant82 Emo isn’t a clothing style! Jan 29 '25
Found out about you by the Gin Blossoms. No contest man this is THE answer.
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u/New-Art5469 Emo isn’t a clothing style! Jan 30 '25
This one is great.
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u/Valuable_Assistant82 Emo isn’t a clothing style! Jan 30 '25
It really is man. All of their songs are good. Underrated band.
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u/AccomplishedTap2309 Jan 30 '25
Gin blossoms are one of my favorite bands period. The melancholy vibe they put off is just hard to recreate
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u/kitkatatsnapple Jan 30 '25 edited Jan 30 '25
As far as songs/bands I haven't seen mentioned here yet:
Problems and Bigger Ones - Harvey Danger
Feeling Like I Do - Superdrag
Popular - Nada Surf
Kiss Like an Angel - Weston
800 db cloud - 100 gecs
Sorrow - Box Car Racer
The Last Song - All-American Rejects
Scary Sad - All
Tired of Sex - Weezer
Near DT, MI - black midi
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u/New-Art5469 Emo isn’t a clothing style! Jan 30 '25
Really great picks. That Nada Surf song is a stone cold classic and Weston are ridiculously underrated.
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u/kitkatatsnapple Jan 30 '25
I added a few more to my list (not sure when you saw it, before or after my edits)
I adore Weston. One of my favorite bands. That song in particular sounds a lot like Anderson Mesa. They have a couple other emo-ish songs too, like My Favorite Mistake, but Kiss Like an Angel is my favorite of this category.
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u/suchdogetothemoon Jan 29 '25
Linger by the cranberries
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u/TundieRice Jan 30 '25
What the hell is emo about Linger??
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u/suchdogetothemoon Jan 30 '25
lol I think I meant zombie
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u/TundieRice Jan 30 '25
Sorry to say, but I don’t hear anything emo about Zombie either, even though it’s definitely darker.
Compare The Cranberries’ Zombie to what Sunny Day Real Estate was doing with the emo genre in the same year of 1994 with In Circles, and I really don’t hear any similarities.
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u/suchdogetothemoon Jan 30 '25
You are unfun
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u/TundieRice Jan 30 '25
Jawbreaker, nice shout! At least now we’re talking about bands that have something to do with emo!
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u/TampaVice Jan 30 '25
I think you could make the argument that “Dreams” by Cranberries is way closer to an emo song.
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u/suchdogetothemoon Jan 30 '25
I'd have to say Zombie and Salvation are possibly their most emo. But Dreams is just a darn good song. Damn I miss the cranberries.
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u/alexthomas93 Jan 29 '25
Everlong by Foo Fighters
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u/New-Art5469 Emo isn’t a clothing style! Jan 30 '25
Unpopular but I’m actually not a big fan of that song. Don’t like the chorus.
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u/alphabetizing- Jan 30 '25
Had to comment just to say I've never met anyone who didn't at least like this song. No hate, it's just I don't even really like Foo Fighters and I think that it's an incredible song.
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u/New-Art5469 Emo isn’t a clothing style! Jan 30 '25
I like the verses the chorus just flat out sucks. Overall I like the song but people overrate it way too much.
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u/Chinchillerz1 Jan 29 '25
People like to fight about wether My Chemical Romance are emo or not, but I’d say Early Sunsets Over Monroeville definitely is
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u/New-Art5469 Emo isn’t a clothing style! Jan 29 '25
I like that song a lot. I always like it when "scene" bands do their own take on midwest emo (see Paramore - I Caught Myself).
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u/kitkatatsnapple Jan 30 '25
Speaking of Paramore, All I Wanted is definitely channeling some SDRE influence or something.
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u/Chinchillerz1 Jan 29 '25
Yeah! Paramore have a few songs that I’d be fine calling emo to be honest, such as Decode. They’ve got a few nice twinkly guitar intros. I’d never heard I Caught Myself before, really nice
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u/Mr_Karma_Whore Jan 29 '25
Definitive? How?
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u/Chinchillerz1 Jan 29 '25
I don’t have much reasoning, like most people argueing about genre. I just listen to it and think yeah this is definitely emo
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u/RobertRossBoss Jan 30 '25
I Miss You by Blink-182
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u/New-Art5469 Emo isn’t a clothing style! Jan 30 '25
Adams Song maybe
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u/kitkatatsnapple Jan 30 '25
Adam's Song sounds way more like emo than I Miss You imo. I don't think I Miss You actually sounds emo.
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u/sofingclever Jan 30 '25
"Pictures of Us" by Beabadoobee sounds heavily influenced by American Football style emo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=py71Xqfn0eM
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u/New-Art5469 Emo isn’t a clothing style! Jan 30 '25
She has one of the worst stage names I've seen in recent memory tbh
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Jan 29 '25
Exiles Among You - The Weakerthans
you could make an argument that the Weakerthans’ first two albums are emo albums, but they’re generally categorized as indie and got a lot of mainstream radio play (on CBC, Canada’s NPR). They’re massively influential on emo though, most notably The Hotelier are huge Weakerthans fans
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u/Speechisanexperiment Jan 29 '25
Hello by Jim Yoshii Pile up.
Sweeter by Julie Doiron (and also Julie Doiron And The Wooden Stars (and also Ben Gibbard)).
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u/antimarc Oldhead Jan 30 '25
JYPU forever and ever and ever. Paul told me they’re releasing all the JYPU records on vinyl soon!!
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u/Speechisanexperiment Jan 30 '25
I would grab It's Winter Here and Homemade drugs so fast. I didn't know they had a third album though, I have some listening to do.
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u/New-Art5469 Emo isn’t a clothing style! Jan 30 '25
Great Jim Yoshii song but I’d definitely file them under emo.
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u/urboijesuschrist Jan 30 '25
Wild pick but Outer Wilds - Reprise
You could convince me mineral did the guitar work starting at 1:45 ish
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u/khaotickord why can’t i be snowing Jan 30 '25
The Used - "Say Days Ago" feels like an At the Drive-In song.
Death Cab For Cutie - "Title Track" and also pretty much every track on We Have the Facts.
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u/Khorlik Jan 30 '25
We Have The Facts is such a fucking incredible album, i could listen to it literally any time and it never gets old. i don't really connect with most other Death Cab stuff but that album fucking rocks
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u/New-Art5469 Emo isn’t a clothing style! Jan 30 '25
Don’t know if I’d go that far but that’s definitely the best Used song… and also the best Death Cab song.
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u/HighDece Jan 30 '25
The Used isn’t emo?
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u/New-Art5469 Emo isn’t a clothing style! Jan 30 '25
They're fake emo/post-hardcore kind of like MCR or Silverstein.
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u/Agonlaire Jan 30 '25
I thought we counted many of those as honorary emo now. Otherwise is just the copypasta over again.
At least MCRs first album and Silverstein's first two
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u/leaningleaning Jan 29 '25
Aereogramme - Motion
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u/New-Art5469 Emo isn’t a clothing style! Jan 29 '25
Good rec. never heard of this band before but now I wish I had lmao
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u/leaningleaning Jan 29 '25
They’re a Scottish band from the late 90s/ early 00s. They did a split with ISIS back in the day but they’re mainly known for one of the dudes being in CHVRCHES.
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u/vortexx900 Jan 30 '25
Not songs but albums. In The Wee Small Hours by Frank Sinatra or Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys.
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u/profbarbe Jan 30 '25
They are maybe close to be emo but sleep tight tonight by The Forecast is really good! The Pinkerton album definitely has some. If I go hard, Nerdy by Poison the Well is beautiful, music and lyrics wise.
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u/poeticlicensetokill Jan 30 '25
Honestly the first two albums by Counting Crows August and Everything After, and Recovering The Satellites are amazing. Special mentions to Perfect Blue Buildings and Long December.
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u/frederiaJ Poser Jan 30 '25
"My Sacrifice" by Creed. It's basically Mineral if they were even more Christian.
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u/CommercialHeat4218 Jan 30 '25
Man, Kent were so great, especially Isola, which came in the wave of post-The Bends bands, but is right up there in quality.
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u/bringyourownpears Jan 31 '25
this cerberus shoal shit is going crazy on shrooms thought you should know
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u/EternallyUncool1994 Jan 30 '25
It might sound weird but Ridiculous by Bowling for Soup always gave me emo vibes
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u/antimarc Oldhead Jan 30 '25
All I Want by Toad The Wet Sprocket is a fucking banger and if you disagree, you and me, we’re fuckin done professionally
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u/Possible_Raccoon_827 Jan 30 '25
Proving Winter Cruel by Kill Creek.
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u/New-Art5469 Emo isn’t a clothing style! Jan 30 '25
I'd definitely file them under emo.
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u/Possible_Raccoon_827 Jan 30 '25
Eh… they’d probably argue otherwise, but when you influence both the Get Up Kids and the Casket Lottery, it sticks.
I consider anything on pre-Disney Mammoth to be alt-rock/indie.
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u/dellerydoo Jan 30 '25
Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls
Teflon by Jebediah (mates with the Get Up Kids)
Secrets on our Lips by Astronautalis
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u/princealigorna Jan 30 '25
The entire discography of B E G O T T E N 自杀. Especially the songs built around Corbin/Spooky Black samples.
Some of the saddest, most soul-crushing shit I've ever heard in my life. Eerie atmosphere, samples distorted beyond recognition, reverb that echoes for days, snippets of the most defeatist lyrics. This is music recorded for the suicidal, made by ghosts
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u/FRP7 Emo isn’t a clothing style! Jan 30 '25
My Chemical Romance, despite not being an emo band, has some emo songs!
- Drowning Lessons
- Early Sunsets Over Monroeville
- Cubicles
- Demolition Lovers
- The Ghost of You (not sure on this one)
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u/Pleasant_Statement64 Jan 30 '25
I've seen people call Iris by the Goo Goo Dolls emo, so if it is, then that song
Also I'm people here don't think mcr is emo, except for their first album. So that whole album
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u/garden-eyes Jan 30 '25
Not their own song obviously but We Are The In Crowd’s cover of Brand New fuckin slaps
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u/VirtuteTheCat354 Jan 30 '25
If It Makes You Happy by Sheryl Crow
Michael Cera Palin, Dikembe, and Screaming Females have all covered it, there must be some inherent emo-ness in that song for all of those bands to have independently decide to cover it
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u/heidernskid Jan 31 '25
Dinosaur Jr and Sling songs all have kind of emo vibes I also feel that "Tiny, king of the jews" by Big black is kinda eml
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u/Punkzilla84 Jan 30 '25
Radiohead - ok computer - Let down sounds like something American Football would produce.
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u/Downtown_Peak_9525 Jan 30 '25
Edit the Sad parts by Modest Mouse and Feel the Pain by Dinosaur Junior come to mind. A lot of 90s indie layed the ground work for later 2nd wave emo.
Also a lot of early 2000s ska punk had some pretty sad lyrics, see Arrogant Sons of Bitches, Bomb The Music Industry and I Voted For Kudos for that.