Goth subculture

This article is about the subculture. For the Germanic tribes, see Goths. For other uses, see Gothic.

Goth is a music-based subculture that emerged in the United Kingdom in the early 1980s. Music historian David Cavanagh wrote that the "goth" term appeared in the British media in June 1983.

The subculture developed around gothic rock, a genre that evolved from post-punk while incorporating darker, more atmospheric elements. Post-punk artists who anticipated in the late 1970s the gothic rock genre and helped develop and shape the subculture include Siouxsie and the Banshees, Joy Division, Bauhaus and the Cure. The subculture also drew inspiration from literary and cinematic gothic traditions, including German Expressionism and classic horror (from Universal Monsters to Hammer horror), with a flair for theatricality and camp.

The goth subculture has survived much longer than others of the same era and has continued to diversify and spread throughout the world. Its imagery and cultural proclivities indicate influences from 19th-century Gothic fiction and from horror films. The scene is centered on music festivals, nightclubs, and organized meetings.

Styles of dress within the subculture draw on glam rock, punk, new wave and from the fashion of earlier periods such as the Victorian, Edwardian, and Belle Époque eras. The style most often includes dark (usually solid black) attire, dark makeup, and black hair.

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