gothic
what it is
Gothic music is a style of music originating from post-punk and having dark, dim or haunting tones, sounds, imagery, and usually spooky or morbid lyrics. It tends to be used in many genres such as rock, punk, alternative, darkwave, ambient, industrial, ebm and metal. Subgenres of gothic music: Deathrock, a hybrid of punk rock and gothic rock with echoing guitars, creepy but clean vocals, creepy and haunting sounds and usually morbid lyrics.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 1 · mainstream
the pop everyone knows
level 2 · the door
big names with a sharper edge
level 3 · one step out
cult favorites and indie darlings
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make gothic a playlist
turn these 38 artists into something you can press play on.
✦ nearby genres
questions
What is gothic?
Gothic music is a style of music originating from post-punk and having dark, dim or haunting tones, sounds, imagery, and usually spooky or morbid lyrics. It tends to be used in many genres such as rock, punk, alternative, darkwave, ambient, industrial, ebm and metal. Subgenres of gothic music: Deathrock, a hybrid of punk rock and gothic rock with echoing guitars, creepy but clean vocals, creepy and haunting sounds and usually morbid lyrics.
What are good gothic albums to start with?
Try The Nephilim by Fields of the Nephilim, Origin by Evanescence, Les Fleurs du Mal by Sopor Aeternus & The Ensemble of Shadows, and Voices Of Doom by Mono Inc..
Who are some women making gothic?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/gothic/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making gothic, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20