Choose your fave Goth rock band:

I had to cast my vote for good ol' Siouxsie Sioux and her Screaming Banshees! I think they had the perfect goth sound back in the 80s...:cool:

I was torn between Bauhaus and the Damned but I had to go with the Damned.

I think we did something similar to this before. And I think I went with Bauhaus. This time I chose Other and will throw in a vote for the Sisters of Mercy. Because I really like most of these bands equally.

Tough choices Michael. I like all of them so much. Shriekback don't get enough recognition for their strong repertoire. Glad to see you included a little Funk Noire in the options. :D

This was a tough one. I love Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure, and Sisters Of Mercy. I voted for "The Damned" though. My sister really got me hooked on their music.

The Cure.

Like Bogie, I voted for "Other" this time...there are soo many other Goth-style bands like The Mission, Christian Death, Fields Of The Nephilim...and I really can´t say that I would prefer one over the others since I like them all.

But, I´m also seriously doubting about Shriekback being considered as a Goth-like band...either I have to review my backcatalogue, or Funk had indeed taken a darker twist... ;)

Good choices in there. Like the Cure, Siouxsie, Lords of the New Church, Bauhaus, but I had to vote "other". Nephilim comes close, but Sisters of Mercy is the ticket for me. Is there anything better than First Last and Always??? Not in my world. :cool:

The Cure for me,,,top notch...still are..

The Mission were a close second

Micky

Bauhaus! Peter Murphy's voice of perfect for the band. = )

I'm a little surprised that Siouxsie and the Banshees haven't received more votes... :)

The Cure without a doubt!! Robert Smith can really pack a punch with his vocals and delivery of a song! :thumb:

I chose other. I like Sisters of mercy and The Mission the most.

Ministry.

My vote had to go to "other". My fave goth band has to be the March Violets. They had so many great tracks - "Snake Dance", "Fodder", "Children On Stun", "Walk Into The Sun" etc. They were just great!

Althow He died in 81 My vote goes to Christian Death (with Rozz) None of those Valor Lyrics for me than you

Originally posted by djdaffy1227
Ministry.

Sorry to interrupt here again...Ministry is also considered to be Gothic?

I know that they had started with funky Synthpop before they veered the fields from harsher EBM to almost inaudible Industrial, but Goth...I guess that we Europeans link a different meaning to this term. :D

Wavey on the job again. :D Keeping us all on the musical straight-and-narrow. lol

I agree Wave. Shriekback and Ministry are probably not really goth bands. Both can be pretty dark at times though. Up to the individual I suppose. :)

Originally posted by Bogie

I agree Wave. Shriekback and Ministry are probably not really goth bands. Both can be pretty dark at times though. Up to the individual I suppose. :)

I suppose groups such as Shriekback and Ministry are more goth-influenced. I've heard reporters in the media refer to Depeche Mode as being "goth", but I've never categorized DM as being that at all. I suppose the media takes any hint of darkness in an artist's material and label it as "goth".

I agree with Sara...The Mission and Sisters of Mercy, and love my Peter Murphy they should DEFINATELY be on the list...especially if we are using the term "goth" in a looser commercial sense...

That being said...most of my internet broadcasting buds who run more "light" or "upbeat" (how's that for an oxymoron folks, ha ha) goth stations (and I run some 80s goth too) do include Ministry and Shreikback for what it's worth...as in the strictly "commercial" sense of the term it fits. That being said, I never think of the Cure or of Depeche Mode as goth, although it's become trendy to catagorize them as such as of late...Just my two cents worth...

Ciao!

~jj

Your two cents worth is always welcome, Deb!!!

I never personally categorized The Cure as being Goth either, but I can see and hear its influence in their music and videos. :)

Other = Sisters of Mercy/Christian Death with Rozz

I couldn't vote for The Damned because I consider them more punk than goth. I loved them to death, though. Been a huge Damned fan forever. I also love Siouxsie & The Cure equally as much. They will always be favs of mine. And Bauhaus is just amazing, again another love of mine. Actually...i guess these are all equally my favorite. Minus Ministry (more new wave in the beginning and industrial than goth - i still like them too...but not as a "goth" band)

I voted for the Cure, I have most of their stuff and I always wanted to be Robert Smith. Siouxsie and The Banshees were second.

The Cure.....Robert Smith is a genius!!!!

Originally posted by javajane
That being said...most of my internet broadcasting buds who run more "light" or "upbeat" (how's that for an oxymoron folks, ha ha) goth stations (and I run some 80s goth too) do include Ministry and Shreikback for what it's worth...as in the strictly "commercial" sense of the term it fits. That being said, I never think of the Cure or of Depeche Mode as goth, although it's become trendy to catagorize them as such as of late...Just my two cents worth...

Ciao!

~jj

You mean that there´s something like "Happy Goth"? :lol:

Well, I don´t wanted to profile myself as being an smart ass - personally, I´m not that strict about genres. I was just wondering, but like I´ve mentioned before, the European music genre definitions are sometimes differing, even within Europe.
To stick at 'Gothic'...here´s Gothic in itself, and if you ask someone for a typical Gothic band of the 80s, you can bet your monthly wage that the Sisters and the Cure will be the most mentioned bands (although both bands never saw themselves as belonging to this genre). Then there is Dark Wave, a 'subgenre' of Gothic since the first bands which were categorized into this genre came up in the very late 80s and early 90s with Deine Lakaien and Wolfsheim - again, both bands are not very happy with this definition... ;)
Last but not least, there´s also Goth Rock, Dark Trance etc...if the baby needs a name, the music industry will provide it for you. ;)

I guess that this discussion will never end (unless someone will invent a kind of DIN for music :D) - and I´m pretty much okay with that. Just wanted to throw my 2 coins in the ring...

I've voted The Cure, although I don't think they have to be classified as a "Goth" band. Siouxsie and the Banshees would be the most suitable to this definition, in my opinion.

i voted for the cure, but they're my favorite band anyway, so of course...
but here's my whole take on the goth stuff:

i think the cure most definately have gothic subject matter (sometimes) and i think there is part of a look with them and there's obviously a following of some kind.. but i wouldnt categorize them as a "Goth Band" because i dont think they sit around trying to make everything "sound goth" or are all about being "in the genre"...
however (as if i werent already contradicting myself) i think there are elements to their music that corresponds/is common with elements of "gothic music"...

and the same things go for many many other bands that have been lumped into the goth category...


now that ive fully confused myself, i think i'll stop :thumb:

Originally posted by Bogie
[B]I think we did something similar to this before. And I think I went with Bauhaus. This time I chose Other and will throw in a vote for the Sisters of Mercy. Because I really like most of these bands equally.


Bogie!
I was going to say that I thought I had answered this one before, and said Bauhaus. Peter Murphy's voice, and their music is my fav. goth band. But then, if I had said that already, then I was thinking Sisters come in second.
(well,,,you said it for me.. lol)

Other, because I can't get enough of The Mission. The Cure and Sisters of Mercy are up there as well.

Is Shriekback goth? Oh, they're my favorite on this list.

I have more of their music than any of the others mentioned.

The Cure:)

Bauhaus!! I really love their song "She's in parties" as well as "Ziggy Stardust". But the Damned are pretty good as well. In the late 80s, after Captain Sensible already left, they had a fantastic song called Gigolo.

I'm all over the place when it comes to Goth music...

And speaking of 80s Goth, there this this awesome 3 disk box set at Virgin Megastores on 80s and current goth music. They also sell the CDs as solos.

The stuff on that album kicks ass!

I voted for other, though not really 80s...
Legendary Pink Dots are awesome.

I voted for The Cure. I like Sisters of Mercy and Bauhaus too. There is something about Peter Murphys voice that I just love.

Bauhaus

I would have to vote for The Cure.

Sisters of Mercy!

The Cure is great but if you ask me I think they went pop some years back. The others you have listed are good but you forgot the best. When it comes to lyrics, pound for pound Ill have to vote for Christian Death.

Siouxsie & the Banshees ...
but aren't they more of a punk band then "goth"

Originally posted by Meladorim Magpie
Siouxsie & the Banshees ...
but aren't they more of a punk band then "goth" Yes, I've always thought so.

"The Cure" - no question about it!

Bauhaus.

No one has mentioned Bella Lagosi's Dead yet and from my experience this song gave birth to the post punk sub-genre of Goth. Am I wrong? If someone can predate this, I'd like to hear from you. In high school my friends and I wore black and carried slam books and listened to the bands listed in this poll (although I have to admit I've never heard of Shriekback- I'll have to check tem out).

I don't recall hearing the term "Goth" though until after I was out of high school. (Graduated HS in 85.) Siouxsie was just this chick who had hung out at Sex Pistols shows and whose music I liked because they sounded like they were returning to the kind of psychedelic groove that made bands like The Doors great.

This forum and the question of what is or is not "Goth" made me register for this whole board. So you guys help me out here...would Echo and the Bunnymen, for instance, be considered "Goth?" If not, why not? How about Joy Division?

Hmm...writing this has given me a good idea. I think I'll rip a CD of songs I would consider to be Goth and post my playlist in a new thread in this punk/goth forum and see what you guys think.

Originally posted by Antius
Althow He died in 81 My vote goes to Christian Death (with Rozz) None of those Valor Lyrics for me than you

Seriously, I can't believe nobody saw this glaring mistake. Rozz Williams, former lead singer of Christian Death (the greatest Goth band that ever lived, BTW), died April 1, 1998 by suicide...

XXX

yeah, i know. i met rozz shortly before he killed himself. he was practicly already dead.

I was about to mention how wrong the date was, but I saw your post and I have to take back my previous vote...

Christian Death is and will forever be the best Goth band ever :)

Shriekback had in my opinion the most clever and strange lyrics of any Goth band yet. Did not think of them as Goth, but I suppose that this is one way to look at them as. Definitely sinister. Any of you heard of Swans?

'Phantasmorgia' by The Damned is still one of my favourite albums of the 80's. 'Grimly Fiendish' is such a wicked song :thumb:

For anyone else curious about another great goth band, check out "London After Midnight". This 90's group epitomized the goth scene with their dark and creepy shows in the LA Underground, and quickly became a huge hit in Europe. Their most accessible song would be "Sacrifice" off the "Selected Scenes from the End of the World" CD, and have a sound heavily influenced by Siouxsie and the Banshees.

Had to go with The Cure

The Cure, definitely!!!!!

Long live Lords of the New Church! IMO this band crossed over into so many genres (post-punk/new wave/psychedelic/goth and rock mostly), so in truth they were merely goth-influenced, defying most any narrow cookie cutter definition. Regardless on their sheer brilliance alone, I cast the lone vote for them as best goth-rock band! :apunk:

Not a goth fan, but I've heard more of the Cure lately and must admit they have a great sound. I always loved their song "Close to me". Now I can say I like quite a few other songs of theirs now too.

You know, from the list above, I'd have to go with the Cure, just because they were the longest running goth band ever. Great songs every year. Sure, sometimes they were upstaged, but they just kept on pouting.

BP

Cocteau Twins.
'Treasure' is probably my fave album of all time.

The Cure are the Best from this Lot :-)

I'm a little surprised that Siouxsie and the Banshees haven't received more votes... :)

That's because The Cure is amoung the choices ;)

I voted 'other'. The Sisters are the best Goth band in my book, always have been always will be. :dgrin:

I go and see them on the 5th of May, get in!

1. The Cure
2. Siouxsie
3. Bauhaus

Yikes that is a tough one! I am going to cheat and pick two - Siouxsie & The Banshees and Bauhaus.

Bauhaus/Sisters of Mercy(who somehow got the shaft from the list)/Siouxsie/Lords of the New Church

Tough choice, but I HAD to go with The Damned (as you can see in my siggy) :lol:

Lords of the New Church

The Cure