The History of Goth

While most people (except for the members of Bauhaus) consider the song "Bela Lugosi's Dead" to be the first Gothic Rock record, it didn't appear out of nowhere. And for whatever reason, Bauhaus always denied being Goth. The band described their style as "dark glam." Instead, they referenced other bands, specifically Siouxsie and the Banshees, as the pioneers of Goth.

I found this video a long time ago, during the dark ages of the 2020 lockdown. It has been in my drafts for that long. I was going to delete the post, but listening to the video again, I decided it is worth sharing. Some of you out there may be fans of Punk, and a fair number are probably fans of Post Punk (or New Wave, as suits insist on calling it). Goth is sort of Post-Post Punk, though there are several genres that can claim that title.

The video starts with Screamin' Jay Hawkins and "I Put a Spell on You." I prefer Nina Simone's 1965 cover of this song, and I will feature this version eventually. You might be familiar with the Creedence Clearwater Revival cover of the song.

Then it goes on to The Doors, who were the first band to be called Gothic Rock in a newspaper article. The song "The End" has a lot of the hallmarks of Goth. Dark lyrics being what I consider the cornerstone.

The Velvet Underground is often credited with starting a lot of things, everything from Punk to New Wave, Shoegaze and Goth. And of course launching the career of the singer Nico.

Nico of course left The Velvet Underground. Her first solo album was warped by the label into something she hated. The Marble Index, her 2nd album, was a rejection of the Pop sensibility of that 1st album. She died her hair red, and wore all, or mostly, black. This gives her a good claim on the title of the first Goth girl.

Alice Cooper is next with his odd lyrics, and stage antics, and makeup. His stage show was especially dark in the early years.

One of the things that most people miss, is the influence of Glam Rock, as an inspiration to Goth. You can see it in the makeup of Bowie, and in the song "In Every Dreamhome a Heartache" by Roxy Music.

While it's generally assumed that goth evolved from Punk, the dark-hued tendencies The Damned and Siouxsie and The Banshees bridging the gap, Glam Rock is where Goth's influence started in earnest.

Aesthetically, there's a short space between the two genres with Glam's sexual ambiguity, attraction to eyeliner and pale foundation, and the exaggerated clothing choices mirroring those of gothic culture. Sure, T. Rex, Roxy Music and David Bowie were more into glitter than their gloomy siblings ever would be, but there's a reason why all the key British Goth bands list at least one of them as a key influence.

Brian Eno gets a mention, because of the work he did after leaving Roxy Music.

Punk. There are a couple of bands mentioned, I doubt you've heard of them, unless you're into Punk.

Post Punk. Siouxsie and The Banshees and the Cure were two bands that moved into Goth, eventually. And Joy Division.

Finally we get to Bauhaus, and their 1979 single "Bela Lugosi's Dead."

This is Before Bauhaus: How Goth Became Goth, a history of Goth. It is 27 minutes long, so plan accordingly.