Weezer
Early forerunners of emo included Rites Of Spring, Dag Nasty and Nation Of Ulysses, all of whom combined hardcore music, a Washington DC upbringing and a fairly limited popularity. The mid-90s welcomed bigger names, however, with the likes of Jimmy Eat World and Weezer releasing now-definitive emo albums.
Panic At The Disco
Today's biggest acts are a broad bunch: My Chemical Romance have enjoyed the most commercial success, followed by bands such as Panic At The Disco, The Academy Is... and Tokio Hotel. Modern emo is commonly quite heavy and brooding, with lyrics tending to focus on personal issues. A bit me-me-me at times.
Today's emo fans can come in for as much stick as the bands themselves, often portrayed as dark and "weird". Nothing wrong with that, we say. The stereotypical fan takes hair and clothes seriously, with tight jeans, long fringes and horn-rimmed glasses all popular.
There's been a lot of tabloid-fuelled controversy about suicide cults and the like - a more generous assertion would be that it attracts sensitive, alternative types.
