The spread of the punk music movement and all of its subsequent offshoots, including Goth, darkwave, and industrial, is an example of the urge that younger generations have toward change. Every generation feels the need to rebel and find its own voice. The punk generation found its voice by screaming.
Punk first emerged in the mid to late seventies in Britain, with bands like The Clash and The Sex Pistols, and in America with The Ramones. Punk originated as a bitter and violent rebellion against the drugs and mindless idealism of the Hippie generation. The development of punk was concurrent with the rise of prosperity and materialism, both of which directly opposed the punk movement.
The first punk bands were violent anarchists, screaming about the worthlessness of the world and the bitter pain of humanity in dark, smoky cellars to angry, disappointed young men and woman. They wore skinny jeans and leather to set themselves apart from the Hippies who wore bellbottoms and power suits. They smoked, drank, fought, and sometimes even died.
The eighties saw the first splintering of the original punk movement, and the growth of a darker, calmer movement, dubbed the Goth movement for its imitation of the old gothic renaissance style of dress. The Goth movement was heavily influenced by Joy Division, a band from the late seventies whose lead singer Ian Curtis killed himself in the midst of his band's success.
The Goth movement was led musically by bands like Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Cure, and Sisters of Mercy. The clothing, a stronger part of Goth than it was of punk, drew on such sources as Victorian era prostitutes, early German horror films, and the punk movement from which it came. Goth embraced leather and chains as easily as velvet and lace.
At the same time as Goth, darkwave music also began to emerge. However, darkwave music never achieved the status of a subculture, and remained merely a mode of musical expression. The most well-known and influential darkwave band is Depeche Mode.
By the time the nineties came around both punk and Goth were well-established, if not well-liked, subcultures in the western world. New bands were emerging such as Blink 182 and Green Day, both dubbed bubblegum punk for their lighter sound. New Goth bands included The Shroud, The Birthday Cake, and Switchblade Symphony. Many followers of one or the other subculture blurred the line between them, listening to both genres of music indiscriminately and mixing the styles.
Around this time, Marilyn Manson also began to make his presence felt, a development which appealed to many young people, but which angered older Goth fans. Manson, an exhibitionist, and a shock rocker, easily became part of a subculture that eschewed mainstream thought.
What influence did punk and Goth have on the music of the twenty first century? It seems the rebellion continues, as the younger generation moves away from anarchy, violence and darkness to embrace a more laid back, hopeful type of music. Music in which the philosophy appears to be, "No worries. I'm sure it'll all work out."