How can emo be considered a music genre, when all music genres have emotion?

I've always wondered that same thing.

People have distorted the meaning of "emo" into suicidal and depressed."

Since rock has a lot of meaning, some of it is classified as "emo"

The kinds of people that are "emo" are real people like you and me. They have deeper feelings and probably troubled lives. All they need is a little help.

Instead, because of some societies, "emo" people suffer ridicule.

because that's not what emo is.

why can't people understand this simple concept???

Emo is short for emotive hardcore. It's a DIY music style (not a shitty fashion) that started in the 80's. Emo follows (but is not restricted to) the lines of hardcore. Hardcore is a subgenre of punk, therefore, so is emo. The first emo band is often credited to Rites Of Spring. They played with hardcore punk rock energy (as the members were previously involved with hardcore bands) and lots of emotion through their performance and with their audience. Their lyrics seem to have important views about life and a sense of deepness.

The term "emo" was generated as an insult to people in the hardcore scene that liked these bands. An emo band's performance on stage (can include crying, moaning, etc. their lyrics and various other events) probably made them look "weaker" to the hardcore kids, which is (why I think) "emo" was directed as an insult.

it is not short for emotional, but emotive HARDCORE

there's a big difference.

there are only very few emo bands these days.

PATD, FOB, whatever else you consider emo, isn't.

calling them emo is like calling avril lavigne punk.

it just isn't.

Emo bands all have similarities - which is why they're put into the Emo subgenre.

That's like asking how Hair Metal can be a genre.. because all/most musicians have hair..

It doesn't work like that.

First of all, not all music has emotion. Listen to some of the hip hop that is popular. it doesnt make sense. like crank that. no sense at all. no emotion. But the reason it is a genre is because they sing very emotional songs that generally are sad or depressing, and are about the problems in there lives.

Rock is heavy with heavy guitar and sound, and has emotion. Hip hop and things like it, is with beat and dance, and has emotion. But they are called rock, and hip hop because that's to tell them apart from other types of music. Ones labeled Emo, has a sound that is softer, nothing but love. Hip hop and rap mentions screwing random girls, and rock sometimes can be similar, and mentions party life too. But emotional is just about being there with the person you love and anything along the lines of that.

In my opinion it's because they put more emotion into that type of music,than other genres. And "emo" music is a bit more depressing. With violent or sad lyrics. But in my opinion emo music is awesome.

just like jazz isent acually about sex (the word jazz means sex), emo isent literally emotional. It's a type of music.

i agree with robbin! emo does suck.all the bands sound the same(like crap!)and to its just a trend to call it homo or i'm sorry emo.it'll fade out like disco.tool rules!

Yeah I totally agree. but I think that most people see the word emo as being overly emotional and depressing maybe? Not just having emotion in it.

because "emo" bands want to try to associate themselves with early D.C. hardcore bands like Fugazi, etc., but in the end, emo became a derogatory term for pop punk bands who make a bunch of whiny sad-sounding music that will end up like glam: dead, with the musicians ashamed of what they made