The difference, by ear
Both are polished radio genres descended from something rawer, and both are criticised on exactly the same grounds.
Both are sung cleanly, but post-grunge is a little slower: 100 to 140 bpm against 130 to 170. To hear the difference, play Jimmy Eat World next to Foo Fighters. They share a root in rock, and post-grunge came first, by five years. United States appears in the origins of both.
In figures
Emo pop
Where it sits
Rock › Punk rock › Hardcore punk › Post-hardcore › Emo › Emo pop
In short
The emo formula with a radio chorus and polished production. The version that reached MTV and the shopping mall.
How it sounds
- Choruses built for radio, with dense production and heavy compression.
- Nasal vocals with a lot of words crammed into each phrase.
- Distorted guitars mixed under the voice, pop punk style.
Key acts
- Jimmy Eat World
- Fall Out Boy
- My Chemical Romance
Start here
The pickJimmy Eat World - Clarity. The album before the success is the good one.
Full page →Post-grunge
Where it sits
Rock › Alternative rock › Grunge › Post-grunge
In short
The grunge formula cleaned up for radio: same dynamics, less dirt, vastly more airplay.
How it sounds
- The same dynamics, but with radio production: heavy compression, symmetrical guitars.
- Melodic choruses with doubled and harmonised vocals.
- Simplified riffing, mid tempos, fixed structures.
Key acts
- Foo Fighters
- Bush
- Creed
- Nickelback
Start here
The pickFoo Fighters - The Colour and the Shape. Dave Grohl played nearly all of it himself.
Full page →