A common sentiment I noticed in generationology communities is that emo died out because pop/hip hop overtook it, and I disagree, because the latter genres' popularity was always bigger.

Emo as we know it in the 2000s was huge and on the fringes of the mainstream, but NEVER the dominant genre (Besides, emo kids weren't the popular ones. In fact, we were often bullied and made fun of). It makes no sense to say that emo was replaced by electronic pop and rap, because dominant genre in the 00s was already always pop/hip hop to begin with - the top hits were always the likes of Britney Spears, Ciara, Usher, and the like. Take a well-represented sample of kids and teens of the 2000s, put them in a party and you could confidently predict that there'd be more people singing along to the likes of Fergalicious than, say, I Write Sins Not Tragedies.

Bottom line is that while emo was a major genre subculture, but it was never the main "in-thing"; it was always pop/hip hop in the 2000s-early 2010s. Secondary popular genres (and their associated subcultures) come and go; that's just how things are. Subcultures and their associated genres of music are always are second to the main culture; that's why they've got "sub" as a prefix. Now, it makes more sense to say that emo lost to indie-hipster as the latter became the large subculture in the early-mid 2010s.

Did you know that Emo used to be Elmo until they told him to get the L out of here?

https://media.tenor.com/images/6fb44569a97c7cdd60bcf0b617dae8f4/tenor.gif

I feel this makes since. I’m Goth, though I always enjoyed Emo music. Just thinking about the trends at Hot Topic, it was always a place for Alts (I consider both goth and emo alternative people). When Indie became popular the stores turned very Hispster, at least here in Kansas. Now it’s a mix of stuff but nothing like it used to be. I know you weren’t referring to the stores,  but to me looking at the changes there makes since with what you said.

The cliche is that emos became hipsters. Fashion-wise, they do overlap a bit (faux redneck clothing etc)

we were often bullied and made fun of


You are another one of us?

I'm just going off memory here, but even as like an 11 year old in 2006-07 (peak of the genre), "Emo" was sort of an insult to call someone.

Emo was replaced by hipsters and scene.

Emo was replaced by hipsters.


That's what they say, but hipsters always seemed older than emo people to me. Seemed like they had more money too.

That's what they say, but hipsters always seemed older than emo people to me. Seemed like they had more money too.


Becuase hipster came after. Emos grew up and became scene and hipster when the fad died.

Becuase hipster came after. Emos grew up and became scene and hipster when the fad died.


Emos grew up to be hipsters? What a sad fate. They should have stayed emo. Who knew hipsters were emos with facial hair?

Emos grew up to be hipsters? What a sad fate. They should have stayed emo. Who knew hipsters were emos with facial hair?


A sad fate is something I would agree with, but the fact that many hipsters have their scalp hair parted in the middle seems to indicate that not all hipsters are former Emos.