Back in May of 2009, BBC Radio 6 Music was in the midst of airing a week of programming dedicated to a range of musical subgenres and subcultures. As it happened, May 22 of that week was dedicated to Goth music — a style of music that spun off from post-punk that features a lot of minor chords, dark-sounding reverb and arrangements, and melancholy melodies and themes inspired in part by Gothic literature (hence the genre name).

Feeling inspired by what he heard on the BBC, Goth DJ Lee Meadows turned to MySpace (a primary social-media platform of the day) to posit the idea that May 22 become known as Goth Day in the U.K. Not only would the day celebrate the music, but it would also highlight Goth fashion, which can include such elements as Victorian- or Renaissance-inspired clothing, darkly dyed hair and eye makeup, and gender non-specific attire and appearance.

In 2010, other Goth DJs and fans decided to take the effort beyond the U.K., setting their sights on a worldwide movement. They saw it as a fun opportunity to promote and celebrate Goth music and fashion on a grander scale — and honestly, there weren’t a whole lot of other holidays vying for a May 22 foothold, so it didn’t seem that hard to do.

Fast-forward to now, and World Goth Day is an annual event. According to the World Goth Day website, May 22 is “a day where the goth scene gets to celebrate its own being, and an opportunity to make its presence known to the rest of the world.” The website’s FAQ describes ways one can observe World Goth Day, and one of them is to “Take over the radio” by asking “your local radio station … to play at least one track by a goth band.” Well, here at The Current, we can certainly do better than just one track! 

So for today’s 9:30 Coffee Break, what Goth songs would you like to hear?

Respond with your song ideas in the comments below.

Have an idea for a Coffee Break topic? Submit your idea for a future theme and browse past Coffee Breaks in our archive.

Songs Played
Bauhaus – She's in Parties
Joy Division – Disorder
Nine Inch Nails – Dead Souls
The Cramps – Goo Goo Muck
Siouxsie and the Banshees – Spellbound
The Sisters of Mercy – Lucretia My Reflection
Depeche Mode – Black Celebration