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.