Definition
A genre of alternative rock and dream pop that emerged in the late 1980s and early 1990s, characterized by ethereal vocals buried in lush layers of guitar effects, distortion, and heavy use of noise and feedback. The name derives from the performers' tendency to look down at their effects pedals while playing rather than engaging with the audience.
Example Usage
My Bloody Valentine's 'Loveless' is considered the shoegaze masterpiece, with walls of dreamy, distorted guitars.
Origin
The term was coined in the UK in the late 1980s, initially as a somewhat dismissive label for the British dream pop scene, but bands like Slowdive, Cocteau Twins, and My Bloody Valentine embraced and perfected the sound.
Fun Fact
Shoegaze had a relatively short mainstream window (roughly 1990-1993) before grunge's ascendance, but it experienced a major revival in the 2000s and remains influential in indie, dream pop, and lo-fi music.
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