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Genre
ethereal wave
Parent Genre: new age

Ethereal wave is a subgenre of darkwave and post-punk music that emerged in the 1980s. It is characterized by its dreamy and atmospheric sound, often featuring haunting vocals and ethereal instrumentation. The genre is known for its use of electronic and acoustic instruments, creating a unique blend of sounds. Ethereal wave often explores themes of mysticism, spirituality, and nature. It has been influential in the development of other genres such as shoegaze and ambient music.


Top artists of ethereal wave genre

Cocteau Twins
Lisa Gerrard
Sigur Rós
Dead Can Dance
This Mortal Coil
Clan of Xymox
Elizabeth Fraser
Cranes
Simrit
Kirlian Camera
Ophelia's Dream
Lovesliescrushing
Arcana
Autumn's Grey Solace
Love Is Colder Than Death
Corpus Delicti
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ethereal wave music timeline

Explore ethereal wave history by listening to songs from every decade. Click on the decade to view songs.

2020s 2010s 2000s 1990s 1980s 1970s 1960s 1950s 1940s 1930s

Similar Genres to ethereal wave

Discover more related genres to ethereal wave genre. This list is ordered by similarity from left to right.

neoclassical darkwave dark wave medieval folk gothic rock rune folk corrosion dark post-punk dream pop neofolk steampunk neue deutsche todeskunst deathrock ethereal gothic shoegaze ebm new wave nu gaze dungeon synth dark cabaret italian gothic
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ethereal wave playlist created by Chosic

Enjoy this playlist of popular ethereal wave music. We made this playlist using an algorithm created by our team.

Play on spotify

List of ethereal wave artists

Here is a list of ethereal wave artists on Spotify, ranked based on popularity, who exemplifies the ethereal wave genre. You can find out what ethereal wave genre sounds like where you can preview artists or sort them the way you want, just click the headers to sort.

#namePopularity instrumentalnessdanceabilityenergyacousticnessHappinesstempofollowers
1
Cocteau Twins
63 33 39 64 16 38 127 744211
2
Lisa Gerrard
63 50 20 22 90 6 101 163559
3
Sigur Rós
54 66 23 41 48 11 109 1236891
4
Dead Can Dance
48 34 38 44 30 24 118 378180
5
This Mortal Coil
43 32 32 29 64 16 113 142349
6
Clan of Xymox
42 26 53 73 5 44 129 136021
7
Elizabeth Fraser
38 61 66 60 13 39 94 22549
8
Cranes
36 65 56 47 33 41 126 59797
9
Simrit
33 34 49 45 66 28 129 44797
10
Kirlian Camera
33 24 51 67 17 28 119 16691
11
Ophelia's Dream
32 69 25 39 70 13 102 14340
12
Lovesliescrushing
32 81 17 41 38 20 105 36998
13
Arcana
32 77 31 49 41 15 112 34191
14
Autumn's Grey Solace
30 14 45 49 39 18 117 17111
15
Love Is Colder Than Death
30 57 44 39 28 27 122 15730
16
Corpus Delicti
29 11 34 84 10 25 133 33509
17
The frozen Autumn
29 49 50 79 5 38 129 27683
18
Inkubus Sukkubus
29 14 40 72 13 32 128 31732
19
Strange Boutique
29 35 39 63 19 42 131 6157
20
Switchblade Symphony
29 23 57 56 17 41 135 50308
21
Brendan Perry
29 6 39 38 40 16 108 38287
22
Vas
28 9 49 32 75 28 149 24370
23
Die Form
28 27 60 82 6 45 119 17425
24
Love Spirals Downwards
28 37 36 57 34 25 130 17155
25
bel canto
27 9 54 54 38 35 113 20846
26
Dark Sanctuary
27 47 29 27 77 10 103 20640
27
Collide
26 26 53 82 7 43 130 25201
28
Lycia
26 72 41 63 12 28 122 23614
29
Two Witches
25 13 44 81 7 32 129 15016
30
Faith And The Muse
25 47 40 66 17 29 128 27348
31
Diva Destruction
25 10 53 77 8 36 130 25078
32
The Merry Thoughts
24 14 48 79 2 67 111 12072
33
Love Like Blood
24 19 47 77 1 33 130 19469
34
Black Tape For A Blue Girl
23 75 20 23 76 12 100 16500
35
sToa
22 68 43 35 81 26 106 13958
36
And Also The Trees
22 49 42 53 24 42 122 17839
37
In The Nursery
20 68 37 46 52 17 116 6518
38
Seraphim Shock
20 32 50 80 1 27 121 9338
39
The Shroud
19 1 52 55 12 33 130 8054
40
Miranda Sex Garden
19 32 33 55 29 10 115 14343
41
Ego Likeness
19 15 56 81 6 35 129 11240
42
Bella Morte
18 43 53 82 1 52 133 18245
43
Unto Ashes
18 29 47 36 65 21 118 7846
44
The Awakening
18 39 50 78 6 32 135 8674
45
Autumn Tears
17 34 20 35 67 9 96 10963
46
Ataraxia
17 21 39 47 63 41 125 10715
47
Violet Indiana
16 0 0 0 0 0 0 6433
48
The Eden House
16 66 43 70 1 25 129 8989
49
Soulwhirlingsomewhere
16 63 25 23 73 14 102 3402
50
Hannah Fury
15 18 45 37 76 35 132 8913
51
Corde Oblique
15 0 33 45 16 13 67 4577
52
Claire Voyant
13 19 47 58 17 18 120 6475
53
This Ascension
13 4 31 64 11 20 124 6222
54
All My Faith Lost...
13 62 34 21 94 7 93 6065
55
Attrition
12 10 58 84 14 52 109 4593
56
Big Electric Cat
12 36 47 87 0 55 113 7671
57
Mirabilis
12 73 45 40 39 10 125 4095
58
The Last Dance
12 11 46 84 2 39 121 8567
59
Amber Asylum
12 68 14 24 57 6 105 5855
60
Hungry Lucy
12 41 51 48 56 16 122 6303
61
Trance To The Sun
11 84 44 71 8 15 105 4915
62
Priscilla Hernández
11 4 36 50 39 21 155 3243
63
Gothica
11 74 31 29 58 7 106 7631
64
The Garden Of Delight
10 61 60 77 17 36 121 3607
65
Chandeen
9 10 36 46 40 21 104 3514
66
Faith & Disease
9 42 29 47 33 17 127 3019
67
Collection D'Arnell-Andrea
8 39 45 77 11 46 135 1864
68
Mors Syphilitica
8 62 45 57 33 27 125 2992
69
Die Laughing
7 0 38 93 1 38 124 2192
70
Tearwave
7 94 24 66 8 24 135 1623
71
Violet Tears
7 11 48 54 5 17 113 985
72
Monica Richards
7 0 41 71 0 6 140 4340
73
Lisa Gerrard & Marcello De Francisci
6 0 0 0 0 0 0 1479
74
The House Of Usher
6 0 41 78 0 27 135 4006
75
The Changelings
6 42 43 58 66 4 117 2830
76
Jocelyn Montgomery
6 0 0 0 0 0 0 570
77
The Machine In The Garden
5 0 0 0 0 0 0 1815
78
The Moon Seven Times
5 12 53 38 66 20 118 1035
79
Rise And Fall Of A Decade
5 43 37 56 45 51 114 1245
80
Bacio Di Tosca
5 42 39 38 48 15 116 1871
81
Rhea's Obsession
5 23 43 62 21 21 147 2398
82
Aenima
5 0 50 58 36 48 102 1479
83
Dark Orange
5 0 46 81 2 35 141 1171
84
Rosewater Elizabeth
4 1 22 38 31 14 115 624
85
Sophya
4 87 54 72 3 44 107 621
86
Dark Arts
4 14 45 46 48 48 133 659
87
Stone 588
3 34 38 46 0 12 135 559
88
Eva O
3 0 0 0 0 0 0 3122
89
Audra
2 0 0 0 0 0 0 835
90
Impressions Of Winter
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 990
91
Speaking Silence
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 416
92
Seventh Harmonic
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 236
93
Les Secrets De Morphée
1 93 33 42 64 20 130 408
94
Mercury's Antennae
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 271
95
Arcanta
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 200
96
Mediavolo
1 12 36 46 11 59 192 278
97
Sopor Aeternus
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 16129
98
Scarlet Slipping
1 44 55 27 93 40 140 208
99
Eleven Shadows
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 123
100
Pinknruby
1 0 0 0 0 0 0 429
101
Aenemia
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 146
102
Rheas Obsession
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 86
103
Edera
0 0 49 51 1 14 112 206
104
Autmun Tears
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 196
105
Frolic
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 155
106
Where I Wake Warm
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 192
107
Olen 'K
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 131
108
faded sympathy
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 141
109
The Mirror Reveals
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 101
110
Bleeding Like Mine
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 141
111
Numeralia
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 42
112
Absinthee
0 2 36 67 1 22 177 31
113
Peter Ulrich
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 566
114
The New York Room
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 51