Shoegaze and dream pop are two subgenres of alternative rock that are often confused and mixed. It is not easy to distinguish them. After all, some sound elements are common to both and the main artists of these styles are generally associated with both.
Some scholars of pop music consider that the elements that gave characteristics to dream pop were born in the 1960s and 1970s with works by bands like Beach Boys and Velvet Underground, and albums produced by Phil Spector, like All Things Must Pass of 1970 by George Harrison . It is understood that dream pop acquired a sound form in the early 1980s, mainly with the Scottish band Cocteau Twins. Many consider shoegaze to be a derivation of dream pop.
But, what is the difference between them? In a brief and simple way, shoegaze presents a harsher sound, in which the ethereal vocals are buried under layers of guitars, creating nebulous songs. In dream pop, there is more clarity in vocals and melodies, with soft sonorous textures that evoke dreams.
Their experiments gave an air of renewal to the aesthetics and sound structures of pop music. Their influence, over the years, contributes to the emergence of bands, which, although not labeled within these styles, flirt with their elements.