Elliott Smith was on to something with his wistful and often melancholy strumming music in the 1990s, attracting a cult-like following of emo fans before indie music was even popular. Smith's career was full of ups and downs, but his haunting vocals, emotional lyrics and short lifespan did much more than prove him to be the predecessor of the ever-popular folksy emo music of the 2000s amongst throngs of angsty teens.

Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska but raised in Portland, Oregon, the eventual scene for punk-rock heaven. He began writing songs at age 14, and released the LP Dead Air in 1993 with his band Heatmiser. Dropping the group scene to go solo, Smith released his debut solo album Roman Candle in 1994, and was quickly snapped up by Kill Rock Stars prior to his 1997 release Either/Or. 1997 was a landmark year for the indie rocker, whose song "Miss Misery" was used in the '97 film Good Will Hunting, even earning him an Oscar nod for Best Original Song and the opportunity to perform at the televised Oscars. After this surprise amount of fame was showered onto the emo king, he continued down the path of stardom with his 1998 album XO, released by DreamWorks. XO was an instant hit, reaching the Billboard 200 and even going all the way to the number one slot on the Heatseekers chart.

By the late ‘90s, Elliott Smith was a god on the indie scene. His 2000 album Figure 8 sealed his fate as a famous rocker, but he wouldn't live to see his popularity all pan out. In the midst of recording his album From a Basement on a Hill in 2003, Smith's body was found by the Los Angeles Police Department, the cause of death still left to be determined. From a Basement on a Hill was released in 2004 anyway, and Kill Rock Stars released a double-disc compilation entitled New Moon in 2007 in Smith's honor.