LIST OF TYPE OF MUSIC | MUSIC GENRES
Blues is about tradition and personal expression. At its core, the blues
has remained the same since its inception. Most blues feature simple,
usually three-chord, progressions and have simple structures that are
open to endless improvisations, both lyrical and musical. The blues grew
out of African spirituals and worksongs. In the late 1800s, southern
African-Americans passed the songs down orally, and they collided with
American folk and country from the Appalachians. New hybrids appeared by
each region, but all of the recorded blues from the early 1900s are
distinguished by simple, rural acoustic guitars and pianos. After World
War II, the blues began to fragment, with some musicians holding on to
acoustic traditions and others taking it to jazzier territory.
world In the Western world, "World music" refers either to music that doesn't fall into the North American and British pop or folk traditions or to hybrids of various indigenous musics. Certain styles -- such as Jamaican reggae or Latin pop -- grew large enough to be classified as their own genre, but everything else, from traditional Chinese music to African folk, is classified as world music. Worldbeat is something different than world music, since it's usually the result of Western hybrids and fusions, yet it still falls under the world music umbrella because it borrows styles, sounds and instrumentation from various indigenous musics.
Electronica Reaching back to grab the grooves of '70s disco/funk and the gadgets of electronic composition, Electronica soon became a whole new entity in and of itself, spinning off new sounds and subgenres with no end in sight two decades down the pike. Its beginnings came in the post-disco environment of Chicago/New York and Detroit, the cities who spawned house and techno (respectively) during the 1980s. Later that decade, club-goers in Britain latched onto the fusion of mechanical and sensual, and returned the favor to hungry Americans with new styles like jungle/drum'n'bass and trip-hop.
Gangsta rap developed in the late '80s. Evolving out of hardcore rap, gangsta rap had an edgy, noisy sound. Lyrically, it was just as abrasive, as the rappers spun profane, gritty tales about urban crime. Sometimes the lyrics were an accurate reflection of reality; other times, they were exaggerated comic book stories. Either way, it became the most commercially successful form of hip-hop in the late '80s and early '90s. In the process, gangsta rap caused considerable controversy, as conservative organizations tried to get the albums banned. Even when the activist groups forced certain bands off major labels, the groups continued to make their music uncensored.
Grunge Using the sludgy, murky sound of the Stooges and Black Sabbath as a foundation, Grunge was a hybrid of heavy metal and punk. Though the guitars were straight from early '70s metal, the aesthetic of grunge was far from metal. Both the lyrical approach and musical attack of grunge were adopted from punk, particularly the independent ideals of early '80s American hardcore. The first wave of grunge bands -- Green River, Mudhoney, Soundgarden -- were heavier than the second, which began with Nirvana. Nirvana was more melodic than their predecessors and they also had signature stop-start dynamics, which became a genre convention nearly as recognizable as fuzzy, distorted guitars.
R&B Evolving out of jump blues in the late '40s, R&B laid the groundwork for rock & roll. R&B kept the tempo and the drive of jump blues, but its instrumentation was sparer and the emphasis was on the song, not improvisation. It was blues chord changes played with an insistent backbeat. During the '50s, R&B was dominated by vocalists like Ray Charles and Ruth Brown, as well as vocal groups like the Drifters and the Coasters. Eventually, R&B metamorphosed into soul, which was funkier and looser than the pile-driving rhythms of R&B. Soul came to describe a number of R&B-based music styles. From the bouncy, catchy acts at Motown to the horn-driven, gritty soul of Stax/Volt, there was an immense amount of diversity within soul.
Rap Rap's germination is sometimes attributed to the righteous street poetry of the Last Poets and the Watts Prophets, but it didn't begin to take full shape — and earn its tag — until after the Sugarhill Gang released "Rapper's Delight" in 1979. Since then, rap spread from its New York epicenter throughout the remainder of the U.S. (with each region taking on its own specific flavor) and then to countless countries. Rap's core components are beats and rhymes, but that simplicity belies the wide range of sounds that have sprung from them. Instrumentalists, a sampled breakbeat, or a drum machine can form the backbone of a track, while an arrangement can be spaciously spare or chaotically dense, and a chorus can range from atonal shouting to a sweet melody.
- Alternative
- Alternative Rock
- College Rock
- Experimental Rock
- Goth Rock
- Grunge
- Hardcore Punk
- Hard Rock
- Indie Rock
- New Wave
- Progressive Rock
- Punk
- Anime
- Blues
- Acoustic Blues
- Chicago Blues
- Classic Blues
- Contemporary Blues
- Country Blues
- Delta Blues
- Electric Blues
- Children’s Music
- Lullabies
- Sing-Along
- Stories
- Classical
- Avant-Garde
- Baroque
- Chamber Music
- Chant
- Choral
- Classical Crossover
- Early Music
- High Classical
- Impressionist
- Medieval
- Minimalism
- Modern Composition
- Opera
- Orchestral
- Renaissance
- Romantic
- Wedding Music
- Comedy
- Novelty
- Standup Comedy
- Country
- Alternative Country
- Americana
- Bluegrass
- Contemporary Bluegrass
- Contemporary Country
- Country Gospel
- Honky Tonk
- Outlaw Country
- Traditional Bluegrass
- Traditional Country
- Urban Cowboy
- Dance
- Breakbeat
- Dubstep
- Exercise
- Garage
- Hardcore
- House
- Jungle/Drum’n'bass
- Techno
- Trance
- Disney
- Easy Listening
- Bop
- Lounge
- Swing
- Electronic
- Ambient
- Downtempo
- Electronica
- IDM/Experimental
- Industrial
- Enka
- French Pop
- German Folk
- German Pop
- Fitness & Workout
- Hip-Hop/Rap
- Alternative Rap
- Dirty South
- East Coast Rap
- Gangsta Rap
- Hardcore Rap
- Hip-Hop
- Latin Rap
- Old School Rap
- Rap
- Underground Rap
- West Coast Rap
- Holiday
- Chanukah
- Christmas
- Christmas: Children’s
- Christmas: Classic
- Christmas: Classical
- Christmas: Jazz
- Christmas: Modern
- Christmas: Pop
- Christmas: R&B
- Christmas: Religious
- Christmas: Rock
- Easter
- Halloween
- Holiday: Other
- Thanksgiving
- Indie Pop
- Industrial
- Inspirational – Christian & Gospel
- CCM
- Christian Metal
- Christian Pop
- Christian Rap
- Christian Rock
- Classic Christian
- Contemporary Gospel
- Gospel
- Christian & Gospel
- Praise & Worship
- Southern Gospel
- Traditional Gospel
- Instrumental
- March (Marching Band)
- J-Pop
- J-Rock
- J-Synth
- J-Ska
- J-Punk
- Jazz
- Avant-Garde Jazz
- Big Band
- Contemporary Jazz
- Cool
- Crossover Jazz
- Dixieland
- Fusion
- Hard Bop
- Latin Jazz
- Mainstream Jazz
- Ragtime
- Smooth Jazz
- Trad Jazz
- K-Pop
- Karaoke
- Kayokyoku
- Latino
- Alternativo & Rock Latino
- Baladas y Boleros
- Brazilian
- Contemporary Latin
- Latin Jazz
- Pop Latino
- Raíces
- Reggaeton y Hip-Hop
- Regional Mexicano
- Salsa y Tropical
- New Age
- Environmental
- Healing
- Meditation
- Nature
- Relaxation
- Travel
- Opera
- Pop
- Adult Contemporary
- Britpop
- Pop/Rock
- Soft Rock
- Teen Pop
- R&B/Soul
- Contemporary R&B
- Disco
- Doo Wop
- Funk
- Motown
- Neo-Soul
- Quiet Storm
- Soul
- Reggae
- Dancehall
- Dub
- Roots Reggae
- Ska
- Rock
- Adult Alternative
- American Trad Rock
- Arena Rock
- Blues-Rock
- British Invasion
- Death Metal/Black Metal
- Glam Rock
- Hair Metal
- Hard Rock
- Metal
- Jam Bands
- Prog-Rock/Art Rock
- Psychedelic
- Rock & Roll
- Rockabilly
- Roots Rock
- Singer/Songwriter
- Southern Rock
- Surf
- Tex-Mex
- Singer/Songwriter
- Alternative Folk
- Contemporary Folk
- Contemporary Singer/Songwriter
- Folk-Rock
- New Acoustic
- Traditional Folk
- Soundtrack
- Foreign Cinema
- Musicals
- Original Score
- Soundtrack
- TV Soundtrack
- Spoken Word
- Vocal
- Standards
- Traditional Pop
- Vocal Jazz
- Vocal Pop
world In the Western world, "World music" refers either to music that doesn't fall into the North American and British pop or folk traditions or to hybrids of various indigenous musics. Certain styles -- such as Jamaican reggae or Latin pop -- grew large enough to be classified as their own genre, but everything else, from traditional Chinese music to African folk, is classified as world music. Worldbeat is something different than world music, since it's usually the result of Western hybrids and fusions, yet it still falls under the world music umbrella because it borrows styles, sounds and instrumentation from various indigenous musics.
Electronica Reaching back to grab the grooves of '70s disco/funk and the gadgets of electronic composition, Electronica soon became a whole new entity in and of itself, spinning off new sounds and subgenres with no end in sight two decades down the pike. Its beginnings came in the post-disco environment of Chicago/New York and Detroit, the cities who spawned house and techno (respectively) during the 1980s. Later that decade, club-goers in Britain latched onto the fusion of mechanical and sensual, and returned the favor to hungry Americans with new styles like jungle/drum'n'bass and trip-hop.
Gangsta rap developed in the late '80s. Evolving out of hardcore rap, gangsta rap had an edgy, noisy sound. Lyrically, it was just as abrasive, as the rappers spun profane, gritty tales about urban crime. Sometimes the lyrics were an accurate reflection of reality; other times, they were exaggerated comic book stories. Either way, it became the most commercially successful form of hip-hop in the late '80s and early '90s. In the process, gangsta rap caused considerable controversy, as conservative organizations tried to get the albums banned. Even when the activist groups forced certain bands off major labels, the groups continued to make their music uncensored.
Grunge Using the sludgy, murky sound of the Stooges and Black Sabbath as a foundation, Grunge was a hybrid of heavy metal and punk. Though the guitars were straight from early '70s metal, the aesthetic of grunge was far from metal. Both the lyrical approach and musical attack of grunge were adopted from punk, particularly the independent ideals of early '80s American hardcore. The first wave of grunge bands -- Green River, Mudhoney, Soundgarden -- were heavier than the second, which began with Nirvana. Nirvana was more melodic than their predecessors and they also had signature stop-start dynamics, which became a genre convention nearly as recognizable as fuzzy, distorted guitars.
R&B Evolving out of jump blues in the late '40s, R&B laid the groundwork for rock & roll. R&B kept the tempo and the drive of jump blues, but its instrumentation was sparer and the emphasis was on the song, not improvisation. It was blues chord changes played with an insistent backbeat. During the '50s, R&B was dominated by vocalists like Ray Charles and Ruth Brown, as well as vocal groups like the Drifters and the Coasters. Eventually, R&B metamorphosed into soul, which was funkier and looser than the pile-driving rhythms of R&B. Soul came to describe a number of R&B-based music styles. From the bouncy, catchy acts at Motown to the horn-driven, gritty soul of Stax/Volt, there was an immense amount of diversity within soul.
Rap Rap's germination is sometimes attributed to the righteous street poetry of the Last Poets and the Watts Prophets, but it didn't begin to take full shape — and earn its tag — until after the Sugarhill Gang released "Rapper's Delight" in 1979. Since then, rap spread from its New York epicenter throughout the remainder of the U.S. (with each region taking on its own specific flavor) and then to countless countries. Rap's core components are beats and rhymes, but that simplicity belies the wide range of sounds that have sprung from them. Instrumentalists, a sampled breakbeat, or a drum machine can form the backbone of a track, while an arrangement can be spaciously spare or chaotically dense, and a chorus can range from atonal shouting to a sweet melody.
