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This is a list of music genres and styles. Music can be described in terms of many genres and styles. Classifications are often arbitrary, and may be disputed and closely related forms often overlap. Larger genres and styles comprise more specific sub-categories.
Classical
See also: List of classical and art music traditions and List of classical music genres- Andalusian classical music
- Indian classical music
- Korean court music
- Persian classical music
- Ottoman music (Turkish classical music)
- Western classical music
- Early music
- Medieval music (500–1400)
- Ars antiqua (1170–1310)
- Ars nova (1310–1377)
- Ars subtilior (1360–1420)
- Renaissance music (1400–1600)
- Baroque music (1600–1750)
- Galant music (1720–1770)
- Classical period (1750–1820)
- Romantic music (1780–1910)
- Medieval music (500–1400)
- 20th and 21st-centuries classical music (1900–present):
- Modernism (1890–1930)
- Impressionism (1875 or 1890–1925)
- Neoclassicism (1920–1950)
- High modernism (1930–present)
- Postmodern music (1930–present)
- Experimental music (1950–present)
- Contemporary classical music (1945 or 1975–present)
- Minimal music
- Early music
Popular
Main article: Popular musicAvant-garde & experimental
Main articles: Avant-garde music and experimental music- Crossover music
- Danger music
- Drone music
- Electroacoustic
- Industrial music
- Instrumental
- Lo-fi
- Musical improvisation
- Musique concrète
- Noise
- Outsider music
- Progressive music
- Psychedelic music
- Underground music
Blues
Main article: Blues- African blues
- Blues rock
- British blues
- Canadian blues
- Chicago blues
- Classic female blues
- Contemporary R&B
- Country blues
- Delta blues
- Desert blues
- Detroit blues
- Electric blues
- Gospel blues
- Hill country blues
- Hokum blues
- Jump blues
- Kansas City blues
- Louisiana blues
- Memphis blues
- New Orleans blues
- Piedmont blues
- Punk blues
- Rhythm and blues
- Soul blues
- St. Louis blues
- Swamp blues
- Talking blues
- Texas blues
- West Coast blues
Country
Main article: Country music See also: List of country genres- Alternative country
- Americana
- Cowpunk/Country-punk
- Gothic country
- Roots rock
- Australian country
- Bakersfield sound
- Bluegrass
- Blue Yodeling
- Bro-country
- Cajun
- Canadian country
- Christian country
- Classic country
- Country and Irish
- Country blues
- Country en Español
- Country folk
- Country pop/Cosmopolitan country
- Country rap/Hick-hop
- Country rock
- Cowboy pop
- Dansband
- Gulf and Western
- Hokum
- Honky tonk
- Instrumental country
- Lubbock sound
- Nashville sound
- Neotraditional country
- Old-time
- Outlaw country
- Pop country
- Progressive country
- Regional Mexican
- Rockabilly/Neo-Rockabilly
- Psychobilly/Punkabilly
- Gothabilly/Hellbilly
- Psychobilly/Punkabilly
- Southern rock
- Southern soul
- Sertanejo
- Talking blues
- Traditional country
- Truck-driving country
- Western/cowboy music
- Zydeco
Easy listening
Main article: Easy listening- Adult contemporary music
- Adult standards
- Background music
- Barococo
- Beautiful music
- Chill-out
- Downtempo
- Furniture music
- Light music
- Lounge music
- Middle of the road
- New-age music
- Soft rock
Electronic
Main article: Electronic music See also: List of electronic music genres, Styles of house music, and List of trance genres- Ambient
- Bass music
- Breakbeat
- Chill-out
- Disco
- Drum and bass
- Dub
- Electronic rock
- Electronica
- Folktronica
- Live electronic (Livetronica)
- Nu jazz (Jazztronica)
- Progressive electronic
- Ethnic electronica and regional EDM
- Asian Underground
- African electronic dance music
- Budots
- Changa tuki
- Dancehall pop
- Denpa music
- Guaracha (EDM)
- Funk carioca
- Merenhouse
- Nortec
- Rabòday
- Rara tech
- Russ music
- Shamstep
- Tecnocumbia
- Tribal guarachero
- Worldbeat
- Experimental electronic
- Funk fusion genres
- Jungle
- Hard dance
- Hardcore
- Hauntology
- Hip hop fusion genres
- House music
- Acid house
- Afro house
- Ambient house
- Balearic beat
- Ballroom
- Bass house [fr]
- Brazilian bass
- Blog house
- Chicago hard house
- Chicago house
- Deep house
- Disco house [fr]
- Diva house
- Electro house
- Electro swing
- Eurohouse [es]
- French house
- Funky house
- Future house
- Garage house
- Ghetto house
- Gqom
- Hip house
- Italo house
- Jackin house
- Jazz house
- Kwaito
- Latin house
- Melodic house
- Microhouse
- Moombahcore
- Moombahton
- New Jersey sound
- Outsider house
- Progressive house
- Soulful house
- Stadium house
- Tech house
- Tribal house
- Tropical house
- Trouse
- UK hard house
- Industrial and post-industrial
- Intelligent dance music (IDM)
- R&B and soul fusion genres
- Techno
- Trance music
- UK garage
- Video game music
Folk
Main articles: Folk music and Contemporary folk- American folk revival
- Americana
- Anti-folk
- British folk revival
- Cajun music
- Celtic music
- Chalga
- Corrido
- Creole music
- Filk
- Folk noir
- Folk rock
- Folktronica
- Freak folk
- Indie folk
- Industrial folk
- Mariachi
- Neofolk
- New Weird America
- Progressive folk
- Protest song
- Psychedelic folk
- Singer-songwriter
- Skiffle
- Sung poetry
- Tarantella/Pizzica
- Traditional blues verses
Hip hop
Main article: Hip hop music See also: List of hip hop genres- Alternative hip hop
- Boom bap
- Bounce
- British hip hop
- Chopped and screwed
- Chopper
- Christian hip hop
- Cloud rap
- Comedy hip hop
- Crunk
- East Coast hip hop
- Freestyle rap
- Funk carioca
- Frat rap
- G-funk
- Hardcore hip hop
- Hyphy
- Instrumental hip hop
- Latin hip hop
- Lofi hip hop
- Miami bass
- Mumble rap
- Nerdcore
- Political hip hop
- Progressive rap
- Religious hip hop
- Snap music
- Southern hip hop
- Trap music
- Turntablism
- Underground hip hop
- West Coast hip hop
- Country rap
- Electro
- Emo rap
- Hip hop soul
- Hip house
- Industrial hip hop
- Jazz rap
- New jack swing
- Pop rap
- Punk rap
- Ragga hip hop
- Rap opera
- Rap rock
- Trip hop
Jazz
Main article: Jazz See also: List of jazz genres- Acid jazz
- Afro-Cuban jazz
- Alt-jazz
- Avant-garde jazz
- Bebop
- Big band
- Boogie-woogie
- Bossa nova
- Brazilian jazz
- British dance band
- Cape jazz
- Chamber jazz
- Continental jazz
- Cool jazz
- Crossover jazz
- Dixieland
- Ethno jazz
- European free jazz
- Free funk
- Free improvisation
- Free jazz
- Gypsy jazz
- Hard bop
- Jazz blues
- Jazz-funk
- Jazz fusion
- Jazz rap
- Jazz rock
- Jazztronica
- Kansas City jazz
- Latin jazz
- Livetronica
- M-base
- Mainstream jazz
- Modal jazz
- Neo-bop jazz
- Neo-swing
- Nu jazz
- Orchestral jazz
- Post-bop
- Progressive jazz
- Punk jazz
- Samba-jazz
- Shibuya-kei
- Ska jazz
- Smooth jazz
- Soul jazz
- Straight-ahead jazz
- Stride jazz
- Swing
- Trad jazz
- Third stream
- Vocal jazz
- West Coast jazz
Pop
Main article: Pop music See also: Styles of pop music- Adult contemporary
- Adult hits
- Alternative pop
- Ambient pop
- Arabic pop music
- Art pop
- Avant-pop
- Baroque pop
- Beach music
- Bedroom pop
- Brill building
- Britpop
- Bubblegum pop
- C-pop
- Canción
- Canzone
- Chalga
- Chamber pop
- Chanson
- Christian pop
- Classic hits
- Classical crossover
- Contemporary hit radio
- Country pop
- Cringe pop
- Dance-pop
- Dark pop
- Disco polo
- Electropop
- Europop
- Fado
- Folk pop
- Hyperpop
- Indie pop
- Indian pop
- Iranian pop
- J-pop
- Jangle pop
- Jazz pop
- K-pop
- Latin ballad
- Latin pop
- New pop
- New Romantic
- Oldies
- Operatic pop
- OPM
- Pop rap
- Pop rock
- Pop soul
- Progressive pop
- Psychedelic pop
- Rebetiko
- Rhythmic adult contemporary
- Rhythmic contemporary
- Rhythmic oldies
- Schlager
- Sophisti-pop
- Space age pop
- Sunshine pop
- Swamp pop
- Synth-pop
- Teen pop
- Traditional pop
- Turbo-folk
- Turkish pop
- Urban adult contemporary
- Urban contemporary music
- Vispop
- Wonky pop
- Worldbeat
- Yé-yé
R&B & soul
Main article: Rhythm and blues- Alternative R&B
- Contemporary R&B
- Disco
- Freestyle
- Funk
- Gospel music
- New jack swing
- Post-disco
- Rhythm and blues
- Soul
Rock
Main article: Rock music See also: List of rock genres- Active rock
- Adult album alternative
- Adult-oriented rock
- Afro rock
- Album oriented rock
- Alternative rock
- American rock
- Anatolian rock
- Arabic rock
- Arena rock
- Beat
- Blues rock
- Brazilian rock
- British rhythm and blues
- British rock music
- Chamber pop
- Chinese rock
- Christian rock
- Classic alternative
- Classic rock
- Comedy rock
- Country rock
- Dark cabaret
- Death 'n' roll
- Deathrock
- Desert rock
- Electronic rock
- Emo
- Experimental rock
- Folk rock
- Funk rock
- Garage rock
- Geek rock
- Glam rock
- Gothic rock
- Hard rock
- Heartland rock
- Heavy metal
- Indian rock
- Iranian rock
- Instrumental rock
- Japanese rock
- Jazz fusion
- Korean rock
- Latin rock
- Mainstream rock
- Mangue bit
- Modern rock
- New wave of classic rock
- Occult rock
- Paisley Underground
- Pop rock
- Progressive rock
- Psychedelic rock
- Pub rock (Australia)
- Pub rock (United Kingdom)
- Punk rock
- Rap rock
- Reggae rock
- Rock and roll
- Rock music in France
- Rock opera
- Roots rock
- Southern rock
- Stoner rock
- Swamp rock
- Sufi rock
- Surf rock
- Tropical rock
- Viking rock
- Visual kei
- Wizard rock
- Worldbeat
- World fusion
Metal
Main article: Metal music See also: Heavy metal genres- Alternative metal
- Avant-garde metal
- Black metal
- Christian metal
- Death metal
- Doom metal
- Extreme metal
- Folk metal
- Glam metal
- Gothic metal
- Industrial metal
- Kawaii metal
- Latin metal
- Math metal
- Metalcore
- Neoclassical metal
- Neue Deutsche Härte
- New wave of American heavy metal
- New wave of British heavy metal
- Nintendocore
- Pirate metal
- Pop metal
- Power metal
- Progressive metal
- Sludge metal
- Speed metal
- Symphonic metal
- Thrash metal
Punk
Main article: Punk rock See also: Punk rock subgenres- Afro-punk
- Anarcho punk
- Art punk
- Avant punk
- Christian punk
- Crust punk
- Deathrock
- Electropunk
- Folk punk
- Garage punk
- German punk
- Glam punk
- Gothic punk
- Grindcore
- Hardcore punk
- Horror punk
- Latino punk
- Nazi punk
- Oi!
- Pop punk
- Post-punk
- Proto-punk
- Psychobilly
- Punk blues
- Punk jazz
- Punk pathetique
- Punk rap
- Reggae punk
- Riot grrrl
- Ska punk
- Skate punk
- Street punk
- Surf punk
- Trallpunk
Regional
See also: List of cultural and regional genres of musicAfrican
- African heavy metal
- African hip hop
- African popular music
- Afro pop
- Afrobeat
- Afrobeats
- Afro house
- Amapiano
- Apala
- Arabesque
- Afro tech
- Benga
- Bikutsi
- Bongo flava
- Boomba
- Bubu music
- Cape jazz
- Chaabi
- Chalga
- Chaoui music
- Chimurenga
- Congolese rumba
- Coupé-Décalé
- Fuji music
- Genge
- Gnawa
- Gqom
- Gumbe
- Highlife
- Hiplife
- Igbo highlife
- Igbo rap
- Ikorodo
- Ikwokirikwo
- Isicathamiya
- Jit
- Jùjú
- Kadongo Kamu
- Kizomba
- Kuduro
- Kwaito
- Kwela
- Lingala
- Makossa
- Maloya
- Ma'luf
- Marabi
- Marrabenta
- Maskandi
- Mbalax
- Mbaqanga
- Mbube
- Morna
- Music of Egypt
- Music of Nigeria
- Ndombolo
- Owerri Bongo
- Ojapiano
- Palm-wine
- Raï
- Rumba
- Sakara
- Sega
- Seggae
- Semba
- Shangaan electro
- Soukous
- Taarab
- Zamrock
- Zouglou
Antarctica
Asian
Main articles: Music of Asia and Music of Southeast Asia- Central Asian
- East Asian
Chinese:
Hong Kong, China:
Taiwanese:
Japanese:
Korean:
- South Asian
- Asian Underground
- Baul
- Bhangra
- Bhawaiya
- Dappankuthu
- Dohori
- Filmi
- Indian classical
- Indian jazz
- Indian pop
- Indian rock
- Lavani
- Morlam
- Ragini
- Sufi rock
- Southeast Asian
Malaysian:
Indonesian:
Thai:
Filipino:
Lao:
Vietnamese:
- Middle Eastern
- Arabic music
- Fann at-Tanbura
- Fijiri
- Khaliji
- Liwa
- Music of Israel
- Persian traditional music
- Sawt
- Music of Turkey
Australasia & Oceania
- Australian folk music
- Australian hip hop
- Indigenous music of Australia
- Music of Hawaii
- Music of New Zealand
- Music of Polynesia
- Music of Samoa
European
- Balkan States
- Baltic States
- Caucasus
- Central European States
- Music of Austria
- Music of Croatia
- Music of the Czech Republic
- Music of Germany
- Music of Hungary
- Music of Liechtenstein
- Music of Poland
- Music of Serbia
- Music of Slovakia
- Music of Slovenia
- Music of Switzerland
- Nordic/Scandinavian States
- Slavic States
- Western European
- Music of Andorra
- Music of Belgium
- Music of France
- Music of Ireland
- Music of Italy
- Music of Luxembourg
- Music of Malta
- Music of Monaco
- Music of the Netherlands
- Music of Portugal
- Music of Spain
- Music of the United Kingdom
Latin & South American
Main article: Latin music See also: List of Latin music subgenres and Reggae genres- Brazilian
- Axé
- Brazilian rock
- Brega
- Choro
- Forró
- Frevo
- Funk carioca
- Lambada
- Zouk-Lambada
- Maracatu
- Música popular brasileira
- Música sertaneja
- Samba
- Caribbean
- Baithak Gana
- Bouyon
- Cadence-lypso
- Calypso
- Cha-cha-chá
- Chutney
- Compas
- Dancehall
- Mambo
- Mento
- Merengue
- Méringue
- Mozambique
- Pichakaree
- Punta
- Punta rock
- Rasin
- Reggae
- Rocksteady
- Rumba
- Salsa
- Ska
- Soca
- Son cubano
- Songo
- Timba
- Twoubadou
- Zouk
- Hispanic
- Boogaloo
- Bullerengue
- Flamenco
- Grupera
- Hispanic rhythmic
- Latin Christian
- Latin pop
- Latin rock
- Latin jazz
- Mariachi
- Ranchera
- Reggaeton
- Regional Mexican
- Tango
- Tropical
North American
Religious
Main article: Religious music | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2021) |
- Sikh music
- Buddhist music
- Christian music
- Islamic music
- Modern pagan music
- Music of ancient Greece
- New-age music
- Shamanic music
Traditional folk
Main article: Folk music See also: List of folk music traditions | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (November 2021) |
Other
- Ballroom dance music: pasodoble, cha cha cha and others
- Bedroom production
- Children's music
- Computer music
- Dance music
- Drug use in music
- Incidental music or music for stage and screen: music written for the score of a film, play, musicals, or other spheres, such as filmi, video game music, music hall songs and showtunes and others
- Independent music
- LGBT music
- Patriotic music: military music, marches, national anthems, War songs and related compositions
- Regional and national music with no significant commercial impact abroad, except when it is a version of an international genre, such as: traditional music, oral traditions, sea shanties, work songs, nursery rhymes, Arabesque and indigenous music. In North America and Western Europe, regional and national genres that are not from the Western world are sometimes classified as world music.
- Theatre music
- Virtuoso
- Yodeling
These categories are not exhaustive. A music platform, Gracenote, listed more than 2000 music genres (included by those created by ordinary music lovers, who are not involved within the music industry, these being said to be part of a 'folksonomy', i.e. a taxonomy created by non-experts). Most of these genres were created by music labels to target new audiences, however classification is useful to find music and distribute it.
See also
This list is split into four separate pages:
- List of styles of music: A–F
- List of styles of music: G–M
- List of styles of music: N–R
- List of styles of music: S–Z
- List of country genres
- List of electronic music genres
- Styles of house music
- List of industrial music genres
- List of trance genres
- List of hip hop genres
- List of jazz genres
- Reggae genres
- List of rock genres
- Heavy metal genres
- Punk rock subgenres
- List of hardcore punk subgenres
- List of microgenres
- List of music styles that incorporate the accordion
- Styles of pop music
Bibliography
- Borthwick, Stuart, & Moy, Ron (2004) Popular Music Genres: An Introduction. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
- Fabbri, Franco (1982) A Theory of Popular Music Genres: Two Applications. In Popular Music Perspectives, edited by David Horn and Philip Tagg, 52–81. Göteborg and Exeter: A. Wheaton & Co., Ltd.
- Frith, Simon (1996) Performing Rites: On the Value of Popular Music. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
- Holt, Fabian (2007) Genre in Popular Music. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
- Negus, Keith (1999) Music Genres and Corporate Cultures. London and New York: Routledge.
External links
| Lists of music genres and styles | |
|---|---|
| General lists | |
| Genres | |
| Themes and movements | |
| Cultural and regional genres | |
