List of music genres and styles

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.

Art (classical)[]

Andalusian classical music
Indian classical music
Korean court music
Persian 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)
- 20th and 21st-centuries classical music (1901–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

Avant-garde and experimental[]

Danger music
Electroacoustic
Lo-fi
Musique concrète
Noise
Outsider music
Industrial music
Progressive music

Popular[]

Blues[]

African blues
Blues rock
Blues shouter
British blues
Canadian blues
Chicago blues
Classic female blues
Contemporary R&B
Country blues
Delta 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
- Doo-wop
Soul blues
St. Louis blues
Swamp blues
Texas blues
West Coast blues

Country[]

Alternative country
- Cowpunk
Americana
Australian country
Bakersfield sound
Bluegrass
- Progressive bluegrass
- Reactionary bluegrass
Country blues
Country pop
Country rap
Country rock
Cajun
- Cajun fiddle
Christian country
Close harmony
Dansband
Hokum
Honky tonk
Instrumental country
Nashville sound
Neotraditional country
New Mexico music
Outlaw country
Progressive country
Red dirt
Rockabilly
- Hellbilly
- Psychobilly
Sertanejo
Tejano
Texas country
Traditional country music
Truck-driving country
Western (Cowboy)
- Cowboy pop
- New Mexico
- Texas country
- Tejano
Western swing
Zydeco

Easy listening[]

Background music
- Elevator music (muzak)
Barococo
Beautiful music
Chill-out
Furniture music
Light music
Lounge music
Middle of the road
New-age music
Bossa Nova

Electronic[]

Ambient
- Ambient dub
- Dark ambient
  - Ambient industrial
  - Dungeon synth
  - Isolationism
- Drone
- Illbient
- Lowercase
- New-age
  - Andean new-age
  - Neoclassical new-age
  - Space music
- Reductionism
  - Lowercase
  - Onkyokei
Bass music
- Footwork
- Future bass
  - Kawaii future bass
- Jungle terror
- UK bass
- Wave
  - Hardwave
Breakbeat
- Acid breaks
- Baltimore club
  - Jersey club
  - Philly club
- Big beat
- Breakbeat hardcore
  - 4-beat
  - Darkcore
  - Hardcore breaks
- Broken beat
- Florida breaks
- Nu skool breaks
- Progressive breaks
- Psychedelic breakbeat
Chill-out
- Downtempo
- Psybient
  - Psydub
- Trip hop
- Trip rock
Chopped and screwed
Disco
- Afro/cosmic music
- Electro-disco
  - Hi-NRG
    - Eurobeat
    - Eurodance
      - Italo dance
  - Italo disco
    - Spacesynth
  - Space disco
- Eurodisco
- Nu-disco
- Post-disco
  - Boogie
  - City pop
Disco edits
Drum and bass
- Darkstep
- Drumfunk
- Drumstep
- Hardstep
- Intelligent drum and bass
  - Atmospheric drum and bass
- Jazzstep
- Jump-up
- Liquid funk
- Neurofunk
- Sambass
- Techstep
Dub
- Dub poetry
- Dubtronica
Electroacoustic music
- Acousmatic music
- Electroacoustic improvisation
- Live electronics
- Musique concrète
- Soundscape
Electronic rock
- Dance-rock
  - Alternative dance
    - Madchester
      - Baggy
    - New rave
  - Dance-punk
- Krautrock
- New wave
  - Cold wave
  - Dark wave
    - Neoclassical dark wave
    - Neue Deutsche Todeskunst
  - Ethereal wave
    - Nu-gaze
  - Minimal wave
  - Neue Deutsche Welle
  - New romantic
  - Sophisti-pop
  - Synth-pop
    - Dance-pop
      - Disco polo
    - Electroclash
      - Electropop
        Hyperpop
    - Indietronica
- Post-rock
- Space rock
- Synth-metal
  - Electrogrind
  - Electronicore
- Synth-punk
Electronica
- Folktronica
- Jazztronica
- Laptronica
- Livetronica
- Progressive electronic
  - Kosmische musik
Ethnic electronica / regional EDM
- Asian underground
- African electronic dance music
  - Afrobeats
    - Azonto
  - Coupé-décalé
  - Kuduro
  - Mahraganat
  - Shangaan electro
- Budots
- Changa tuki
- Dancehall pop
- Funk carioca
  - Funk ostentação
  - Melodic funk
  - Proibidão
  - Rasteirinha
- Merenhouse
- Nortec
- Rabòday
- Rara tech
- Russ music
- Shamstep
- Tribal guarachero
- Worldbeat
  - Manila sound
Funk fusion genres
- Acid jazz
- Funktronica
- Synth-funk
Jungle
- Ragga jungle
Hardcore
- Bouncy techno
- Breakcore
- Digital hardcore
- Frenchcore
- Gabber
  - Early hardcore
  - Mainstream hardcore
- Happy hardcore
  - UK hardcore
- Industrial hardcore
- J-core
- Lento violento
- Mákina
- Speedcore
  - Extratone
  - Flashcore
  - Hypertone
  - Splittercore
Hardstyle
- Dubstyle
- Euphoric frenchcore
- Euphoric hardstyle
- Jumpstyle
- Rawstyle
- Trapstyle
Hauntology
- Chillwave
- Hypnagogic pop
- Synthwave
  - Darksynth
  - Sovietwave
- Vaporwave
  - Dreampunk
  - Future funk
  - Hardvapour
  - Mallsoft
Hip hop fusion genres
- Afroswing
- Alternative hip hop
  - Hipster hop
- Cloud rap
- Crunk
  - Crunkcore
  - Snap music
- Electro
  - Latin freestyle
- Emo rap
- Instrumental hip hop
- Lofi hip hop
- Miami bass
- Mumble rap
- Trap
  - Afro trap
  - Drill
    - UK drill
  - Latin trap
  - Phonk
  - Trap (EDM)
  - UK trap
House music
- Acid house
- Afro house
  - Amapiano
  - Gqom
  - Kidandali
  - Kwaito
- Ambient house
- Balearic beat
- Ballroom
- Bass house
- Blog house
- Brazilian bass
  - Slap house
- Chicago hard house
- Chicago house
- Deep house
- Disco house
- Diva house
  - Hardbag
- Electro house
  - Big room house
  - Complextro
  - Dutch house
  - Fidget house
  - Melbourne bounce
- Electro swing
- Eurohouse
- French house
- Funky house
- Future house
- Garage house
- Ghetto house
  - Ghettotech
  - Juke house
- Hip house
- Italo house
- Jazz house
- Latin house
- Melodic house
- Microhouse
- Moombahcore
- Moombahton
  - Moombahsoul
- New Jersey sound
- Outsider house
- Progressive house
- Soulful house
- Tech house
- Tribal house
- Tropical house
- UK hard house
  - Hard NRG
  - Pumping house
    - Hardbass
  - Scouse house
Industrial / post-industrial
- Deconstructed club
- Electro-industrial
  - Dark electro
    - Aggrotech
- Electronic body music (EBM)
  - Futurepop
  - New beat
- Industrial hip hop
- Industrial metal
  - Cyber metal
  - Neue Deutsche Härte
- Industrial rock
- Martial industrial
- Witch house
Intelligent dance music (IDM)
- Drill 'n' bass
- Glitch
  - Glitch hop
Neo soul
Nightcore
Noise music
- Danger music
- Harsh noise
  - Harsh noise wall
- Japanoise
- Power electronics
  - Death industrial
- Power noise
Plunderphonics
- Sampledelia
Techno
- Acid techno
- Ambient techno
- Birmingham sound
- Bleep techno
- Detroit techno
- Dub techno
- Hardtechno
  - Free tekno
    - Jungletek
    - Raggatek
- Industrial techno
- Minimal techno
- Schaffel
- Toytown techno
Tecno brega
Trance music
- Acid trance
- Balearic trance
- Dream trance
- Eurotrance
  - Hands up
- Goa trance
  - Nitzhonot
- Hard trance
- Progressive trance
- Psychedelic trance
  - Dark psytrance
  - Full-on
  - Minimal psytrance
  - Progressive psytrance
  - Suomisaundi
  - Zenonesque
- Tech trance
- Uplifting trance
- Vocal trance
UK garage
- 2-step garage
- Bassline
- Breakstep
- Dubstep
  - Brostep
  - Post-dubstep
  - Reggaestep
  - Riddim
- Future garage
- Grime
  - Grindie
- Speed garage
- UK funky
  - Funkstep
- Wonky
Video game music
- Chiptune
  - Bitpop
  - Nintendocore
  - Skweee
- FM synthesis
- Sequencer music

Contemporary folk[]

American folk revival
Americana
Anti-folk
British folk revival
Celtic music
Chalga
Corrido
Filk
Folk rock
- Celtic rock
Freak folk
Indie folk
Industrial folk
Mariachi
- Ranchera
Neofolk
Progressive folk
Protest song
Psychedelic folk
Singer-songwriter
- Nueva canción
Skiffle
Tarantella/Pizzica

Hip hop[]

Alternative hip hop
- Hipster hop
Boom bap
Bounce
British hip hop
- Road rap
Chopped and screwed
Chopper
Cloud rap
Comedy hip hop
Crunk
- Crunkcore
Country rap
East Coast hip hop
Emo rap
Freestyle rap
G-funk
Hardcore hip hop
- Dirty rap
- Gangsta rap
  - Mafioso rap
- Horrorcore
- Memphis rap
Hip hop soul
Hyphy
- Jerkin'
Industrial hip hop
Instrumental hip hop
Jazz rap
Latin hip hop
- Chicano rap
Lofi hip hop
Miami bass
Mumble rap
Nerdcore
- Chap hop
New jack swing
Political hip hop
- Conscious hip hop
Pop rap
Progressive rap
Punk rap
Ragga hip hop
Rap opera
Rap rock
- Rap metal
  - Trap metal
- Rapcore
Religious hip hop
- Christian hip hop
- Jewish hip hop
Snap
Southern hip hop
Trap
- Drill
  - Brooklyn drill
  - UK drill
- Latin trap
- Phonk
- Tread
Turntablism
Underground hip hop
West Coast hip hop

Jazz[]

Acid jazz
Afro-Cuban jazz
Alt-jazz
Avant-garde jazz
Bebop
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
Kansas City jazz
Latin jazz
Livetronica
M-base
Mainstream jazz
Modal jazz
Neo-bop jazz
Neo-swing
Novelty ragtime
Nu jazz
Orchestral jazz
Post-bop
Progressive jazz
Punk jazz
Ragtime
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[]

Adult album alternative
Adult contemporary
Ambient pop
Arabic pop
Art pop
Baroque pop
Bedroom pop
Brill building
Britpop
Bubblegum pop
C-pop
- Cantopop
- Hokkien pop
- Mandopop
Canción
Canzone
Chalga
Chamber pop
Chanson
Christian pop
Classic hits
Classical crossover
Country pop
Cringe pop
Dance-pop
Disco polo
Electropop
Europop
- Austropop
- Eurobeat
- French pop
- Italo dance
- Italo disco
- Laïkó
- Nederpop
- Neomelodic music
- Russian pop
Fado
Folk pop
Hyperpop
Indie pop
- Twee pop
Indian pop
Iranian pop
J-pop
- City pop
- Shibuya-kei
Jangle pop
Jazz pop
K-pop
- Korean hip hop
- Korean rock
- T'ong guitar
- Trot
Latin ballad
Latin pop
- Mexican pop
New Romantic
Oldies
Operatic pop
OPM
- Pinoy pop
Pop rap
Pop rock
- Pop punk
  - Emo pop
  - Neon pop
- Power pop
- Soft rock
- Surf pop
- Yacht rock
Pop soul
Progressive pop
Psychedelic pop
Rebetiko
Schlager
Sophisti-pop
Space age pop
Sunshine pop
Swamp pop
Synthpop
Teen pop
Traditional pop
Turbo-folk
Turkish pop
Vispop
Wonky pop
Worldbeat
Yé-yé

R&B and soul[]

Alternative R&B
Contemporary R&B
Disco
Freestyle
- Go-go
Funk
- Deep funk
- Minneapolis Sound
- Psychedelic funk
Gospel music
New jack swing
Post-disco
- Boogie
Rhythm and blues
- Doo-wop
Soul
- Blue-eyed soul
- Hip hop soul
- Neo soul
- Northern soul
- Psychedelic soul
- Southern soul

Rock[]

Afro rock
Alternative rock
- Alternative dance
- Britpop
  - Post-Britpop
- Dream pop
  - Goth Rock
  - Shoegaze
    - Blackgaze
- Grunge
  - Post-grunge
- Indie rock
  - Dunedin sound
  - Math rock
  - Post-punk revival
- Madchester
  - Baggy
- Noise pop
- Sadcore
- Slowcore
Arena rock
Beat
- British Invasion
- Freakbeat
- Nederbeat
Blues rock
- Boogie rock
British rhythm and blues
Chamber pop
Christian rock
Classic rock
Comedy rock
Country rock
Dark cabaret
Electronic rock
- Electronicore
- New wave
  - Cold wave
  - Dark wave
    - Ethereal wave
Experimental rock
- Art rock
- Industrial rock
- Post-punk
- Post-rock
  - Post-metal
Folk rock
- British folk rock
- Celtic rock
- Medieval folk rock
Funk rock
Garage rock
Glam rock
Hard rock
Heartland rock
Instrumental rock
Jazz fusion
- Jazz rock
Latin rock
Mangue bit
Metal
Paisley Underground
Desert rock
Pop rock
- Jangle pop
- Power pop
- Soft rock
  - Yacht rock
Progressive rock
- Art rock
- Avant-prog
  - Rock in Opposition
- Canterbury scene
- Flamenco rock
- Krautrock
- Neo-progressive rock
- New prog
- Post-progressive
- Space rock
- Symphonic Rock
Psychedelic rock
- Acid rock
- Neo-psychedelia
- Raga rock
Pub rock (Australia)
Pub rock (United Kingdom)
Punk rock
Rap rock
- Rapcore
Reggae rock
Rock and roll
- Rockabilly
Rock opera
Roots rock
Southern rock
Stoner rock
Swamp rock
Sufi rock
Surf rock
Tropical rock
Visual kei
- Nagoya kei
Wizard rock
Worldbeat
World fusion

Metal[]

Alternative metal
- Funk metal
- Nu metal
- Rap metal
Avant-garde metal
Black metal
- blackened death metal
- Atmospheric black metal
- Blackgaze
- Melodic black metal
- National Socialist black metal
- Symphonic black metal
- Viking metal
Christian metal
- Unblack metal
Death metal
- Death 'n' roll
- Deathgrind
- Melodic death metal
- Technical death metal
Doom metal
- Death-doom
Drone metal
Folk metal
- Celtic metal
- Medieval metal
- Pagan metal
Glam metal
Gothic metal
Heavy metal
Industrial metal
Kawaii metal
Latin metal
Metalcore
- Deathcore
- Mathcore
- Melodic metalcore
Neoclassical metal
Neue Deutsche Härte
Nintendocore
Pirate metal
Post-metal
Power metal
Progressive metal
- Djent
Sludge metal
Speed metal
Symphonic metal
Thrash metal
- Crossover thrash
- Groove metal

Punk[]

Anarcho punk
- Crust punk
  - D-beat
Art punk
Christian punk
Deathrock
Digital hardcore
Folk punk
- Celtic punk
- Cowpunk
- Gypsy punk
Garage punk
Grindcore
- Crustgrind
- Goregrind
- Noisegrind
- Pornogrind
Hardcore punk
- Crossover thrash
- Melodic hardcore
- Post-hardcore
  - Emo
    - Emo pop
    - Screamo
- Powerviolence
- Street punk
- Thrashcore
Horror punk
Nazi punk
Oi!
Pop punk
- Easycore
- Neon pop
Psychobilly
Punk pathetique
Riot grrrl
Ska punk
Skate punk

Regional[]

African[]

African heavy metal
African hip hop
African popular music
Afro house
Afro pop
Afrobeat
Afrobeats
Amapiano
Apala
Arabesque
Benga
Bikutsi
Bongo flava
Boomba
Cape jazz
Chaabi
Chalga
Chaoui music
Chimurenga
Congolese rumba
Coupé-Décalé
Fuji music
Genge
Gnawa
Gqom
Highlife
Hiplife
Igbo highlife
Igbo rap
Isicathamiya
Jit
Jùjú
Kadongo Kamu
Kizomba
Kuduro
Kwaito
Kwela
Makossa
Maloya
Ma'luf
Marabi
Marrabenta
Mbalax
Mbaqanga
Mbube
Morna
Ndombolo
Palm-wine
Raï
Sakara
Sega
Seggae
Semba
Shangaan electro
Soukous
- Kwassa kwassa
Taarab
Zamrock
Zouglou

Eastern Europe[]

Rautalanka (Finnish surf-rock)
Tuvan

Asian[]

Central Asian

Shashmaqam
Pashto music
Kazakh folk music
Kyrgyz folk music
Mongolian folk music
Tajik folk music

East Asian Chinese:

C-pop
- Cantopop
- Hokkien pop
- Mandopop
Chinese hip hop
Chinese folk music
Chinese rock

Hong Kong, China:

Hong Kong English pop
Hong Kong hip hop

Taiwanese:

Taiwanese hip hop
Taiwanese pop
Taiwanese rock

Japanese:

Enka
J-pop
Japanese hip hop
Japanese jazz
Japanese rock
Kayōkyoku

Korean:

K-pop
Korean folk music
Korean hip hop
Korean rock
Trot

South Asian

Asian Underground
Baul
Bhangra
Bhawaiya
Dohori
Filmi
Indian classical
- Carnatic
- Hindustani classical
Indian jazz
Indian pop
Indian rock
- Raga rock
Kuthu
Lavani
Morlam
Ragini
Sufi rock

Sri Lankan:

Baila
Sri Lankan hip hop

Southeast Asian

Gamelan

Malaysian:

Malaysian hip hop
Malaysian pop
Malaysian rock

Indonesian:

Dangdut
Indo pop
- Sundanese pop
Keroncong

Thai:

Luk thung
- Luk krung
Thai pop
- Thai string pop

Filipino:

Manila sound
- Original Pilipino
Pinoy pop
Pinoy rock

Lao:

L-pop
Mor lam

Vietnamese:

V-pop

Middle Eastern[]

Arabic music
- Arabic pop music
Fann at-Tanbura
Fijiri
Khaliji
Liwa
Sawt

Caribbean and Caribbean-influenced[]

Baithak Gana
Bouyon
Cadence-lypso
Calypso
Cha-cha-chá
Chutney
- Chutney soca
- Chutney parang
Compas
Dancehall
Mambo
Mento
Merengue
Méringue
Mozambique
Pichakaree
Punta
Punta rock
Rasin
Reggae
- Dub
- Lovers rock
- Ragga
- Reggae fusion
- Ragga jungle
  - Reggae rock
- Reggaeton
- Roots reggae
Rocksteady
Rumba
Salsa
Ska
- Ska punk
- Two-tone
Soca
- Power soca
Son cubano
Songo
Timba
Twoubadou
Zouk

Latin[]

{{columns-list|colwidth=20em| Brazilian

Axé
Brazilian rock
Brega
- Tecnobrega
Choro
Forró
Frevo
Funk carioca
Lambada
- Zouk-Lambada
Maracatu
Música popular brasileira
- Tropicalia
Música sertaneja
Samba
- Pagode
- Samba rock

Hispanic

Boogaloo
Bullerengue
Flamenco
- Cantes de ida y vuelta
- Fandangos
- Soleá
  - Alegrías
  - Bulerías
  - Peteneras
- Tango
- Toná
  - Martinetes
  - Tonás
Grupera
Latin Christian
Latin pop
- Latin ballad
Latin rock
- Latin alternative
- Rock en Español
Latin jazz
- Afro-Cuban jazz
- Bossa nova
Mariachi
Ranchera
Reggaeton
- Latin trap
Regional Mexican
- Banda
- Norteño
Tango
Tropical
- Bachata
- Bolero
- Criolla
- Cumbia
  - Chicha
  - Porro
- Guajira
- Mambo
- Merengue
- Rumba
- Salsa
  - Salsa romántica
- Son
- Tejano
- Timba
- Tropipop
- Vallenato

Religious[]

Buddhist music
Christian music
- Church music
- Spirituals
- Gregorian chant
Islamic music
Hymn
Liturgical music

Traditional folk[]

Latin folk
- Fado
- Huayno
- Son mexicano
- Música criolla
- Indie Folk

Other[]

Children's music
Dance music
Incidental music or music for stage and screen: music written for the score of a play, musicals, or other spheres, such as filmi, video game music, music hall songs and showtunes and others
Ballroom dance music: pasodoble, cha cha cha and others
Occasional music: military music, marches, national anthems 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.
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.

References[]

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[]

Template:Western music genres