Genres of music are something that can’t be explained. But as each one is found, it seems like an infinite number of others are waiting to be discovered and enjoyed by music fans worldwide.
Most genres come from mixing two or more styles, with musicians taking parts of different types and putting them together. Many kinds of music have come about because of how quickly music technology has changed.
If we went through all the different kinds of music in this article, it would take days!
So, we’ve narrowed it down to the most popular types of music. In this guide, we’ll talk about where each musical style came from, where it fits in the world of modern music, and what its main characteristics are.
1. Pop
The most obvious addition to this list is probably pop music. But you could say that pop is a collection of other popular styles at a particular time.
In the 1960s, rock bands like The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, and The Beach Boys were called “pop music.” Pop was used to describe hip-hop artists like Eminem and Kanye West 40 years later.
Electronic dance music and trap, a subgenre of hip-hop that uses elements from other styles, has dramatically impacted pop music in the modern era. Most of the time, these songs are at the top of the charts on streaming services and popular radio stations.
2. Rock
Rock music, one of the most popular types of music, began as rock and roll in the 1940s and 1950s. But its roots go back to the 1920s when rhythm and blues from African-American culture mixed with country music.
Rock music took off in the West when recording techniques and musical instruments got better in the 1960s. Because of this, the genre is often associated with high-gain electric guitar tones, bass guitar, drum kits, and strong vocals.
Rock has dramatically impacted many kinds of music, and many subgenres have emerged from its main ideas. Even though rock music may not be as popular as it was in the 1960s and 1970s, rock bands still fill huge stadiums.
3. Hip-Hop & Rap
Hip-hop has come a long way in its short history. It is now one of the most popular and creative types of music. In the late 1970s, DJs in the New York City borough of the Bronx used samples and breakbeats to make tracks for MCs to rap over. This was the beginning of hip-hop.
In the 1990s, hip-hop was everywhere, just like rock music. Artists like Dr Dre, Tupac, Biggie Small, and many others became famous worldwide, paving the way for a new generation of rappers and hip-hop producers in the new millennium.
Hip-hop is much easier to make now that we have digital tools. Producers and rappers can put together albums with just a microphone and a laptop. This has given hip-hop and its many subgenres a lot of attention.
4. Country
Country music has been around since the early part of the 20th century. It was made mainly by working-class people in the south of the United States. These people would use the country to tell stories about their everyday lives and their points of view through music.
Woodie Guthrie, Johnny Cash, and Hank Williams are three of the most crucial country artists. Today, the style is still trendy in the United States but is often mixed with other popular types.
5. R&B
Since the 1940s, rhythm and blues, or R&B, has been a part of African-American culture. In the years that followed, record labels used the term to describe music made for this community in the US, and the style eventually influenced many rock musicians of the 1960s.
R&B music from today often combines acoustic and electronic instruments with bluesy melodies and soulful vocals.
6. Folk
Folk music has been around for a long time in many places worldwide. Usually, people in this genre get together to sing and play songs with others in their community.
Folk music became popular in the 1960s thanks to artists like Bob Dylan and Joan Baez. This type of music is still popular today and is often associated with old-fashioned melodies, acoustic instruments, and lyrics with deep meanings.
7. Jazz
At the beginning of the 20th century, musicians in the city of New Orleans tried mixing European and African musical styles. This led to the birth of jazz, which has become one of the most popular and unique types of music.
Jazz is known for its swinging rhythms, various instruments, and smooth melodies. Even though it rarely tops the charts, it has a huge fan base worldwide.
8. Heavy Metal
Heavy metal is a subgenre of rock music known for its loud volumes, crashing cymbals, pounding rhythms, and distorted, often drop-tuned guitars. Black Sabbath and Motorhead are two of the best heavy metal bands.
The live metal scene is as strong as ever, and bands always develop new ways to make the genre more interesting by adding effects and playing in complicated ways.
9. EDM
Electronic dance music, or EDM, is a vast category. This genre describes songs with classic dance music elements like four-to-the-floor drum beats, synthesizers, and loops that play over and over again.
There are many different types of EDM, and I’ll talk about some of them later in this guide. There is also a big live scene for this type of music, with DJs playing sold-out shows worldwide.
10. Soul
Soul music is a mix of past R&B, gospel, and jazz. It started in the late 1950s and early 1960s in African American communities with artists like Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, and later Aretha Franklin and Marvin Gaye.
Soul and R&B are often lumped together in modern times because they have changed a lot over the years, leading to many similarities.
11. Funk
Like the soul, funk was made when African Americans mixed jazz and R&B. Funk has a solid rhythmic pulse, bass lines that stand out, and rhythm guitar playing that skips around.
James Brown was called “The Godfather of Soul,” and many of his songs are the basis for funk music.
