List of popular music genres
Popular music is music with wide appeal[1][2][3] that is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. These forms and styles can be enjoyed and performed by people with little or no musical training.[1] It stands in contrast to both art music[4][5][6] like Western classical music or Indian classical music, and traditional or "folk" music.
A music genre is a conventional category that identifies some pieces of music as belonging to a shared tradition or set of conventions.[7]
This is a list of the commercially relevant modern popular music genres, with applicable styles classified using AllMusic[8] genre categorization.
Exclusions
Genres or styles that are not contemporary or commercially marketed in substantial numbers have been excluded from this list, as follows:
- Music written for the score of a play, musicals, or similar: Filmi, incidental music, video game music, music hall songs and showtunes
- Ballroom dance music: pasodoble, cha cha cha and others
- Religious music: Gregorian chant, spirituals, hymns and similar
- 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.
By region
African
- Afrobeat
- African hip hop
- African heavy metal
- Apala
- Benga
- Boomba
- Bongo Flava
- Bikutsi
- Cape Jazz
- Chimurenga
- Congolese rumba
- Coupé-Décalé
- Fuji
- Genge
- Highlife
- Hiplife
- Igbo highlife
- Igbo rap
- Isicathamiya
- Jit
- Jùjú
- Gqom
- Kadongo Kamu
- Kizomba
- Kuduro
- Kwaito
- Kwela
- Makossa
- Maloya
- Marabi
- Marrabenta
- Mbalax
- Mbaqanga
- Mbube
- Morna
- Ndombolo
- Palm-wine
- Raï
- Sega
- Shangaan electro
- Soukous
- Taarab
- Zouglou
East Asian
- C-pop
- Chinese rock
- Chinese rhythm and blues
- Chinese hip hop
- Chinese folk music
Hong Kong:
- Hong Kong pop
- Hong Kong rock
- Hong Kong rhythm and blues
- Hong Kong hip hop
- Hong Kong folk music
- Hong Kong English pop
Taiwanese:
- Taiwanese pop
- Taiwanese rock
- Taiwanese rhythm and blues
- Taiwanese hip hop
- Taiwanese folk music
Japanese:
Korean:
- K-pop
- Korean rock
- Korean rhythm and blues
- Korean hip hop
- Korean folk music
- Trot
South Asian
- Asian Underground
- Baila
- Baul
- Bhangra
- Bhawaiya
- Goa trance
- Indian Classical
- Hindustani Classical
- Carnatic
- Indian jazz
- Indian pop
- Indian rock
- Lavani
- Morlam
- Ragini
- Sufi rock
Southeast Asian
- Malaysian folk music
- Malaysian pop
- Malaysian rock
- Malaysian rhythm and blues
- Malaysian hip hop
Singaporean:
- Singaporean folk music
- Singaporean pop
- Singaporean rock
- Singaporean rhythm and blues
- Singaporean hip hop
Indonesian:
Thai:
Pilipino:
- Manila Sound
- Original Pilipino
- Pinoy pop
Loas:
Vietnamese:
Avant-garde
Blues
- African blues
- Blues rock
- Canadian blues
- Chicago blues
- Classic female blues
- Contemporary R&B
- Country blues
- Delta blues
- Detroit blues
- Electric blues
- Gospel blues
- Hill country 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
- Texas blues
- West Coast blues
Caribbean and Caribbean-influenced
- Baithak Gana
- Dancehall
- Bouyon
- Cadence-lypso
- Calypso
- Cha-cha-chá
- Chutney
- Compas
- Mambo
- Merengue
- Méringue
- Mozambique
- Pichakaree
- Punta
- Punta Rock
- Rasin
- Reggae
- Dub
- Lovers rock
- Ragga
- Ragga jungle
- Reggae fusion
- Reggaeton
- Rocksteady
- Rumba
- Ska
- Salsa
- Son cubano
- Songo
- Soca
- Power Soca
- Timba
- Twoubadou
- Zouk
Comedy
Country
- Alternative country
- Americana
- Australian country
- Bakersfield sound
- Bluegrass
- Progressive bluegrass
- Cajun
- Christian country
- Classic country
- Close harmony
- Country blues
- Country pop
- Country rap
- Country rock
- Cowboy
- Dansband
- Hokum
- Honky tonk
- Música sertaneja
- Nashville sound
- Neotraditional country
- Outlaw country
- Progressive country
- Red Dirt
- Rockabilly
- Hellbilly
- Psychobilly
- Texas country
- Traditional country
- Truck-driving country
- Western swing
- Zydeco
Easy listening
Electronic
- Ambient
- Ambient dub
- Dark ambient
- Drone
- Space
- Illbient
- Psybient
- Breakbeat
- Acid breaks
- Baltimore club
- Jersey club
- Big beat
- Broken beat
- Florida breaks
- Nu skool breaks
- Disco
- Afro/Cosmic
- Disco polo
- Euro disco
- Italo disco
- Nu-disco
- Space disco
- Downtempo
- Drum and bass
- Dub
- Dancehall
- Dub poetry
- Dub reggae
- Dub techno
- Dubstep
- Dubtronica
- Electro
- Electronic dance music
- Electronic rock
- Electronica
- Ethnic electronica
- Asian underground
- Worldbeat
- Hardcore
- Gabber
- 4-beat
- Breakbeat hardcore
- Bouncy techno
- Breakcore
- Hardbass
- Digital hardcore
- Darkcore
- Industrial hardcore
- Happy hardcore
- Mákina
- Speedcore
- UK hardcore
- Hardstyle
- Hi-NRG
- Hip hop
- House (see below)
- Industrial
- Aggrotech
- Electrogrind
- Dark electro
- Electronic body
- Futurepop
- New beat
- Industrial metal
- Industrial rock
- Japanoise
- Neue Deutsche Härte
- Power electronics
- Death industrial
- Power noise
- Intelligent dance
- Glitch
- Glitch Hop
- Wonky
- Ragga jungle
- Raggacore
- Glitch
- Post-disco
- Techno
- Trance
- Acid trance
- Balearic trance
- Dream trance
- Euro-trance
- Hard trance
- Nitzhonot
- Psychedelic trance
- Full on
- Suomisaundi
- Goa trance
- Progressive trance
- Tech trance
- Uplifting trance
- Vocal trance
- UK garage
House
- Acid house
- Ambient house
- Balearic beat
- Chicago house
- Deep house
- Diva house
- Electro house
- Big room house
- Complextro
- Dutch house
- Fidget house
- French house
- Funky house
- Future house
- Garage house
- Ghetto house
- Ghettotech
- Juke house
- Hard house
- Hard dance
- Hip house
- Italo house
- Nu jazz
- Kidandali
- Kwaito
- Latin house
- Microhouse
- Moombahton
- Progressive house
- Rara tech
- Tech house
- Tribal house
- Tropical house
- Witch house
Flamenco
- Toná
- Soleás
- Fandangos
- Tango
- Cantes de ida y vuelta
Folk
Hip hop
- Alternative hip hop
- Australian hip hop
- Bongo Flava
- Boom bap
- British hip hop
- Chap hop
- Chopper
- Christian hip hop
- Cloud rap
- Conscious hip hop
- Crunk
- Crunkcore
- Drill
- Electro
- Emo hip hop
- Experimental hip hop
- G-funk
- Ghetto house
- Ghettotech
- Golden age hip hop
- Grime
- Hardcore hip hop
- Hip house
- Hiplife
- Hip pop
- Hyphy
- Industrial hip hop
- Instrumental hip hop
- Jazz rap
- Jersey club
- Kwaito
- Lyrical hip hop
- Low Bap
- Merenrap
- Motswako
- Mumble rap
- Nerdcore
- New jack swing
- New school hip hop
- Old school hip hop
- Political hip hop
- Ragga
- Reggaeton
- Snap
- Trap
- Urban Pasifika
- Emo rap
- K-rap
- J-rap
- Horrorcore
Jazz
- Acid jazz
- Afro-Cuban jazz
- Avant-garde jazz
- Bebop
- Boogie-woogie
- Bossa nova
- 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 blues
- 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
- Psychedelic jazz
- Punk jazz
- Ragtime
- Shibuya-kei
- Ska jazz
- Smooth jazz
- Soul jazz
- Stride jazz
- Straight-ahead jazz
- Swing
- Third stream
- Trad jazz
- Vocal jazz
- West Coast jazz
Latin
- Axé
- Brazilian rock
- Brega
- Choro
- Forró
- Frevo
- Funk Carioca
- Lambada
- Maracatu
- Música popular brasileira
- Música sertaneja
- Samba
- Latin Christian
- Latin jazz
- Afro-Cuban jazz
- Bossa Nova
- Latin pop
- Latin rock
- Latin alternative
- Rock en Español
- Reggaeton
- Regional Mexican
- Traditional
- Folk
- Turbo-folk
- Bullerengue
- Fado
- Huayno
- Mexican son
- Música criolla
- Nueva canción
- Folk
- Tropical
Pop
- Adult contemporary
- Arabic pop
- Baroque pop
- Brill Building
- Britpop
- Bubblegum pop
- Canción
- Canzone
- Chalga
- Chanson
- Christian pop
- Classical crossover
- Country pop
- C-pop
- Dance-pop
- Disco polo
- Electropop
- Europop
- Austropop
- Eurobeat
- French pop
- Italo dance
- Italo disco
- Laïkó
- Latin pop
- Nederpop
- Russian pop
- Fado
- Folk pop
- Iranian pop
- Indie pop
- J-pop
- Jangle pop
- K-pop
- Swamp pop
- Mexican pop
- New Romantic
- Operatic pop
- Pop soul
- P-Pop
- Progressive pop
- Psychedelic pop
- Rebetiko
- Schlager
- Sophisti-pop
- Space age pop
- Sunshine pop
- Surf
- Synthpop
- Teen pop
- Traditional pop
- Turkish pop
- Vispop
- Wonky pop
- Worldbeat
R&B and soul
- Contemporary R&B
- Disco
- Funk
- Freestyle
- Alternative R&B
- New jack swing
- Rhythm and blues
- Soul
- Blue-eyed soul
- Northern soul
- Neo soul
- Psychedelic Soul
- Southern soul
Rock
- Alternative rock
- Britpop
- Post-Britpop
- Shoegaze
- Dream Pop
- Grunge
- Indie rock
- Dunedin Sound
- Math rock
- Post-punk revival
- Sadcore
- Slowcore
- Britpop
- Beat
- Christian rock
- Dark cabaret
- Electronic rock
- Experimental rock
- Folk rock
- Garage rock
- Glam rock
- Hard rock
- Heavy metal (see below)
- Jazz rock
- New wave
- World fusion
- Paisley Underground
- Desert rock
- Pop rock
- Progressive rock
- Psychedelic rock
- Punk rock (see below)
- Rap rock
- Rock and roll
- Southern rock
- Stoner rock
- Sufi rock
- Surf rock
- Visual kei
- Worldbeat
- Wrock
Heavy metal
- Alternative metal
- Avant-garde metal
- Black metal
- Christian metal
- Death metal
- Doom metal
- Epic metal
- Folk metal
- Funk metal
- Glam metal
- Gothic metal
- Pirate metal
- Grindcore
- Nintendocore
- Industrial metal
- Kawaii metal
- Latin metal
- Metalcore
- Metalstep
- Neoclassical metal
- Neue Deutsche Härte
- Nu metal
- Post-metal
- Power metal
- Progressive metal
- Rap metal
- Speed metal
- Symphonic metal
- Thrash metal
Punk rock
See also
- Danger music – an experimental form of avant-garde music based on the concept that some pieces of music can or will harm either the listener or the performer
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.
- Popular Music. (2015). Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia
- Middleton, Richard; Manuel, Peter (2001). "Popular Music". Grove Music Online. Oxford Index. ISBN 9781561592630.
- "Definition of "popular music" | Collins English Dictionary". www.collinsdictionary.com. Retrieved 2015-11-15.
- Arnold, Denis (1983). The New Oxford Companion Music, Volume 1: A-J. Oxford University Press. p. 111. ISBN 978-0-19-311316-9.
- Arnold, Denis (1983). The New Oxford Companion to Music, Volume 2: K-Z. Oxford University Press. p. 1467. ISBN 978-0-19-311316-9.
- Philip Tagg (1982). "Analysing popular music: theory, method and practice" (PDF). Popular Music. 2: 37–67. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.628.7469. doi:10.1017/S0261143000001227.
- Samson, Jim. "Grove Music Online: Genre". Oxford Music Online. Retrieved July 13, 2019.
- Music Genres at AllMusic