6

Every Musical Genre Ever

 3 years ago
source link: https://qntm.org/genres
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"Bands with a million styles"

...is a line from a song by Huey Lewis And The News called "The Heart Of Rock And Roll". I first heard the line many years ago but it's stuck with me since. Are there really a million styles of music? If not, how many are there?

Here, I aim to find out.

The criteria to add a genre is very, very simple: No making up genres. To be added, there must exist some music of that genre. If I do a Google search for your genre I expect to find something concrete (and that's more than just a last.fm tag!). Other than that: wide open.

Obviously the list below is incomplete. Mail me your suggestions.

Perhaps I should clarify: the aim here is to compile a long list. Not a definitive one. :)

Genres, alphabetical

  1. 16-bit
  2. 2step
  3. 8-bit
  4. A cappella metal
  5. A cappella
  6. A.O.R.
  7. Abstract
  8. Abstract hip hop
  9. Accelerated funk
  10. Acid house
  11. Acid jazz
  12. Acid punk
  13. Acid tekno
  14. Acoustic
  15. Adult-orientated rock
  16. Adventure metal
  17. African
  18. Afro-Caribbean
  19. Aggrotech
  20. Aleatory
  21. Algorithmic
  22. Alpine
  23. Alpunk
  24. Alternative
  25. Alternative country
  26. Alternative country rock
  27. Alternative rock
  28. Amateur
  29. Ambient
  30. Ambient industrial
  31. Ambient psy
  32. American primitive guitar
  33. Americana
  34. Anarcho-punk
  35. Andean
  36. Anime
  37. Anthem
  38. Anthem rock
  39. Anthem trance
  40. Anti-folk
  41. Appalachian folk
  42. Aquacrunk
  43. Arabian metal
  44. Arena rock
  45. Ars nova
  46. Ars subtilior
  47. Art rock
  48. Art song
  49. Art-pop
  50. Asian American jazz
  51. Ataricore
  52. Atmospheric
  53. Atmospheric sludge metal
  54. Australian aboriginal
  55. Avant-garde
  56. Avant-garde jazz
  57. Avant-garde metal
  58. Avant-pop
  59. Avant-progressive rock
  60. Bachata
  61. Baggy
  62. Bakersfield sound
  63. Ballad
  64. Barbershop
  65. Barcarole
  66. Baroque
  67. Barrelhouse
  68. Bass & drum
  69. Battle metal
  70. Batucada
  71. Bebop
  72. Berlin school electronic/Kosmiche
  73. Bhangra
  74. Big Band
  75. Big beat
  76. Bitpop
  77. Black metal
  78. Blip hop
  79. Bluegrass
  80. Blues
  81. Bongo flava
  82. Boogie
  83. Boogie woogie
  84. Booty bass
  85. Booty house
  86. Booty music
  87. Boredcore
  88. Bossa nova
  89. Bouncy techno
  90. Bouyon
  91. Braindance
  92. Brass band
  93. Brazilian funk
  94. Breakbeat
  95. Breakbeat hardcore
  96. Breakcore
  97. Britpop
  98. Britrock
  99. Broadway
  100. Brutal death metal
  101. Bubblegum pop
  102. Bubbling
  103. Business funk
  104. Cabaret
  105. Cajun
  106. Calypso
  107. Calypso jazz
  108. Candombe
  109. Cantata
  110. Canterbury scene
  111. Cantopop
  112. Caribbean
  113. Carnatic
  114. Carnival
  115. Casiocore
  116. Celtic
  117. Celtic metal
  118. Chaabi
  119. Cha-cha-cha
  120. Chamber music
  121. Chanson
  122. Chaotic hardcore
  123. Charleston
  124. Chicago blues
  125. Chicago house
  126. Children's music
  127. Chillgressive
  128. Chillout
  129. Chillstep
  130. Chinese opera
  131. Chip tune
  132. Chipstyle
  133. Choppage
  134. Choral
  135. Christian
  136. Christian country
  137. Christian gangsta rap
  138. Christian hip-hop
  139. Christian metal
  140. Christian pop
  141. Christian punk
  142. Christian rap
  143. Christian rock
  144. Christian ska
  145. Christian worship
  146. Circus
  147. Classic electronic
  148. Classic rock
  149. Classical
  150. Classical crossover
  151. Classical mass
  152. Classical modern
  153. Classical romantic
  154. Classical spoken word
  155. Classigrass
  156. Click folk
  157. Cliq-hop
  158. Close harmony
  159. Clownstep
  160. Club-house
  161. Cockney
  162. Coldwave
  163. College rock
  164. Comedy
  165. Computer
  166. Concerto
  167. Conga
  168. Contemporary Christian
  169. Contrapuntal
  170. Cool jazz
  171. Country
  172. Country blues
  173. Country noir
  174. Country punk
  175. Country rock
  176. Country-western
  177. Couplet
  178. Cover
  179. Cowpunk
  180. Creole
  181. Crossover
  182. Crunk
  183. Crust
  184. Crust hardcore
  185. Cubist funk
  186. Cyber trance
  187. Dance
  188. Dance hall
  189. Dance metal
  190. Dancehall reggae
  191. Dangak
  192. Dark ambient
  193. Dark folk
  194. Dark metal
  195. Darkcore
  196. Darkstep
  197. Darkwave
  198. Deathcore
  199. Death industrial
  200. Death metal
  201. Deep house
  202. Delta blues
  203. Detroit bass
  204. Detroit techno
  205. Deutschrock
  206. Devotional
  207. Dhrupad
  208. Digital
  209. Diluted gabber
  210. Disco
  211. Disco house
  212. Dixieland
  213. Djent
  214. Dodecaphonic
  215. Doo wop
  216. Doom metal
  217. Doom/death metal
  218. Doo-wop
  219. Downbeat
  220. Downtempo
  221. Dream
  222. Dream trance
  223. Drill and bass
  224. Drone
  225. Drone metal
  226. Drum and bass
  227. Drum solo
  228. Drumfunk
  229. Dubstep
  230. Early electronic
  231. Early music
  232. Easy listening
  233. Edits
  234. Electro
  235. Electro industrial
  236. Electroacoustic
  237. Electroacoustic improvisation
  238. Electroclash
  239. Electrofunk
  240. Electronic
  241. Electronic body music
  242. Electronic dance music
  243. Electronic grindcore
  244. Electroswing
  245. Elegy
  246. Elektro
  247. Elevator music
  248. Emocore
  249. Epic metal
  250. Epic trance
  251. Ethereal
  252. Ethnic
  253. Etude
  254. Eurobeat
  255. Eurodance
  256. Euro-house
  257. Europop
  258. Euro-techno
  259. Euro-trance
  260. Experimental
  261. Experimental rock
  262. Expressionism
  263. Fast-fusion
  264. Favela funk
  265. Field recording
  266. Filmi sangeet
  267. Flamenco
  268. Folk metal
  269. Folk punk
  270. Folk rock
  271. Folklore
  272. Folktronica
  273. Freak folk
  274. Free improvisation
  275. Free jazz
  276. Freeform hardcore
  277. Freestyle
  278. FreeTekno
  279. Frenchcore
  280. Fugue
  281. Funcore
  282. Funeral doom metal
  283. Funkabilly
  284. Funk carioca
  285. Funky
  286. Funky house
  287. Fusion
  288. Futurepop
  289. Futurock
  290. Gabba
  291. Gabber
  292. Gabber house
  293. Gagaku
  294. Gaita
  295. Galante
  296. Gamecore
  297. Gamelan
  298. Gangsta rap
  299. Gangsta-funk
  300. Garage
  301. Garage-house
  302. Geek rock
  303. G-funk
  304. Gharnati
  305. Ghazal
  306. Ghetto
  307. Ghetto house
  308. Ghetto-funk
  309. Ghettotech
  310. Glam metal
  311. Glam rock
  312. Glitch
  313. Glitchcore
  314. Glitch-folk
  315. Glitch-hop
  316. Glock Rock
  317. Gloomcore
  318. Gnawa
  319. Go-go
  320. Gore grind
  321. Gospel
  322. Gothenburg metal
  323. Gothic
  324. Gothic metal
  325. Gothic rock
  326. Gregorian chant
  327. Grime
  328. Grindcore
  329. Grindwhore
  330. Groove metal
  331. Grunge
  332. Grungecore
  333. Gstanzl
  334. Guiju
  335. Guoyue
  336. Gypsy
  337. Gypsy jazz
  338. Gypsy punk
  339. Hair metal
  340. Hair rock
  341. Hamburger Schule
  342. Happy gabber
  343. Happy hardcore
  344. Hard bop
  345. Hard dance
  346. Hard house
  347. Hard rock
  348. Hard trance
  349. Hardcore
  350. Hardcore/sXe
  351. Hardcore emo
  352. Hardcore trance
  353. Hardstep
  354. Hardstyle
  355. Harsh noise
  356. Harsh noise wall
  357. Hatecore
  358. Heavy metal
  359. Hellektro
  360. Heterophonic
  361. HI NRG
  362. Hick rock
  363. Hillbilly
  364. Hindustani classical
  365. Hip-hop
  366. Hip-hopera
  367. Hiphouse
  368. Hipjazz
  369. Horror glam punk
  370. Horror punk
  371. Horrorcore
  372. House
  373. Hua'er
  374. Humorcore
  375. Humour
  376. Humppa
  377. Hyangak
  378. Ibiza goth
  379. Illbient
  380. Impressionist
  381. Improvisation
  382. Indeterminacy
  383. Indie
  384. Indie pop
  385. Indie rock
  386. Indietronica
  387. Industrial
  388. Industrial hip-hop
  389. Industrial metal
  390. Industrial noise
  391. Insect electronica
  392. Instrumental
  393. Instrumental pop
  394. Instrumental rock
  395. Insurgent country
  396. Integral serialism
  397. Intelligent dance music
  398. Intelligent drum and bass
  399. Intelligent jungle
  400. Intergalactic punk rock hip-hop
  401. Interpretive
  402. Italo
  403. Italo Disco
  404. Jamgrass
  405. Javanese
  406. Jazz blues
  407. Jazz fusion
  408. Jazz rap
  409. Jazz rock
  410. Jazz vintage
  411. Jazz-funk
  412. Jazzstep
  413. Jeongak
  414. Jewish
  415. J-metal
  416. J-pop
  417. J-rap
  418. J-rock
  419. J-trance
  420. J-urban
  421. Juke house
  422. Jumpstyle
  423. Jump-Up
  424. Jungle
  425. Junkanoo
  426. Juoiggus
  427. Kabuki
  428. Kantrum
  429. Karaoke
  430. Karnatak
  431. Khoomei
  432. Khyal
  433. Klezmer
  434. Klezmer-punk
  435. Kompa
  436. Kouta
  437. Kozmigroov
  438. K-pop
  439. K-rap
  440. K-rock
  441. K-urban
  442. Krautrock
  443. Kuaiban
  444. Kunqu
  445. Ländler
  446. Latin
  447. Latin freestyle
  448. Latin jazz
  449. Latin pop
  450. Library
  451. Lied(er)
  452. Lift music
  453. Liquid chillstep
  454. Liquid dubstep
  455. Liquid funk
  456. Lo-fi
  457. Lo-fi country
  458. Lounge
  459. Loungecore
  460. Lowercase
  461. Luk thung
  462. M.O.R.
  463. Madrigal
  464. Malhun
  465. Mambo
  466. March
  467. Mariarchi
  468. Martial
  469. Martian industrial
  470. Mashup
  471. Math metal
  472. Math rock
  473. Mathcore
  474. Mazurka
  475. M-Base
  476. Mechanical Death
  477. Mediaeval
  478. Meditative
  479. Melodic black metal
  480. Melodic death metal
  481. Melodic rock
  482. Melodic trance
  483. Mento
  484. Merengue
  485. Metal
  486. Metalcore
  487. Metalstep
  488. Mexican rock
  489. Miami bass
  490. Microhouse
  491. Microsound
  492. Microtonal
  493. Middle Eastern
  494. Military
  495. Mincecore
  496. Minimal techno
  497. Minimalist
  498. Minsogak
  499. Modal jazz
  500. Modern classical
  501. Moombahton
  502. Mor lam
  503. Motet
  504. Motown sound
  505. Murder metal
  506. Music-core
  507. Música Popular Brasileira
  508. Musical
  509. Musique concrète
  510. Muzak
  511. N.S.B.M.
  512. Nashville sound
  513. National folk
  514. Native American
  515. Native American metal
  516. Nederhop
  517. Negerpunk
  518. Neo progressive
  519. Neo soul
  520. Neo-medieval folk
  521. Neoclassical metal
  522. Neoclassicist
  523. Neofolk
  524. Neotraditional
  525. Nerdcore hip-hop
  526. Neue Deutsche Härte
  527. Neue Deutsche Welle
  528. Neurofunk
  529. New Age
  530. New beat
  531. New jack swing
  532. New metal
  533. New romantic
  534. New school breaks
  535. New Wave
  536. New Wave Of British Heavy Metal
  537. New Wave Of Swedish Death Metal
  538. New-school metallic hardcore
  539. Newgrass
  540. Nightcore
  541. Nightstep
  542. Nintendocore
  543. Niyabinghi
  544. No depression
  545. No wave
  546. Nocturne
  547. Noise
  548. Noise pop
  549. Noise rock
  550. Noisecore
  551. Norteño
  552. Northern soul
  553. Novelty
  554. Nu funk
  555. Nu gabber
  556. Nu Italo
  557. Nu jazz
  558. Nu punk
  559. Nu school breaks
  560. Nu soul
  561. Nu tango
  562. Nu-metal
  563. Nunstep
  564. Octet
  565. Old school hip hop
  566. Old school progressive electronic
  567. Oldies
  568. Oldskool
  569. Old-time
  570. Onkyokei
  571. Opera
  572. Operetta
  573. Oratorio
  574. Orchestral
  575. Oriental metal
  576. Pagan
  577. Pagan metal
  578. Piedmont blues
  579. Pingju
  580. Pipe & drum
  581. Pirate metal
  582. Pirate rock
  583. Pleng phua cheewit
  584. Plutonium rock
  585. Political
  586. Polka
  587. Polsk Punk
  588. Pop punk
  589. Pop/funk
  590. Pop-folk
  591. Porn groove
  592. Porngrind
  593. Porno gore
  594. Post-black metal
  595. Post-emo indie rock
  596. Post-emo style rock
  597. Post-grunge
  598. Post-hardcore
  599. Post-industrial semi-punk nekronoise ambient happy hardcore triphop shoegaze
  600. Post-minimalism
  601. Post modern bovine smut funk
  602. Post-punk
  603. Post-rock
  604. Postromantic
  605. Post-thrash metal
  606. Power ballad
  607. Power electronics
  608. Power metal
  609. Power noise
  610. Power pop
  611. Powergrind
  612. Pranks
  613. Prelude
  614. Primus
  615. Progressive
  616. Progressive country
  617. Progressive death metal
  618. Progressive folk
  619. Progressive house
  620. Progressive metal
  621. Progressive rock
  622. Progressive sludge
  623. Progressive trance
  624. Psybient
  625. Psychedelic
  626. Psychedelic folk
  627. Psychedelic noise
  628. Psychedelic rock
  629. Psychobilly
  630. Psycore
  631. Psytekk
  632. Psy-trance
  633. Pubrock
  634. Punk cabaret
  635. Punk country
  636. Punk hardcore
  637. Punk oi
  638. Punk pop
  639. Punk rock
  640. Punkgrass
  641. Purple sound
  642. Pyjama funk
  643. Qawwali
  644. Quan họ
  645. Quartet
  646. Queercore
  647. Quickstep
  648. Quintet
  649. R.A.C.
  650. Ragga
  651. RaggaJungle
  652. Ragtime
  653. Ranchera
  654. Rap opera
  655. Recitative
  656. Red dirt
  657. Reductionism
  658. Reggae
  659. Reggaeton
  660. Regressive country
  661. Religious
  662. Rembetiko
  663. Renaissance
  664. Retro
  665. Retrowave
  666. Revival
  667. Rhapsody
  668. Rhythm
  669. Rhythm and bass
  670. Rhythm and blues
  671. Rhythmic noise
  672. Rhythmic soul
  673. Riot grrrl
  674. Robot hip hop
  675. Rock and roll
  676. Rock in Opposition
  677. Rockabilly
  678. Rocksteady
  679. Rococo
  680. Romantic
  681. Romantic doom metal
  682. Roots country
  683. Roots rock
  684. Rumba
  685. Rural contemporary
  686. Sacred steel
  687. Sadcore
  688. Salsa
  689. Samba
  690. Satire
  691. Schlager
  692. Schrammelmusik
  693. Schranz
  694. Screamo
  695. Seasonal
  696. Serial
  697. Serialism
  698. Sextet
  699. Scenecore
  700. Shibuya-kei
  701. Shoegaze
  702. Shomyo
  703. Shona
  704. Showtunes
  705. Sichuan
  706. Sickcore
  707. Ska noise
  708. Ska punk
  709. Skacore
  710. Skiffle
  711. Slack-key
  712. Slamgrass
  713. Slamming Gore Groove
  714. Slow jam
  715. Slow rock
  716. Slowcore
  717. Sludge metal
  718. Smooth jazz
  719. Sogak
  720. Sonata
  721. Soul jazz
  722. Sound clip
  723. Soundtrack
  724. Southern gospel
  725. Southern rock
  726. Southern soul
  727. Space
  728. Space rock
  729. Speech
  730. Speed garage
  731. Speed metal
  732. Speedbass
  733. Speedcore
  734. Speedwood
  735. Spiritual
  736. Spiritual jazz
  737. Square dance
  738. Stadium rock
  739. Stoner doom
  740. Stoner metal
  741. Stoner rock
  742. Straight Edge
  743. Street bass
  744. Street punk
  745. String pop
  746. SubIndie
  747. Sublow
  748. Suicide metal
  749. Suicide rock
  750. Surf rock
  751. Swamp rock
  752. Swing
  753. Symphonic
  754. Symphonic black metal
  755. Symphonic poem
  756. Symphonic rock
  757. Symphony
  758. Synthpop
  759. Synthtron
  760. Synthwave
  761. Taiko
  762. Tango
  763. Tartan techno
  764. Tech hardcore
  765. Tech-house
  766. Techmospheric
  767. Technical death
  768. Techno
  769. Techno rock
  770. Techno-industrial
  771. Techstep
  772. Tejano
  773. Terror
  774. Terror EBM
  775. Terrorcore
  776. Tex-Mex
  777. Theatrical
  778. Theme
  779. Theme and variations
  780. Third Stream
  781. Thrang
  782. Thrash metal
  783. Threnody
  784. Throat singing
  785. Toccata
  786. Tone poem
  787. Totalism
  788. Traditional
  789. Traditional Chinese
  790. Trailer
  791. Trance
  792. Trancecore
  793. Trancestep
  794. Trashcan Americana
  795. Tribal
  796. Trip-hop
  797. Troll metal
  798. Tropicália
  799. Tropicalismo
  800. True Scottish Pirate Metal
  801. Turbo-folk
  802. Turntablism
  803. Tuvan
  804. Twang core
  805. Twee pop
  806. Twelve-tone
  807. Two step
  808. UK garage
  809. Unblack metal
  810. Uplifting trance
  811. Uptempo
  812. Urban
  813. Vallenato
  814. Vaporwave
  815. Vedic metal
  816. Victoriandustrial
  817. Viking metal
  818. Visual kei
  819. Vocal
  820. Vocal house
  821. Vocal jazz
  822. Vocal-trance
  823. Vomitcore
  824. Waltz
  825. Wedding
  826. Weirdo
  827. West coast
  828. Western
  829. Western swing
  830. White metal
  831. Witch house
  832. Wizard rock
  833. Wobble
  834. Wong shadow
  835. Wonky
  836. World fusion
  837. World music
  838. Worldbeat
  839. Wrock
  840. Wyrd folk
  841. Y'allternative
  842. Yayue
  843. Yellow cocktail
  844. Yodel
  845. Zeuhl
  846. Zydeco

Fake genres

Given how large the above list has grown beyond my expectations, it seems that coming up with fake genres might be a greater challenge. Here's your starter pack (and no obvious hybrids like "Ambient classical death", please, unless they're really funny):

  1. Raggagoth
  2. Plickplock
  3. Cakecore
  4. Fliprock
  5. Slip-hop
  6. Slap-pop
  7. Disco polo - UPDATE: apparently this genre, which I made up, is actually real
  8. Demoncore

And as a last resort, my good friend P gives us a way to generate your own:


report

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