Genres of music

Alternative Rock

Emerged from the independent music underground of 1970s. It's rock music music that differs greatly in terms of its sound, its social context, and its regional roots.

Goth / Gothic Rock

Subgenere of post-punk and alternative rock formed during 1970s. Has darker music accompanied by introspective and romantic lyrics than post-punk.

Grunge

Subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in Seattle. Fuses elements of punk and heavy metal, such as distorted electric guitar.

Punk

Developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. Often has political and anti-establishment lyrics.

Hard Rock

Began in the mid-1960s. Uses aggressive vocals, distorted electric guitars, bass guitar, drums, and often accompanied with pianos and keyboards.

Indie

Originated in the United States and the United Kingdom in the 1980s. It broke into the mainstream in the 1990s and was used to identify those acts that retained an outsider and underground perspective.

Blues

Originated in African-American communities of the United States around the end of the 19th century. Combines African-American sounds with European folk music.

Classical

Music rooted in the traditions of liturgical and secular music. Also refers to the music composed in the period from 1750 to 1820 (classical period).

Jingles

Is a short song used in advertising or for commercial uses.

Country

Originated in the Southern United States in the 1920s. Comes from the southeastern genre of American folk music and Western music.

Dubstep

Originated in South London in late 1990s. Generally features sparse, syncopated drum and percussion patterns with bass lines that contain prominent sub bass frequencies.

Hardcore

Originated in the Netherlands from the emergent raves in the 1990s. Has faster tempos than other genres of electronic music and uses saturation.

House

Genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago in the early 1980s. Is generally dance-based music with repetitive 4/4 beats, rhythms by drum machines and synthesized basslines.

Techno

Emerged in Detroit during mid-to-late 1980s. Resulted from the melding of African American music with electronic music.

Trance

Eveloped during the 1990s in Germany. Has a tempo between 125 and 150 beats per minute with melodic phrases and musical form that distinctly builds tension.

Drum & Bass

Emerged from rave and oldschool jungle scenes in England during the early 1990s. Has fast breakbeats (between 150–180 bpm) with heavy bass and sub-bass lines, and synthesizers.

Electro

Genre of electronic music and early hip hop directly influenced by the use of TR-808 drum machines. Typically feature drum machines and heavy electronic sounds.

Hip-Hop/Rap

Formed in the United States in the 1970s. Consists of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping.

Gospel

Music genre in Christian music. Has dominant vocals (often with strong use of harmony) with Christian lyrics.

Jazz

Originated from African American communities of New Orleans during late 19th and early 20th centuries. Makes heavy use of improvisation, polyrhythms, syncopation and the swing note and African musical elements.

Karaoke

From Japanese "kara" that means empty and "okesutora" that means orchestra. Is an entertainment platform in which an amateur singer sings along with recorded music.

Latin

Category encompassing music from Spanish-speaking areas anywhere around the world mainly from Latin America and Spain.

Pop

Popular music (pop music) is eclectic, and often borrows elements from other styles such as urban, dance, rock, Latin, and country.

R&B

Genre of popular African-American music that originated in the 1940s. Usually consisted of piano, one or two guitars, bass, drums, saxophone, and sometimes background vocalists.

Soul

Originated in the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. Combines elements of African-American gospel music, rhythm and blues and jazz.

Reggae

Originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. Influenced by traditional mento as well as American jazz and rhythm and blues.

Metal

Developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s in UK and US. With roots in blues rock and psychedelic rock, has high amplified distortion, extended guitar solos, emphatic beats and overall loudness.

Rock & Roll

Originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It's a combination of genres such as blues, boogie-woogie, jump blues, jazz, and gospel music, with western swing and country music.

Soundtrack

Recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game.