Top 10 Types of Music Genres: The music genre is basically the category of music that particular songs are classified into based on the shared tradition or set of conventions. There are uncountable music genres, but some of them are highly popular. In this article, we have curated a list of music genres to enhance your knowledge and awareness in the field of music. With each category, you can also find the related artists belonging to that genre, which would make it easier for you to identify with the genres.
Table of Contents
The Top 10 Music Genres
1. Rock
One of the Top 10 Types of Music Genres, is the ‘Rock and Roll’. Rock music is a popular form of music and has been a hit among listeners since the early 1950s. String instruments are the base of rock music. However, a range of other instruments have become a part of it over time, which makes it difficult to give rock music an accurate definition.
Rock music is characterized by loud, strong guitars and charismatic rock stars, and it has become a stairway to fame for some of the world’s greatest musicians. Rock stars have been some of the most popular musicians of all time. These include John Lenon, Jim Morrison, Elvis Presley, Freddie Mercury, and Mick Jagger.
2. Jazz
Jazz music finds its origins in European and West African culture and can be identified by its swing notes and blues tone. It originated in the late 19th to early 20th century and has been the voice of many female performers, particularly during times of repression. Due to this reason, Jazz has had a significant historical value, and it remains an important and symbolic music genre to this date.
Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, and Ella Fitzgerald are some of the pioneers of jazz music.
3. Electronic Dance Music
It is broadly referred to as EDM and is performed by DJs who mix up tones and a range of beats to create unique music. You must be familiar with Electronic Dance Music as it is played by the DJs at dance clubs by mixing hundreds of different tracks in a single session.
Dance music has been popularized by artists like The Chemical Brothers, Fat Boy Slim, and Underworld.
4. Dubstep
Dubstep is a subgenre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the late 1990s. Dubstep can be recognized as syncopated rhythmic patterns combined with prominent sub-bass frequencies. Dubstep is considered to be the darker form of dance music by music lovers. However, dubstep stands out to be one of the top music genres since the late 1990s.
Two of the most popular contemporary dubstep artists are Flux Pavilion and Skrillex.
5. Techno
Another subgenre of electronic dance music is techno music. This genre of music became increasingly popular in Germany towards the end of the 1980s and was heavily influenced by house music, funk, synthpop, and futuristic fiction.
One of the genres you would have listened to while clubbing is Detroit techno, and it is said to be the foundation of the techno genre. Due to the development in technology, the quality of techno music has been significantly enhanced, giving it a surge in popularity.
Carl Cox and Paul Oakenfold are two of techno music’s highest earners.
6. Rhythm and Blues (R&B)
One of the most popular music genres in the world, R&B blends jazz, blues, and gospel elements. American musicians of African descent popularised the genre, and Jerry Wexler of Billboard magazine first used the name “rhythm and blues” in 1947.
Prior to this, R&B was referred to as “race music,” a phrase that was objectionable in the postwar world but had its roots in the African American community. RCA Records began selling R&B records in 1948 under the moniker “Blues and Rhythm.” When R&B music gained popularity, Atlantic Records—the most powerful label—flipped these statements.
Several well-known R&B musicians include Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, Usher, and Rihanna.
7. Country
Another of the most popular music genres in the world is country music. American folk music and Western music are the origins of country music, which dates back to the 1920s. A distinctive singing style, along with mouth organs, steel guitars, and mandolins, characterizes country music.
Some of the most well-known Country music performers of all time are Dolly Parton, Johnny Cash, and Kenny Rogers.
8. Pop
The word “popular” is the root of the phrase “pop.” Pop music, then, is a genre that includes songs that are typically liked by all members of society. Pop music has its origins in the rock & roll genre, but it also draws inspiration from a wide range of other styles, such as dance, country, and Latin music.
In “Pop” music, instruments like electric guitars, synthesizers, and drums are frequently employed.
Pop music icons include Madonna, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, and Justin Bieber, among others.
9. Indie Rock
Indie Rock is a genre that falls between rock and roll and pop music. Since its MTV debut in the late 1980s, indie rock has grown to become one of the most popular musical genres.
Great names in Indie Rock include The Strokes, Coldplay, Arcade Fire, The Shins, and Elbow.
10. Electro
Hip-hop and electronic music are combined to create electro, which has a disco-like feel. However, talkboxes, drum machines, and vocoders set electro apart as a distinct genre.
Among the well-known electro musicians are Man Parrish, Midnight Star, and Freez.
In the End
Top 10 Types of Music Genres: Music is a form of art that never fails to touch people’s hearts. It is free from all sorts of barriers and doesn’t need a particular language to communicate the essence of it. We hope that you liked reading this article on music genres. There are plenty of articles to read on Digital Gabbar. Have a look at this one, too: Elon Musk to Challenge YouTube & Netflix with X’s TV App Launch!