Music Genres
About Music Genres Found on MSotD
I am not a huge fan of the way genres are usually used. A music genre is “a categorical and typological construct that identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music” as posted on Wikipedia. With that said, a single artist, or song may be classified into several genres at once, but the tendency for most people is to assign one category to each band and that is it. A single song even may have parts to it that sound like one genre, and other parts that sound like another. So it is not as simple as “Rock”, “Pop”, “Classical”, “Jazz”, etc. Many genres pull influences from multiple genres, especially today where we see artists pulling influences from all over the globe! Downtempo is a perfect example, pulling influence from “Jazz”, “Funk”, and “Ambient” genres. I have to believe that is also why the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s real focus is popular music, not just “Rock and Roll”.
Assigning genres can be very complex, and it is ALL SUBJECTIVE. Genres are just a web of opinions in an effort to classify music. Were I to notice similarities between artists A, B, and C, that no one has ever documented before I could recognize a new genre and write articles about it. If people started to use it then ta-da! New genre created. Alternatively if my (fictitious) band were to make a type of music different enough from everything else out there (and actually become popular enough that we get some name recognition and other bands to emulate our sound), we might create a new genre that way too. Or perhaps my band belongs in existing genres. Regardless it is subjective.
It is not black and white, but it is a useful tool for finding other music you may like otherwise I would ignore they exist entirely. For the purposes of this blog, I’ve been tagging each post with the musical genres related to the artist of the “song of the day” as posted on Wikipedia. Hopefully over time it will be a useful tool for finding other “song of the day” entries you may like if you hear a “song of the day” or bonus song that appeals to you and you want more by similar artists.
List of Genres Represented on MSotD (at least up to Summer of 2009)
Click on the name of the genre to see “song of the day” posts related to it.
Click on the origins link to learn more about the genre on Wikipedia. I feel the genres that contributed to each genre provide a good description of each so I have listed them as well. Perhaps a bit OCD, I know. Enjoy!
Acid Jazz
Origins – 1980s: Electronic Dance, Funk, Jazz, Hip Hop
Acid Rock
Origins – 1960s: Psychedelic Rock, Garage Rock,
Blues-Rock, Jazz Fusion, Raga
Alternative Country
Origins – 1950s: Country, Rock and Roll, Punk,
Folk, Bluegrass, Rockabilly, Honky Tonk
Alternative Dance
Origins – 2000s: Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Indie Pop,
Power Pop, Hard Rock, Dance-Pop, Post-Disco, House,
Techno, Electronica
Alternative Hip-Hop
Origins – 1980s: Hip-Hop
Alternative Metal
Origins – 1980s: Alternative Rock, Heavy Metal
Alternative Rock
Origins – 1980s: Rock, Punk Rock, Post-Punk, Hardcore Punk
Ambient
Origins – 1970s: 20th Century Classical, Electronic Art,
Minimalist, Psychedelic Rock, Krautrock, Space Rock
Anti-Folk
Origins – 1980s: Folk, Folk Punk, Psych Folk,
Alternative Country
Arena Rock
Origins – 1970s: Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock
Art Rock
Origins – 1960s: Rock and Roll, Avant-Garde
Baroque
Origins – 1600s: Ancient Greek Musical Drama, Renaissance,
Ancient Folk & Traditional
Baroque Pop
Origins – 1960s: Pop, Rock, Baroque, Classical, Romantic,
Operatic Pop
Bluegrass
Origins – 1940s: Country, Anglo-Celtic, Appalachian Folk,
Blues, Jazz
Blues-Rock
Origins – 1960s: Blues, Rock and Roll
Brit Pop
Origins – 1990s: Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Madchester,
Mod Revival, Beat, Glam Rock, Punk Rock, British Pub Rock
Choral
Origins – Ancient: Ancient Greek Musical Drama, Classical
Classic Pop
Origins – 1910s: Jazz, Classical, Musical Theatre, Revue
Classical Period
Origins – 1700s: Baroque
Classical
Origins-800s: Ancient Folk & Traditional, Medieval, Renaissance,
Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20 Century Classical, Contemporary Opera
College Rock
Origins – 1980s: Alternative Rock, Post-Punk, New Wave
Country
Origins – 1700s: Appalachian Folk, Gospel, Anglo-Celtic,
Old-Time
Crooner
Origins – 1800s: Opera, Jazz, Classic Pop
Dance
Origins – Ancient: Ancient Dance, Ancient Folk & Traditional
Dance-Pop
Origins – 1980s: Pop, Disco, Synthpop, Rhythm and Blues,
Electropop, House, Minneapolis Sound, Jazz
Dance-Punk
Origins – 2000s: Dance, Indie Rock, Electronica, Punk Rock,
Disco, No Wave, Post-Punk, Funk Rock
Dark Ambient
Origins – 1980s: Ambient
Dark Cabaret
Origins – 1980s: Cabaret, Burlesque, Vaudeville, Punk, Folk,
Post-Punk, Glam Rock, Deathrock, Darkwave, Gothic Rock
Disco
Origins – 1960s: Funk, Soul, Psychedelic, Latin, Salsa,
Pop Rock, Dance
Doo-Wop
Origins – 1940s: Rhythm and Blues, Harmony Vocal Group, Pop,
A Cappella, Barbershop, Gospel, Ballads, Jump Blues, Blues, Swing
Downtempo
Origins – 1980s: Soul, Ambient,
Electronica, Groove, Jazz, Funk
Dream Pop
Origins – 1980s: Post-Punk, Ethereal Wave, Ambient, Space Rock,
Psychedelic Rock
Dub
Origins – 1960s: Reggae, Rocksteady, Ambient,
Progressive Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Ska
Electroclash
Origins – 1990s: Synthpop, Electro, New Wave
Electronica
Origins – 1970s: Musique Concrete, Disco, Avant-Garde, Krautrock
Electropop
Origins – 1970s: Electronica, Pop, Krautrock, Synthpop, Post-punk,
New Wave
Ethereal Wave
Origins – 1980s: Darkwave, Gothic Rock, Ambient
Experimental Rock
Origins – 1960s: Free Jazz, Rock and Roll
Folk (AKA Traditional or World)
Origins – Pre-historic to Present: Itself
Folk Rock
Origins – 1960s: Folk & Traditional, Rock, Pop
Funk
Origins – 1960s: Soul, Rhythm and Blues, Jazz, Psychedelic Rock
Funk Metal
Origins – 1980s: Funk, Heavy Metal
Funk Rock
Origins – 1970s: Funk, Rock and Roll, Rockabilly
Europop
Origins – 1970s: Pop, Rock and Roll, Disco
Garage Rock
Origins – 1950s: Rock and Roll, Rockabilly, Beat, Rhythm and Blues,
Soul, Blues, Surf Rock, Frat Rock, Instrumental Rock
Garage Rock Revival
Origins – 1970s: Garage Rock, Proto Punk
Geek Rock
Origins – 1990s: Indie Rock, Punk Rock, Alternative Rock,
Power Pop, Twee Pop
Gospel
Origins – 1900s: Christian Hymns, Spirituals
Gothic Rock
Origins – 1970s: Post-Punk, Glam Rock, Punk Rock,
Art Rock, Protopunk
Grunge
Origins – 1980s: Alternative Rock, Hardcore Punk,
Heavy Metal, Indie Rock
Hard Rock
Origins – 1960s: Blues-Rock, Garage Rock, Psychedelic Rock,
Rock and Roll
Heartland Rock
Origins – 1970s: Blue-Eyed Soul, Garage Rock, Rhythm and Blues,
Rock and Roll
Heavy Metal
Origins – 1960S: Hard Rock, Blues-Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Hip Hop (AKA Rap)
Origins – 1970s: Funk, Disco, Soul, Rhythm and Blues, Dub,
Toasting, Performance Poetry, Spoken Word, Signifying,
The Dozens, Scat Singing, Talking Blues
House
Origins – 1970s: Disco, Funk, Soul, Synthpop, Electro, New Wave
Indie Dance
Origins – 2000s: Alternative Rock, Indie Rock,
Indie Pop, Power Pop, Punk Rock, Dance-Pop,
Post-Disco, House, Techno, Electronica
Indie Pop
Origins – 1980s: Jangle Pop, Punk Rock, Post-Punk, Power Pop
Indie Rock
Origins – 1980s: Punk Rock, Post-Punk, Hardcore Punk
Industrial Rock
Origins – 1970s: Industrial, Post-Punk, No Wave, Noise Rock,
Punk Rock
Jazz Rap
Origins – 1980s: Jazz, Hip-Hop
Jangle Pop
Origins – 1980s: Power Pop, Rock and Roll, Post-Punk
Latin Pop
Origins – 1950s: Spanish, African, Asian
Latin Rock
Origins – 1940s: Latin, Rhythm and Blues, Country,
Rock and Roll, Jazz, Caribbean
Melodic Death Metal
Origins – 1990s: Death Metal, Heavy metal
Metalcore
Origins – 1980s: Crossover Thrash, Hardcore Punk,
Heavy Metal, Thrash Metal, Youth Crew
Minimal Techno
Origins – 1990s: Techno, Minimalist
New Prog
Origins – 1990s: Progressive Rock, Psychedelic Rock,
Alternative Rock, Indie Rock, Post-Rock
New Wave
Origins – 1970s: Rock and Roll, Punk Rock, Pub Rock, Ska,
Reggae, Proto-Punk, Disco
Nu Metal
Origins – 1990s: Alternative Metal, Groove Metal,
Funk Metal, Heavy Metal, Rap Metal, Grunge, Hip Hop
Operatic Pop
Origins – 1980s: Pop, Opera
Orchestral
Origins – Ancient: Ancient Greek Musical Drama, Classical
Pop
Origins – 1950s: Rock and Roll, Jazz, Folk, Dance, Classic Pop
Pop Rock
Origins – 1960s: Rock, Pop
Post-Grunge
Origins – 1990s: Alternative Rock, Grunge, Hard Rock, Pop Rock
Post-Punk
Origins – 1970s: Punk Rock, Glam Rock, Dub, Funk, Reggae,
Krautrock, Avant-Garde, Experimental Rock, Folk
Post-Punk Revival
Origins – 2000s: New Wave, Britpop, Indie Rock, Post-Punk,
Alternative Rock, NWONW
Power Pop
Origins – 1960s: Pop Rock, Rock and Roll, Beat,
Rhythm and Blues, Garage Rock
Progressive Rock
Origins – 1960s: Psychedelic Rock, Jazz Fusion, Blues-Rock, Hard Rock,
Folk Rock, Folk, Electronic Art, Classical, Free Jazz
Psychedelic Rock
Origins – 1960s: Blues-Rock, Folk Rock, Raga
Psychedelic Soul
Origins – 1960s: Psychedelic Rock, Soul, Funk,
Rhythm and Blues, Rock and Roll
Pub Rock
Origins – 1970s: Rock and Roll, Garage Rock, British Blues,
Folk Rock, Power Pop, Funk, Hard Rock,
Rhythm and Blues, Beat, Twelve Bar Blues
Punk Blues
Origins – 1980s: Blues-Rock, Punk Rock, Protopunk,
Blues, Garage Rock
Punk Rock
Origins – 1970s: Rock and Roll, Rockabilly, Garage Rock,
Psychedelic Rock, Glam Rock, Pub Rock, Protopunk
Rap Metal
Origins – 1980s: Rap Rock, Heavy Metal
Rap Rock
Origins – 1980s: Hip Hop, Rock and Roll
Rhythm and Blues
Origins – 1940s: Jazz, Blues, Classic Pop,
Jump Blues, Gospel
Rock and Roll
Origins – 1950s: Gospel, Folk, Country Music,
Jump Blues, Chicago Blues, Swing, Boogie-Woogie,
Rhythm and Blues
Shibuya-kei
Origins – 1980s: Pop, Yé-Yé, Lounge, Bossa Nova
Shoegazing
Origins – 1980s: Alternative Rock, Dream Pop,
Space Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Noise Pop, Drone Music
Singer-Songwriter
Origins – Ancient: Folk & Traditional, Medieval
Ska Punk
Origins – 1980s: Ska, Reggae, 2 Tone, Ska Jazz, Dixieland,
Punk Jazz, Punk Rock, Hardcore Punk
Soul
Origins – 1950s: Rhythm and Blues, Gospel, Doo-Wop
Space Rock
Origins – 1960s: Progressive Rock, Psychedelic Rock
Speed Metal
Origins – 1980s: New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Hardcore Punk
Spoken Word
Origins – Ancient: Poetry, Oral Culture,
Folk & Traditional
Swing Revival
Origins – 1990s: Big Band, Swing, Jump Blues, Rock and Roll
Symphonic Rock
Origins – 1970s: Progressive Rock, Psychedelic Rock, Classical
Synthpop
Origins – 1970s: New Wave, Post-Punk, Pop, Krautrock
Techno
Origins – 1980s: Punk, House, Synthpop, Industrial, Electro
Tejano (AKA Tex-Mex)
Origins – 1940s: Corrido, Mariachi, Polka, Waltz
Thrash Metal
Origins – 1980s: New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Speed Metal,
Hardcore Punk
Trip Hop
Origins – 1990s: Hip Hop, Downtempo, Acid Jazz, House,
Alternative Dance, Psychedelic Rock, Reggae, Post-Punk,
Goth Rock
Trip Rock
Origins – 1990s: Trip Hop, Alternative Rock, Pop Rock, Hip-Hop
Urban Pop (AKA Contemporary R&B)
Origins – 1980s: Soul, Pop, Rhythm and Blues, Hip-Hop
Listen on Blip.fm!