The 30 most prominent and popular types of music

Music has been a part of our lives almost since we are born, and for many it is considered the food of the soul. There are different types of music, and each person can vary in the tastes of it. Research results show that music is a powerful form of social expression that can reinforce stereotypes and promote self-expression.

But beyond musical tastes, it is clear that the feeling of listening to music of our own liking is unique and even indescribable. Music makes us feel incredible sensations and makes us feel different emotions: joy, ecstasy, happiness, sadness, love...

• Related article: "What happens in your brain when you listen to your favorite music?”

The different types of music and musical genres

There is a great variety of musical genres, as music has evolved over time and each culture has developed its own musical styles. But… what types of music are there? Which are the most important?

Below you can find a list of the most relevant and popular types of music in our society.

1. Classical music

Classical music is a current that begins around 1750 and ends around 1820, in Europe. Today this type of music is associated with serious people, as it is a cultured style, typical of a very formal, refined and elitist environment.

When someone imagines this type of music, the image of large orchestras with many instruments, led by the figure of a conductor, quickly comes to mind. The dress is formal, with an image of respect and seriousness. Classical music is expressed in concerts (soloist accompanying the orchestra) and symphonies (a choir of voices and instruments).

• Some of its main authors are Wagner, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, and so on.

2. Blues

The blues is one of the most important and influential musical genres of recent times. It originated in the late 19th century when African slaves were transported to the United States. His lyrics have a melancholic air in which personal anguish or social problems can be appreciated. It is the combination of African and Western music that led to the genre that we know as "blues".

Various styles of blues have been developed over the years, some in small towns in the southern United States and others in cities like Chicago and New Orleans. This style has influenced almost every genre of popular music that was to come at that time: jazz, soul, hip hop, etc.

• B.B. King, Eric Clapton, Duke Ellington or Stevie Ray Vaughn are some of its main exponents.

3. Jazz

At the end of the s. XIX, most African-American musicians only played blues, but some also played classical music and learned European harmony. Some even mixed European harmony with the rhythms and scales of the blues, and it was thanks to this mix that "jazz" appeared.

Jazz is characterized by a series of elements: improvisation, the treatment of rhythm (swing), the use of counter-beat notes and syncopations., their voices (for example, the scat), their orchestras (Big Bang), etc. One of the greatest jazz musicians was the trumpeter Louis Armstrong, but artists like Frank Sinatra are also known worldwide. There are different types of jazz: Latin jazz, bebop, swing... but they all preserve the essence of this style.

• Louis Armstrong, Les Paul, Ray Charles or Tito Puente are world famous jazz players.

4. Rhythm and Blues (R&B)

While jazz was becoming increasingly popular in the 1930s and 1940s, another new genre was beginning to develop. Many African Americans were professional blues musicians, but carving out a professional future in music and making money was not easy. So many formed small bands and looked for work in bars and pubs.

If they wanted to work, the musicians had to figure out how to attract the audience, and many young people of the time, those who frequented these places, thought that the blues was old-fashioned **. The bands were forced to create a new style, which would be called "rhythm and blues" or "R & B **". In their early days, R&B bands were loud and lively, basing their strength on drums, double bass, and electric guitar. The singers were men or women with great voices, and the audience loved it. Today, R&B is still valid, but with great influence from another style that we will see later, soul.

• The most prominent artists of today are Usher, Beyoncé, Chris Brown or R. Kelly.

5. Rock And Roll

In the early 1950s, another musician called "rock and roll" was all the rage.. This style was created by musicians who could perform both R&B and Western Swing, a popular style of country dance music. He used the same instruments as R&B at that time (electric guitar, double bass and drums), and had a touch of blues and R&B, but the melodies were more similar to those of the music country.

• Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry are the representatives of the most classic Rock and Roll.
• Elvis Presley is considered the king of this genre. You can see an example of this style in this video:

7. Gospel

Gospel music is a musical genre that was born in African-American churches in the mid-twentieth century, thanks to the fusion of the spiritual songs of the black slaves who embraced the Christian faith, and the traditional hymns of white music. Gospel music is a type of music for congregational use, with simple music but with marked rhythms.

It has great harmonic richness with a simple melody. It is a music characterized by massive choirs, with clapping touches, and a peculiar cante in which the choir returns the phrases sung by the soloist.

• Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, and Andraé Crouch are some widely recognized gospel musicians.

8. Soul

Soul music is a genre of African-American popular music that markedly influenced many later genres. For example: funk music. dance, hip hop and contemporary R&B.

It was developed in the USA. in the late 1950s, from gospel music and other styles. While gospel was a more upbeat type of music, with a choir moving clapping, soul was slower, deeper music. "Soul" means soul in English.

• James Brown, Sam Cooke, Mavin Gaye and Amy Whinehouse were worthy representatives of this musical genre.

9. Rock

In the 1960s, rock and roll was losing its best artists. Elvis Presley was in the military, Little Richard had left rock and roll, and Buddy Holly and Ritchie Valens had died in a plane crash. But many young people kept listening to his records, and some began to explore the origins of music.

The young musicians were also interested in R&B, studied its harmony and characteristics, and soon learned to play it. Before long they were combining these older styles with rock and roll to create a new genre called "rock." If rock and roll was danceable, rock ceases to be, and focuses on transmitting pure energy and lack of control.

Over time, the electric guitar is given more weight and other rock subgenres such as hard rock, psychedelic rock, punk rock or folk rock emerge.

• The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, Jim Morrison, Nirvana, Pink Floyd or AC / DC took rock to a higher level.

10. Metal

Metal part of hard rock during the 70s and it experiences an explosion of musical groups during the 80 by all the countries of the West. Its main characteristic is the importance given to the electric guitar and the drums, to generate forceful and energetic sounds.

Although many people use "heavy metal" and "metal" synonymously, others distinguish between metal as a broad category and heavy metal as the original trajectory of the first bands, of which in the last decades subgenres have gone alternative.

On the other hand, the use of vowels is very varied, ranging from the treble to the use of techniques to make the voice sound more serious and brutal than normal. In Scandinavian countries, especially, it stands out the popularity of known metal subgenres such as black metal and death metal, in which the letters are practically unrecognizable due to the use of the way of shouting that is used.

• Iron Maiden, Manowar, Opeth, Metallica, Pantera, Anthrax or System of a Down are well-known representatives of metal.

11. Hadcore punk

Hardcore punk is part of rock, giving great importance to electric guitars and drums; however, the vocal part, very forceful and based on verses practically sung loudly, tends to rival in prominence with the previous ones. The musical pieces are normally short or very short, and the technical complexity is not sought but rather the (energetic) expression of emotional states, the vindication of political causes and social.

• Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Dead Kennedys, Agnostic Front, Black Flag are classic examples of this type of music.

12. Country

Country music was one of the earliest genres of modern American popular music. It developed in the southeastern states of the United States as a mixture of British Isles folk music, church music, and African American blues. Its characteristic instrumentation includes acoustic guitar, mandolin, violin or banjo.

• Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Taylor Swift, Patsy Cline or Garth Brooks are country artists.

13. Funk

In the 60s some soul artists like James Brown developed a more rhythmic style called funk. This genre was the starting point for many new styles of dance music such as disco music. Funk is characterized by very powerful bass lines and an energizing rhythm. Funk music has a distinctive groove and riffs that invite you to get up and dance.

• James Brown, George Clinton, Jamiroquai, Prince and Maceo Parker represent this musical style.

14. Disk

In the early 1970s, nightclubs called discos were employing DJs to spin songs. for the dance floors because it was cheaper than hiring a marching band. They began by playing more lively funk and soul songs, but in the mid-70s, songs that were easier to dance began to be commercialized, aimed at this audience.

With a repetitive quaternary rhythm (usually between 110 and 136 bpm), an orchestral sound and its piano and electronic guitar (with clearly “funky” touches), disco music would originate.

• Michael Jackson, Madonna, Earth Wind & Fire and Cher represent this musical genre.

15. House

In the early 1980s a new style of dance music developed in the "gay clubs" of New York and Chicago. As in disco music, the songs had catchy melodies with lyrics that spoke of having fun or making love. house is characterized by the quaternary rhythms of disco music, but drum machines are frequently used and synthesizers instead of classical drums and other instruments, although the electronic piano continues to be the lynchpin of most house music.

• Erick Morillo, Tina More, Tim Deluxe and Mac Demetrius are world renowned house artists.

16. Techno

Another genre of dance music called techno was developed in Detroit in the early 1980s. when nightclub DJs started doing electronic dance tunes. They used electronic drum machines and synthesizers with keyboards to add chords and melodies.

They also began taking short samples of other songs (samples) to add to their songs. In techno, the groove is darker than in house and even has a delusional touch. A subgenre of techno, developed in the 90s, is trance.

• Gigi D'Agostino, Chris Korda, Basshunter and Ellen Allien are techno musicians.

17. Pop

Pop music is not really any musical genre. "Pop music" means popular, and as the name suggests, it is music for the masses. Technically, outside of pop music we would find classical music and other similar art forms. However, the term "pop music" is often used to talk about the most popular types of music and close to social conventions about what music is. successful music capable of being listened to by millions of people around the world in practically any situation: discos, shops, advertisements, etc.

Thus, pop includes different types of musical genres and has more to do with the audience for whom the songs are intended. For example, Michael Jackson, known as King of Pop, composed and performed songs of different genres: soul, funk, disco, rock, R&B, etc. His is the best-selling album in history, called "Thriller."

• Michael Jackson, Madonna, Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Shakira, Elton John, and Justin Timberlake are popular artists.
• Here you can visualize one of the great Michael Jackson classics: Billie Jean.

18. Ska

Ska originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s, and contains elements of mento music, calypso music, jazz, and rythm and blues. In the early 1960s it was the dominant musical genre in Jamaica and had a huge impact in the UK.

Ska's music is highly danceable, upbeat, fast-paced, and exciting. Ska influenced other styles that were born in Jamaica such as rocksteady or the well-known reggae, with which is very similar, although the latter is characterized by not being an accelerated musical genre, unlike the ska.

• Prince Buster, Ska-P, Desmond Dekker, and Tommy McCook are highly respected ska artists.

19. Reggae

Reggae music originated in Jamaica, influenced mainly by ska and rocksteady, although also for other styles such as blues or jazz. In general, reggae song lyrics are linked to social criticism, although some songs address different themes. Jamaican artist Bob Marley is its greatest exponent.

• Bob Marley, Los Cafres, Lee Perry, Jimmy Cliff and Gregory Isaacs are great reggae musicians.
• You can listen to this great artist in the following video:

20. Drum and bass

The literal translation of drum and base is "drums and bass", because it is characterized by the fast rhythms of the drums (usually between 160 and 180 bpm) and the marked bass lines. Today this energetic musical style is considered an “underground” style of music, but its influence has been very noticeable in the pop culture of many countries such as the United Kingdom.

• Pendulum, Noisia, Sub Focus, DJ Fresh and High Contrast are exceptional drum and bass artists.

21. Garage

The Garage, also known as UK Garage, and is a style of electronic music originating from the United Kingdom. It is a very danceable genre and highly influenced by drum and Bass, in which it is possible to find voices sung or rapped with a style other than hip hop rap. Rappers in this genre are called Garage MC's.

• Zed Bias, So Solid Crew, MJ Cole and The Streets are great exponents of the UK Garage.
• Here's an example garage:

22. Flemish

Flamenco is the traditional Spanish music, which was born in the south of Spain and is closely related to the gypsy culture. However, the roots of flamenco are found in the cultural miscegenation that occurred in Andalusia at the time of its creation: natives, Muslims, gypsies, Castilians and Jews; They led to its distinctive sound in which the voice and the guitar play a leading role.

Flamenco is characterized by having talented guitarists (the "virtuosos") and the flamenco singing, a style of cante that enhances the deepest feelings.

• Paco de Lucía, Tomatito, Enrique Morente, Estrella Morente and Diego el Cigala are great flamenco artists.

23. sauce

Salsa is a musical style that is closely linked to the dance of the same name.. The word salsa as such has its origin in the New York Bronx, although the influences are purely Latin, with Cuba possibly being the country with the most weight in its creation.

Afro-Cuban rhythms such as mambo, guaracha, son, montuno, Afro-Cuban jazz, among others, are they expanded throughout Latin America and also reached the United States, where the Cuban population is notable. Salsa is one of the most popular musical styles among Hispanic cultures.

• Héctor Lavoe, Tito Puente, Celia Cruz and Ray Barreto perfectly represent this type of music.

24. Hip hop

Hip hop developed in the late 70s, and was created in the slums of New York City. by African American teens. Along with this style, other artistic movements such as breakdancing and graffiti were also born. Many of these young people were unemployed, but some found work as DJs.

In the block parties (public and massive parties that brought together many members of a same neighborhood), they mixed musical themes while other young people rapped on the repetitive rhythms. Nowadays hip hop has evolved remarkably and, together with R&B, they have great importance on the world pop scene. In addition, in its variant called "trap", it is usually mixed with many types of music and sound effects that are not musical in themselves.

• 2Pac, Notorious BIG, Violadores del Vero, Eminem, 50Cent, Vanilla Ice, Wu-Tang Clan and Snoop Dogg are some representatives of rap.

25. Reggaeton

Reggaeton (also known as reggaeton) is a musical genre that originated in Puerto Rico in the late 1990s. It is influenced by hip hop and Latin American and Caribbean music. The voice includes rapping and singing and is a very danceable musical style. Along with hip hop, it is usually classified within the category of "urban music".

• Daddy Yankee, Don Omar, Arcángel, De La Ghetto or Zorman are great representatives of Reggaeton.
• You can hear a bit of this style in the audiovisual content shown below.

Types of music, depending on the instrument you use

In addition to the musical genres mentioned above, music can be classified according to instrumentation.

26. Vocal or “a cappella” music

Vocal music is characterized because it uses only the voice, and it is what is known as a cappella. It can be individual or in choir. It is also possible to perform the instrumentation with the voice, it is what is known as "beatbox", which generally includes percussion, although some individuals are capable of imitating other instruments such as the guitar or the saxophone.

27. Instrumental music

Instrumental music is one in which only the instruments are used, and not the voice. There are two variants: the symphonic, which is played by an orchestra; or electronics when created by electronic instruments. It can be used in movies or karaoke.

On the other hand, there is no clear boundary between instrumental music and non-instrumental music. For example, sometimes a person's voice can be digitized to sound like the note played by an instrument.

Other types of music

In addition to the above, there are other types of music.

28. Pragmatic music

Pragmatic music is what is used when telling a story or event. It is a descriptive and extra-musical type of music. For example, the music used to describe a landscape: the important thing is not the music itself, but the effect that the music has as an element of the narrative.

29. Furniture music

As its name suggests, furniture music is ambient. Thus, it is rather discreet and sounds at low volume, so that it accompanies the creation of pleasant contexts. It is used mainly in the hospitality and tourism sector.

30. Soundtrack

The soundtrack is, from the musical point of view, the vocal and instrumental music that is used in the films, and aims to enhance the viewer's emotions. An example of this type of music is “Eye of the Tiger” from the “Rocky” film collection.

However, there are different nuances in the different ways a soundtrack can be used. For example, sometimes it may simply express the emotions a place elicits, while at other times it expresses the tone of the moment of the narration through which it is happening, in a way almost independent of the place in which the action.

• Related article: "The 20 types of films and their characteristics”

Bibliographic references:

• Michels, U. (1985). Music Atlas. Barcelona: Editorial Alliance.
• Nils, L.W.; Merker, B.; Brown, S. (2000). The Origins of Music. Cambridge: MIT Press.
• Seashore, C.E. (1938). Psychology of Music: New York: Dover Publications.