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List of popular music genres

This is a list of the commercially relevant genres in modern popular music. Applicable styles are classified in this list
using AllMusic[1] genre categorization. Popular music is defined as music with wide appeal.[2]

Contents
Genres
African
Asian
East Asian
South and southeast Asian
Avant-garde
Blues
Caribbean and Caribbean-influenced
Comedy
Country
Easy listening
Electronic
Folk
Hip hop
Jazz
Latin
Pop
R&B and soul
Rock
Exclusions
References
External links
Bibliography

Genres

African
Marabi

African heavy metal Cape Jazz

African hip hop Chimurenga
Afrobeat Congolese rumba
Apala Coupé-Décalé
Benga Fuji music
Bongo Flava Genge
Bikutsi Highlife

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Hiplife Mbaqanga
Igbo highlife Mbube
Igbo rap amaPiano
Isicathamiya Morna
Jit Ndombolo
Jùjú Palm-wine
gospel music Raï
Kapuka aka Boomba Sakara
Kadongo Kamu Sega
Kizomba Seggae
Kuduro Semba
Kwaito Shangaan electro
Kwela Soukous
Makossa Kwassa kwassa
Maloya Taarab
Marrabenta Zouglou Cote D'Ivoire
Mbalax

Asian
Fann at-Tanbura
Fijiri
Khaliji
Liwa
Sawt

East Asian

Anison
Cantopop
C-pop
Enka
Hong Kong English pop
J-pop
Kayōkyoku
K-pop
Mandopop
Onkyokei
P-pop
Taiwanese pop
V-pop (Vietnamese pop)

South and southeast Asian

Baila Luk Thung
Baul Luk Krung
Bhangra Manila Sound
Dangdut Original Pilipino Music
Filmi V-pop
Indian pop Morlam
Lavani Pinoy pop
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Pop sunda Keroncong

Thai pop Gamelan
Ragini

Avant-garde
Experimental music
Noise
Lo-fi
Musique concrète
Electroacoustic

Blues
African blues Hokum blues
Blues rock Jump blues
Blues shouter Kansas City blues
British blues Louisiana blues
Canadian blues Memphis blues
Chicago blues Piedmont blues
Classic female blues Punk blues
Contemporary R&B Rhythm and blues
Country blues Soul blues
Delta blues St. Louis blues
Detroit blues Swamp blues
Electric blues Texas blues
Gospel blues West Coast blues
Hill country blues

Caribbean and Caribbean-influenced

Baithak Gana Reggae
Dancehall Music Dub
Bouyon Lovers rock
Cadence-lypso Ragga
Calypso Ragga jungle
Cha-cha-chá Reggae fusion
Chutney Reggaeton
Chutney soca Rocksteady
Chutney parang Rumba
Compas Ska
Mambo 2 Tone
Merengue Ska punk
Méringue Salsa
Mozambique Son cubano
Pichakaree Songo
Punta Soca
Punta Rock Power Soca
Rasin Groovy Soca
Timba

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Twoubadou Zouk

Comedy
Comedy music
Comedy rock
Novelty music
Parody music

Country
Alternative country Bluegrass
Cowpunk Progressive bluegrass
Blues country Reactionary bluegrass
Hokum Cajun
Outlaw country Cajun fiddle tunes
Progressive country Christian country music
Zydeco Classic country
Country rap Close harmony
Red Dirt Dansband music
Rockabilly Franco-country
Hellbilly music Honky Tonk
Psychobilly/Punkabilly Instrumental country
Country rock Nashville sound
Texas country Neotraditional country
Americana Country pop
Australian country music Sertanejo
Bakersfield sound Traditional country music
Truck-driving country
Western swing

Easy listening
Background music
Beautiful music
Elevator music
Furniture music
Lounge music
Middle of the road
New-age music

Electronic
Ambient Isolationism
Ambient dub Asian Underground
Dark ambient
Drone music
Space music
Illbient
Psybient

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Breakbeat Electronic rock

Acid breaks Alternative dance
Baltimore club Indietronica
Big beat Coldwave
Broken beat Dance-punk
Florida breaks Dark wave
Nu-funk Electroclash
Miami bass Electronicore
Jersey club Electropunk
Nu skool breaks Ethereal wave
Disco Krautrock
Afro / Cosmic disco Minimal wave
Disco polo New rave
Euro disco Nu-gaze
Italo disco Space rock
Nu-disco Synthpop
Space disco Electronica
Downtempo Berlin School
Acid jazz Dubtronica
Chill-out Ethnic electronica
New-age music Folktronica
Space music Funktronica
Trip hop Laptronica
Drum and bass Livetronica
Liquid funk Hardcore
Neurofunk Gabba
Neurohop 4-beat
Jump-up Breakbeat hardcore
Darkstep Bouncy techno
Drumstep Breakcore
Extreme Ambient (http://teamspam.bandcamp.co Hardbass
m) Digital hardcore
Funkstep Darkcore
Hardstep Happy hardcore
Sambass Mákina
Techstep Speedcore
Dub UK hardcore
Ambient dub Doomcore
Dancehall Hardstyle
Dub poetry Dubstyle
Dub reggae Jumpstyle
Dub techno Lento violento
Dubstep Hi-NRG
Dubtronica Eurobeat
Electro music Eurodance
Electro Swing Bubblegum dance
Freestyle music Italo dance
Electroacoustic music
Acousmatic music
Musique concrète

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House music Industrial music

Acid house Aggrotech
Ambient house Cybergrind
Balearic beat Electro-industrial
Chicago house Dark electro
Deep house Electronic body music
Future house Futurepop
Bass house Industrial metal
G house Industrial rock
Tropical house Japanoise
Diva house Neue Deutsche Härte
Electro house Power electronics
Big room house Death industrial
Complextro Power noise
Fidget house IDM
Dutch house Glitch
Moombahton Glitch Hop
Moombahcore Wonky
French house Jungle
Funky house Darkcore jungle
Garage house Raggacore
Ghetto house Post-disco
Ghettotech Boogie
Hardbag Electropop
Hard house Chillwave
Hard dance Vaporwave
Hard NRG Hardvapour
Hip house Dance-pop
Italo house Dance-rock
Jazz house Techno
Kidandali Acid techno
Kwaito Detroit techno
Latin house Dub techno
Microhouse/Minimal house Free tekno
New beat Minimal techno
Outsider house Nortec
Progressive house Tecno brega
Rara tech Techdombe
Tech house
Tribal house
Trival
Witch house

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Trance music UK garage

Acid trance 2-step garage
Balearic trance Dubstep
Dream trance Deathstep
Euro-trance Brostep
Hard trance Chillstep
Nitzhonot Drumstep
Psychedelic trance Reggaestep
Full on Trapstep
Suomisaundi Metalstep
Goa trance Breakstep
Progressive trance Future garage
Tech trance Grime
Uplifting trance Grindie
Vocal trance Speed garage
Bassline/4x4 garage
UK funky
Video game music
Chiptune
Bitpop
Game Boy music
Shiny
Skweee
Nintendocore

Folk
American folk revival Indie folk
Anti-folk Industrial folk
British folk revival Neofolk
Celtic music Progressive folk
Chalga Protest song
Contemporary folk Psychedelic folk
Filk music Singer-songwriter movement
Folk rock Skiffle
Folktronica Sung poetry
Freak folk Cowboy/Western music

Hip hop
Alternative hip hop Crunkcore
Australian hip hop Drill
Bongo Flava Electro music
Boom bap Emo hip hop
British hip hop Experimental hip hop
Chap hop G-funk
Chopper rap Ghetto house
Christian hip hop Ghettotech
Cloud rap Golden age hip hop
Conscious hip hop Grime
Crunk Hardcore hip hop
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Hip house Mumble rap

Hiplife Nerdcore
Hip pop New jack swing
Hyphy New school hip hop
Industrial hip hop Old school hip hop
Instrumental hip hop Political hip hop
Jazz rap Ragga
Jersey club Reggaeton
Kwaito Snap
Lyrical hip hop Jerkin'
Low Bap Trap
Merenrap Urban Pasifika
Motswako

Jazz
Acid jazz Kansas City blues
Afro-Cuban jazz Kansas City jazz
Asian American jazz Latin jazz
Avant-garde jazz Livetronica
Bebop M-Base
Boogie-woogie Mainstream jazz
Bossa nova Modal jazz
British dance band Neo-bop jazz
Cape jazz Neo-swing
Chamber jazz Novelty ragtime
Continental jazz Nu jazz
Cool jazz Orchestral jazz
Crossover jazz Post-bop
Dixieland Punk jazz
Ethno jazz Ragtime
European free jazz Shibuya-kei
Free funk Ska jazz
Free improvisation Smooth jazz
Free jazz Soul jazz
Gypsy jazz Stride jazz
Hard bop Straight-ahead jazz
Jazz blues Swing
Jazz-funk Third stream
Jazz fusion Trad jazz
Jazz rap Vocal jazz
Jazz rock West Coast jazz

Latin
Brazilian Forró
Axé Frevo
Brazilian rock Funk Carioca
Brega Lambada
Tecnobrega Zouk-Lambada
Choro Maracatu
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Música popular brasileira Traditional:

Tropicalia Flamenco
Música sertaneja Tango
Samba Folk
Pagode Bullerengue
Samba rock Fado
Latin Christian Huayno
Latin jazz Mexican son
Afro-Cuban jazz Música criolla
Bossa Nova Nueva canción
Latin pop Tropical
Latin ballad Bachata
Latin swing Bolero
Latin rock Criolla
Latin alternative Cumbia
Rock en Español Chicha
Reggaeton Porro
Latin trap Guajira
Regional Mexican Mambo
Banda Merengue
Grupera Rumba
Mariachi Salsa
Ranchera Salsa romántica
Norteño Son
Tejano Timba
Tropipop
Vallenato

Pop
Adult contemporary Europop
Arab pop Austropop
Baroque pop Eurobeat
Brill Building French pop
Britpop Italo dance
Bubblegum pop Italo disco
Canción Laïkó
Canzone Latin pop
Chalga Nederpop
Chanson Russian pop
Christian pop Fado
Classical crossover Folk pop
Country pop Iranian pop
C-pop (Chinese popular music) Indie pop
Hokkien pop J-pop (Japanese popular music)
Mandopop Jangle pop
Dance-pop K-pop (Korean popular music)
Disco polo Korean hip hop
Electropop Korean rock
T'ong guitar
Trot

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Latin ballad Psychedelic pop

Louisiana swamp pop Rebetiko
Mexican pop Schlager
New Romantic Sophisti-pop
Operatic pop Space age pop
Pop rap Sunshine pop
Pop rock Surf pop
Power pop Synthpop
Soft rock Teen pop
Pop punk Traditional pop music
Neon pop Turkish pop
Emo pop Vispop
Pop soul Wonky pop
Progressive pop Worldbeat

R&B and soul

Contemporary R&B PBR&B
Disco New jack swing
Funk Rhythm and blues
Deep funk Soul
Freestyle music Blue-eyed soul
Go-go Hip hop soul
Hip hop soul Northern soul
P-Funk Neo soul
Post-disco Southern soul
Boogie

Rock
Alternative rock Experimental rock
Britpop Art rock
Post-Britpop Industrial rock
Dream pop Post-punk
Shoegaze Gothic rock
Grunge No wave
Post-grunge Noise rock
Indie rock Post-rock
Dunedin sound Post-metal
Math rock Folk rock
Post-punk revival Garage rock
Sadcore Glam rock
Slowcore Hard rock
Beat music
Christian rock
Dark cabaret
Electronic rock
Electronicore

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Heavy metal Paisley Underground

Alternative metal Desert rock
Avant-garde metal Pop rock
Black metal Soft rock
Symphonic black metal Progressive rock
Viking metal Canterbury scene
War metal Krautrock
Christian metal New prog
Unblack metal Rock in Opposition
Death metal Space rock
Death 'n' roll Psychedelic rock
Melodic death metal Acid rock
Technical death metal Freakbeat
Deathgrind Neo-psychedelia
National Socialist Black Metal Raga rock
Doom metal
Death-doom
Drone metal
Folk metal
Celtic metal
Medieval metal
Pagan metal
Funk metal
Glam metal
Gothic metal
Grindcore
Industrial metal
Kawaii metal
Latin metal
Metalcore
Melodic metalcore
Deathcore
Mathcore
Metalstep
Neoclassical metal
Neue Deutsche Härte
Nu metal
Post-metal
Power metal
Progressive metal
Djent
Rap metal
Sludge metal
Speed metal
Symphonic metal
Thrash metal
Crossover thrash
Groove metal
Jazz rock
New wave
World fusion

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Punk rock Rap rock

Anarcho punk Rapcore
Crust punk Rockjazz
D-beat Rock and roll
Art punk Southern rock
Christian punk Stoner rock
Deathrock Sufi rock
Digital hardcore Surf rock
Folk punk Visual kei
Celtic punk Nagoya kei
Cowpunk Worldbeat
Gypsy punk
Garage punk
Grindcore
Crustgrind
Noisegrind
Goregrind
Pornogrind
Hardcore punk
Post-hardcore
Emo
Emo pop
Screamo
Thrashcore
Crossover thrash
Powerviolence
Horror punk
Nazi punk
Oi!
Pop punk
Neon pop
Psychobilly
Riot grrrl
Rock Against Communism
Ska punk
Skate punk
Street punk

Exclusions
Genres or styles that are not contemporary or commercially marketed in substantial numbers have been excluded, as
follows:

Music written for the score of a play, musicals, or similar: Filmi, incidental music, video game music, music hall songs
and showtunes
Ballroom dance music: pasodoble, cha cha cha and others
Religious music: Gregorian chant, spirituals, hymns and the like
Occasional music: Military music, marches, national anthems and related compositions
Regional and national music with no significant commercial impact abroad, except when it is a version of an
international genre, such as: traditional music, oral traditions, sea shanties, work songs, nursery rhymes, Arabesque
and indigenous music. In North America and Western Europe, regional and national genres that are not from the
Western world are sometimes classified as world music.

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References

External links
Genres of popular music - Interactive relationships diagram (http://www.wido-software.de/popgenres.html)

Bibliography
Borthwick, Stuart, & Moy, Ron (2004) Popular Music Genres: An Introduction. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Fabbri, Franco (1982) A Theory of Popular Music Genres: Two Applications. In Popular Music Perspectives, edited by
David Horn and Philip Tagg, 52-81. Göteborg and Exeter: A. Wheaton & Co., Ltd.
Frith, Simon (1996) Performing Rites: On the Value of Popular Music. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University
Press.
Holt, Fabian (2007) Genre in Popular Music. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Negus, Keith (1999) Music Genres and Corporate Cultures. London and New York: Routledge.

1. [1] (https://www.allmusic.com/explore/genre/) Allmusic web site

2. "Definition of "popular music" | Collins English Dictionary" (http://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/popular-
music). www.collinsdictionary.com. Retrieved November 5, 2017.

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