Most popular music genres
There are many things that set people apart, however, the love of music is something that can bring the world together. Regardless of how extravagant one’s tastes may be, it is possible to find a suitable genre of music, which makes music quite a unique art.
Music, although it can come in different languages, is considered a universal language. People all over the world may have different tastes and enjoy different styles of music; however, there is no one who does not like any type of music.
Although music has accompanied us since ancient times, it is incredible that, despite the passing of time, there is always something new to hear. Innovative lyrics, a rhythm that encourages you to move your whole body and musical trends that are reached with the fusion of different types of music to give new life to the melodies.
At one time, the only thing society knew and respected was classical music. However, nowadays, musical genres are so varied that it is very difficult to keep up with their progress.
How many genres are there?
Although many people who study music would like to know exactly how many genres of music there are, this is almost impossible to pin down.
As said before, the advancement happens very quickly; so much so that the popular music of the moment could be completely different from the most relevant of 5 or 10 years ago. Unlike the 18th and 19th centuries, in which classical music remained the musical style par excellence over time, today we could even speak of a different musical rhythm per month, due to how easy it is to approach different cultures, experiment with instruments and even show your artistic proposal through different platforms.
Only on Spotify there are more than 2000 genres and subgenres, and guided by their streaming statistics in terms of musical artists, we know that trendy music is constantly changing and that only makes us wait for what will be the next hit of the year.
We already know that it is impossible to know how many genres there are, however, it is not impossible to understand which are the most popular.
1) Classical music
Main exponents: Vivaldi, Verdi, Mozart, Beethoven, Bach.
Appearance: XVII century.
When attending music classes, this is the main genre taught in all conservatories globally.
Despite the fact that it has been around for hundreds of years, it is still one of the most relevant genres, not only because of the number of people who listen to this musical style, but also because of the importance it has in all types of modern music.
Today, millions of dollars in tickets are sold annually for opera or dance performances using arias from the world’s greatest classical composers.
In addition to modern instrumental music, absolutely all musical genres use the foundations formed by classical music centuries ago and, for that reason, anyone who wants to enter this world should first study this genre.
Considering this and the fact that it is usually the first genre we listen to as babies, due to its benefits, it could be said that classical music is really the beginning of everything.
2) hip hop
Main exponents: Tupac Shakur, Notorious BIG, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z.
Appearance: End of the 60s.
Origin: New York.
The best proof that music changes noticeably over time is the fact that Hip-Hop, and all its variants, have permeated the popular scene. What was once an underground musical genre and frowned upon by critics, today is one of the most listened to styles worldwide.
Within hip-hop there are several fusion subgenres such as reggaeton and trap, which have also become world trends. In fact, at present, these genres have served as a bridge to connect the Hispanic and Anglo-Saxon musical culture, so that, probably, in a few years we will be able to enjoy other types of rhythms.
Since 2017, hip-hop has managed to dominate the music scene, surpassing rock on many occasions and, moreover, sales continue to increase. In fact, the first 4 most listened to artists globally, according to Spotify statistics, are all exponents of hip-hop, these being: Bad Bunny, Drake, J Balvin and Juice WRLD. Based on this, it can be assumed that this genre will only continue to expand and reach more and more people.
In its early days, hip-hop was used to reflect the harsh lives of America’s marginalized communities, gang violence, and drugs. However, the theme has changed and now there are different themes that are touched upon when making music of this type.
3) Pop music
Main exponents: Michael Jackson, Madonna, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber.
Appearance: Years 50 and 60.
Origin: United States, United Kingdom.
Pop music is one of the most interesting in the world, since it is almost impossible to determine what exactly represents it at a sound level. Its name “pop” simply comes from an abbreviation of “popular”, so its objective is this: to please as many people as possible until it positions itself in musical trends.
To achieve this, pop music borrows elements from different musical styles, such as R&B and urban genres. In addition, it uses a wide combination of instruments such as synthesizer, bass, keyboard, guitar, digital piano, drums, among other things.
There are many types of pop, as this has various subgenres. However, it could be said that the fastest growing style today is K-Pop, which comes from South Korea, which, unlike American music, comes from an industry in which artists are systematically trained to ensure popularity and relevance in the international market. This explains his great fame today.
Pop is characterized by repeated choruses and a fairly catchy rhythm that makes people unable to get the songs out of their heads.
4) rock
Main exponents: Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Queen, The Runaways.
Appearance: Decade of the 50s.
Origin: United States/ United Kingdom.
For many years, rock has been a genre that has always managed to position itself at the top of musical trends. In addition to its strong rhythm and irreverent lyrics, rock has also managed to gain popularity due to the controversies in which the genre has been surrounded.
It all started in the 50’s, with rock & roll and Elvis Presley. Which was loved or hated by society. From there, this type of music did nothing but advance and divide into different subgenres to capture the largest number of people.
The British Invasion arrived in the 60s at the hands of the Rolling Stones and the Beatles, to give a different touch to the music scene. This last band broke records everywhere and, to this day, remains the most successful band in the history of rock and pop music.
Despite being a male-dominated scene, in the ’70s, women entered this world with “The Runaways,” solidifying the image of “rockstars” for both male and female fans.
Rock, since the 20th century, has evolved and has facilitated the incorporation of new musical instruments to provide new melodies. For all this, it remains one of the genres preferred by young people.
5) Rhythm and Blues (R&B)
Main exponents: Tina Turner, Beyoncé, Stevie Wonder, Maria Carey.
Appearance: Decade of the 40s.
Origin: United States.
R&B originated in the 1940s after achieving a rhythmic fusion of soul, pop, funk, hip hop and dance that allowed the African-American artistic community to explore certain themes such as freedom, love and sex, among other things.
This genre, believe it or not, was the predecessor of Rock and Roll and also laid the foundation for much of today ‘s music by artists such as Beyoncé, Christina Aguilera, Ariana Grande, and Justin Timberlake.
R&B started to be very intertwined with the pop music of the 80s, where it had its greatest boom after the decade of the classic style of the 60s, and now it is a bit difficult to separate both genres, since R&B is still used for the creation of pop music.
6) Electronic Dance Music (EDM)
Main exponents: Daft Punk, Tiesto, David Guetta, Kraftwerk, Depeche Mode.
Appearance: 70s.
Origin: Europe/United States.
When it comes to energizing music, there is no style more prominent than EDM and all the types of electronic music contained within this genre. Unlike the clear sounds that characterize other musical styles, EDM does not have a single melody, as artists produce songs using dozens or more tones until they achieve a very particular result. Hence, many people qualify this genre as “experimental”.
EDM has been divided into several subgenres, one of the best known being dance-electro-pop, which is the one that characterizes the best-known duo in electronic music: Daft Punk.
In addition to being one of the most famous musical genres worldwide, it is one of the few that has also managed to create subcultures, such as the rave scene and music festivals like Tomorrowland or the famous EDM festival in Ibiza . In addition, it has also brought with it a great advance in dance, as new steps and styles have been created that are adapted to the electronic sounds of EDM.
7) Dub-step
Main exponents: Skrillex, Zed Bias, Skream.
Appearance: 90s.
Origin: England, United States.
With processed voices and a strong rhythm that not everyone likes, dubstep is one of the musical genres that, despite having a very specific audience, has managed to penetrate the popular scene.
This is one of the best-known genres today, and its success could be said to be recent, as it became known in 2010 with the internationalization of dubstep producers such as Skrillex and Skream.
It is considered a subgenre of EDM and, thanks to its fast beats per minute, it is one of the most “fast” styles. In fact, its melodies can be uncomfortable for some people. However, it is still a growing genre that is reaching more and more people and continues to subdivide into various experimental styles.
8) Country music
Main exponents: The Carter Family, Johnny Cash, Jimmie Rodgers, Dolly Parton and Taylor Swift.
Appearance: Beginning of the 20th century.
Origin: United States.
American folk, blues, gospel, and Irish immigrant folk music was the root that allowed country music to develop.
This music is usually characterized by the use of the guitar and the harmonica, and although it had a quite distinctive sound in its traditional era, artists such as Dolly Parton and, years later, Taylor Swift managed to merge this style with pop music until popularizing this genre. music on the modern scene.
9) Heavy Metal
Main exponents: Black Sabbath, Rammstein, Metallica, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple.
Appearance: 60s.
Origin: United Kingdom/United States.
Not suitable for delicate ears, the music produced under the Heavy Metal genre and all its subgenres, such as Metallica’s thrash metal and Rammstein’s industrial metal, is characterized by being aggressive, fast and often accompanied by vocals. bass and high pitched screams. His songs usually touch emotions such as anger, pain and hatred.
10) Jazz
Main exponents: Louis Armstrong, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald.
Appearance: XIX century.
Origin: United States.
The cultural scene in New Orleans is one of the largest, since since the 19th century a fairly diverse population has been concentrated, made up of Africans, Caribbeans and Europeans who, at the end of the century, gave birth to different musical genres, including jazz.
This genre has a great influence of African songs, since it was the children of former slaves who added their tradition to the rhythm by mixing it with wind instruments such as the saxophone and the trumpet.
This type of music, especially instrumental jazz, is quite pleasing to the ear and you will recognize it as the style of choice to place in cafes. Among all the subgenres of jazz you can find songs to relax, sing or dance to.
And it is that, if you want to have your guinea pig cages or your dog’s bed close to you while you listen to these melodies, you can do it, because even pets will enjoy this unique musical style.
Over time, music has evolved and will continue to do so relentlessly. Therefore, we can only wait for the new musical waves and try to keep alive all those that have served as the basis for the most modern rhythms.
