Running head: Music Genres 1

Music Genres

Katherine Regotti

Arizona State University

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Abstract

I will be arguing all the music genres in the world, and why there are so many different

types and not just the main ones that people know of. There are over 1000 music genres in the

world, and not one person can name all of them or even close to half. I also want to argue why

music changes over the years, I have loved different types of music for the longest time, but as

much as a music advocate that I am, I do not think that there should be so many different types.

Why not just have the main types of like rock, hip-hop, reggae, classical, jazz, country, pop

music, etc. There are some types called Baroque music and why does there need to be one called

hardcore punk. I do get there are some difference between some music genres like rap and hip-

hop but basically, one is a form of the other, except one had more meaning then the other. The

group of people that this argument address are music people, and people who want to go into

maybe the music business, or maybe you are just curious.

Keywords: music, genres, top 20 music types

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Music Genres

You turn on the radio, it's that new song everyone has been talking about. The rhythm,

beats, and vocals make your blood start to pump. It begins to release endorphins causing

happiness. You want to hear it over and over, just like everyone else. This is the power of music.

It can change your mood from one end of the spectrum to another in an instant. There is always a

new beat that comes on and I want to hear more like it. I am always impressed with new music

being created because all the technology out there creates limitless opportunities for new genres.

Having said that, have you ever thought about how many genres are out there in the world?

There are about 1,264 genres of music created in the world. A genre of music is defined as

different styles of music. There are the many ways to define a music genre, to define how a

certain song fits into one category, to create a new category based on what someone thinks that

song should fit under.

There are multiple opinions of how music should be defined under one genre. Some

people define it as being academic, some music enthusiasts say society should decide, others say

that it should be the layout of composition, or it can be explained by the artist of the song

(Quora). Some people say a song doesn’t need to be categorized under one genre, but it can be

categorized under multiple. This is true for some songs, because there are so many genres with

subgenres. But deciding which song goes under which genre is the debate. Let’s take an iconic

song, “Wanted Dead or Alive” by Bon Jovi. This song can be defined under the music genre of

rock, but there are other subgenres such as hard rock, rap rock, industrial rock, some can even

argue alternative metal. Does it just go under rock or another subgenre? Deciding what genre this

song goes under can be determined by either beat, comparison with other bands that are that rock

genre, or even thinking about what each subgenre is thought about. The beat can be thought as a
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4/4 which means you can clap along with it on 2 and 4. A 4/4 beat is a way to help determine is a

song is rock, or another category under that, this is the more academic way. Thinking of other

bands that are considered rock and comparing them to that song is more of a person deciding if

that song goes under that certain category. To define a couple subgenres, hard rock is defined as

“emphasize pounding drums and loud guitars.” Industrial rock can be defined as “harsh,

unpleasant musical form full of discordant noise, synthesizers and drum machines.” Alternative

metal is described as “feature furious solos and accelerated tempos” (ThoughtCo). Now hearing

all this about defining rock subgenres, along with classifying rock as rock, is the song “Wanted

Dead or Alive” just rock?

When thinking about all the genres of music that exists, you tend to wonder how there

came to be so many. But, if you take a dive into the genre pool, you will see similarities. A lot of

the different subgenres have some similar big-name genres. An example, think about techno

music. This music is little to no interments used, and the rhythm used is similar beats that are

repeated with have a dance vibe. These songs are mostly heard at parties or clubs because it is

more of a millennial type music. But, if you look up all the different types of techno and listen to

them, they might sound the same to you. Some “subgenres” of techno are deep minimal techno,

deep tech house, hard minimal techno, funky tech house, tech house, dark minimal techno, and a

couple more (Everynoise). There are a lot of subgenres to this one main genre, but they all sound

the same once you listen to them without any context of how each genre is defined. This is only

one example of how genres have become out of control since so many people define different

genres of music differently.

Having so many genres can be a good and bad thing for the artist. If a list was made with

all the genres of music created, having the main genres at top and all the little subgenres
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underneath the correct main genre, how far down the list could an artist’s genre be? If an artist

creates a song but want it to be in an unknown genre of music, that song may not get a lot of

attention. The artist may either want to be an underground artist, to be in that certain genre, or

may not be sure how to create the type of genre they want to be in. They may not want that

publicity, but if they did want to expand listeners, then they would need to change their outcome

of their songs. Most of the unknown subgenres don’t get a lot of attention because society sticks

to the main music genres that everyone knows. Most of the music now that people know are

indie, rock, rap, country, reggae, jazz, dubstep, techno, hip/hop, and alternative to name a few.

There are really only a good 20 big genres that society only listens to because they were the first

ones that were created. Even though music has changed over the years, you can still hear some

old beats used in older music, in music now. Original music didn’t have these many genres to

choose from to listen to. This is because most of the music back then, people had to be found by

record studios, not just heard off YouTube. Anyone can make music, and that’s why the music

algorithm is so wide spread. An everyday person can make music, which is a good thing, but

maybe their songs may not match a certain genre, and so a new genre can be born.

A music genre is a “conventional category that identifies some pieces of music as

belonging to a shared tradition or set of conventions” (Quora). It can be distinguished by musical

form, style, lyrics, or other aspects depending on how you define a genre. This is why there are

over 1,000 styles of music, because different styles, and forms of music are being created every

day. There are many ways to define a music genre because different people have different

preferences. To determine how a certain song fits into one category could be figured out

academically, personally, or maybe you think the song fits into multiple genres or subgenres. It is

all based on your opinion, how you feel a song fits with a certain genre. But, having said that, are
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there to many genres to choose from, or is it good that there are a lot of options? Every genre

every created and being created is overwhelming to think of. How are so many different people

creating that so music, and every song fits into a certain category? Think back to the major music

genres, the ones that everyone is accustomed too. Is it a good thing to have a variety of genres

that society doesn’t really know about, but every song undoubtedly has a genre to fit into? Or

would the music world be better if there weren’t that many genres, so more people can hear

underground musicans?
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References

Level, R. (2016, May 06). The Main Difference Between Rap And Hip Hop. Retrieved February

25, 2018, from http://smartrapper.com/difference-between-rap-and-hip-hop/

Fitzpatrick, R. (2014, September 04). From charred death to deep filthstep: the 1,264 genres that

make modern music. Retrieved March 12, 2018, from

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/sep/04/-sp-from-charred-death-to-deep-filthstep-the-

1264-genres-that-make-modern-music

Marc, A. (2017, August 31). Music Now Vs. Then. Retrieved February 25, 2018, from

https://www.theodysseyonline.com/music-now-vs-then

Davis, J., Dunn, M., & Elliot, F. (Eds.). (2015, February 9). How are musical genres defined?

Retrieved March 12, 2018, from https://www.quora.com/How-are-musical-genres-defined

Grierson, T. (n.d.). Rock Genres: The Many Sounds of Contemporary Styles. Retrieved March

27, 2018, from https://www.thoughtco.com/list-of-rock-genres-2898295