Music Genres

1- Heavy metal music

Heavy metal (often referred to as metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late

1960s and early 1970s, largely in the United Kingdom and in the United States. With roots in

blues rock and psychedelic rock, the bands that created heavy metal developed a thick,

massive sound, characterized by highly amplified distortion, extended guitar solos, emphatic

beats, and overall loudness. The first heavy metal bands such as Black Sabbath, Metallica, and

Deep Purple attracted large audiences, though they were often derided by critics, a status

common throughout the history of the genre. In the mid-1970s Judas Priest helped spur the

genre's evolution by discarding much of its blues influence

Famous Heavy Metal Bands

Deep Purple, Slayer, Black Sabbath, Megadeth, Anthrax.

2- Blues

Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre. that originated in African-

American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States around the end of the

19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple

narrative ballads. The blues form, ubiquitous in jazz, rhythm and blues, and rock and roll is

characterized by specific chord progressions, of which the twelve-bar blues chord progression is

the most common. The blue notes that, for expressive purposes are sung or played flattened or

gradually bent (minor 3rd to major 3rd) in relation to the pitch of the major scale, are also an

important part of the sound.

Famous Blues Musicians

BB. King, Miles Davis, Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters Otis Rush.

3- Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in black communities

in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions.

Its African pedigree is evident in its use of blue notes, improvisation. It became popular in

America during the probation period of 1930’s which is commonly known as the Jazz Age.

Famous Jazz Musicians

Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Earl Hines, Wynton Marsalis

4- Reggae

Reggae is a music genre first developed in Jamaica in the late 1960s. While sometimes used in

a broader sense to refer to most types of Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly

denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska (genre) and

rocksteady. Reggae is most easily recognized by rhythmic accents known as the skank on the

off-beat, usually played by guitar, piano, or both. This pattern accents the second and fourth

beats in each bar—or the "ands" of each beat, depending on how the music is counted—and

combines with the drum's emphasis on beat three to create a unique feel and sense of phrasing

Famous Reggae Musicians

Bob Marley, Robbie Shakespeare, Sly Dunbar, Al Anderson

5- Rap

The word Rap refers to "spoken or chanted rhyming lyrics. Rapping is distinct from spoken word

poetry in that it is performed in time to a beat. Rapping is a primary ingredient in hip hop music

and reggae, but the phenomenon predates hip hop culture by centuries. Rapping can be

delivered over a beat or without accompaniment. Stylistically, rap occupies a gray area among

speech, prose, poetry, and song. Rapping can be traced back to its African roots. Centuries

before hip hop music existed, the riots of West Africa were delivering stories rhythmically, over

drums and sparse instrumentation.

Famous Rap Artists

Mobb Deep, Snoop Dog, Dr Dre, Tupac Shakur, Biggie Smalls.

6- Grunge

Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American

state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal,

and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting

song dynamics, and apathetic or angst-filled lyrics. Although most grunge bands had disbanded

or faded from view by the late 1990s, their influence continues to affect modern rock music.

Famous Grunge Bands

The U-Men, NIRVANA, Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam

7- Country music

Country music is a genre of American popular music that began in the rural regions of the

Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from southeastern American folk music

and Western music. Blues modes have been used extensively throughout its recorded history.

Country music often consists of ballads and dance tunes with generally simple forms and

harmonies accompanied by mostly string instruments such as banjos, electric and acoustic

guitars, fiddles, and harmonicas.

Popular Country Musicians

Vernon Dalhart, Jimmie Rodgers, Roy Acuff, Johnny Cash, Garth Brooks.

8- Electro House

Electro house is a subgenre of house music. Its origins are obscure, with varying influence

attributed to 1980s- electro clash, pop, synthpop, and tech house. A hard form of house music,

electro house found mainstream popularity around 2005. Electro house sometimes contains

elements of tech house such as prominent bass lines, short and high-pitched riffs, and minimal

to medium amounts of percussion.

Popular Electro House Musicians

Deadmau5, Flux Pavilion, Blue Foundation etc

9- Rock music

Rock music is a genre of popular music that originated as "rock and roll" in 1950s America and

developed into a range of different styles in the 1960s and later, particularly in the United

Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s' and 1950s' rock and roll, itself heavily

influenced by rhythm and blues and country music. Rock music also drew strongly on a number

of other genres such as blues and folk, and incorporated influences from jazz, classical and

other musical sources. The sound of rock is traditionally centered around the electric guitar,

which emerged in its modern form in the 1950s with the popularization of rock and roll. The

sound of an electric guitar in rock music is typically supported by an electric bass guitar

pioneered in jazz music in the same era, and percussion produced from a drum kit that

combines drums and cymbals. This trio of instruments has often been complemented by the

inclusion of others, particularly keyboards such as the piano, Hammond organ and synthesizers.

Famous Rock Musicians/Bands

Led Zeppelin, The Beatles, Queen, Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Jimmy Hendrix

10- Hip hop music

Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music, or hip-hop music, is a music genre consisting of

a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech

that is chanted. It developed as part of hip hop culture, a subculture defined by four key stylistic

elements: MCing/rapping, DJing/scratching, break dancing, and graffiti writing. Other elements

include sampling (or synthesis), and beat boxing. While often used to refer to rapping, "hip hop"

more properly denotes the practice of the entire subculture. The term hip hop music is

sometimes used synonymously with the term rap music, though rapping is not a required

component of hip hop music; the genre may also incorporate other elements of hip hop culture,

including DJing and scratching, beat boxing, and instrumental tracks.

Popular Hip Hop Groups/Artists

Wu-Tang Clan, The Glitch Mob, Kanye West, DJ Kool Herc