"Bands with a million styles"

...is a line from a song by Huey Lewis And The News called "The Heart Of Rock And Roll". I first heard the line many years ago but it's stuck with me since. Are there really a million styles of music? If not, how many are there?

Here, I aim to find out.

The criteria to add a genre is very, very simple: No making up genres. To be added, there must exist some music of that genre. If I do a Google search for your genre I expect to find something concrete (and that's more than just a last.fm tag!). Other than that: wide open.

Obviously the list below is incomplete. Mail me your suggestions.

Perhaps I should clarify: the aim here is to compile a long list. Not a definitive one. :)

Genres, alphabetical

1. 2step
2. 8-bit
3. A cappella
4. A.O.R.
5. Aak
6. Abstract
7. Abstract hip hop
8. Accelerated funk
9. Acid
10. Acid house
11. Acid jazz
12. Acid punk
13. Acid tekno
14. Acoustic
15. Adult-orientated rock
16. Adventure metal
17. African
18. Afro-Caribbean
19. Aggrotech
20. Aleatory
21. Algorithmic
22. Alpine
23. Alpunk
24. Alternative
25. Alternative country
26. Alternative country rock
27. Alternative rock
28. Amateur
29. Ambient
30. Ambient industrial
31. Ambient psy
32. Americana
33. Anarcho-punk
34. Andean
35. Anime
36. Anthem
37. Anthem rock
38. Anthem trance
39. Anti-folk
40. Arabian metal
41. Arena rock
42. Aria
43. Art rock
44. Art song
45. Art-pop
46. Asian American jazz
47. Ataricore
48. Atmospheric
49. Atmospheric sludge metal
50. Australian aboriginal
51. Avant-garde
52. Avant-garde metal
53. Avant-pop
54. Avant-progressive rock
55. Bachata
56. Baggy
57. Bakersfield sound
58. Ballad
59. Band
60. Barbershop
61. Barcarole
62. Baroque
63. Barrelhouse
64. Bass
65. Bass & drum
66. Battle metal
67. Batucada
68. Beat
69. Bebop
70. Bhangra
71. Big Band
72. Big beat
73. Bitpop
74. Black metal
75. Blip hop
76. Bluegrass
77. Blues
78. Bongo flava
79. Boogie
80. Boogie woogie
81. Booty bass
82. Booty house
83. Booty music
84. Boredcore
85. Bossa nova
86. Bouncy techno
87. Bouyon
88. Braindance
89. Brass band
90. Brazilian funk
91. Breakbeat
92. Breakbeat hardcore
93. Breakcore
94. Britpop
95. Britrock
96. Broadway
97. Brutal death metal
98. Bubblegum pop
99. Bubbling
100. Cabaret
101. Cafe
102. Cajun
103. Calypso
104. Calypso jazz
105. Candombe
106. Cantata
107. Canterbury scene
108. Cantopop
109. Caribbean
110. Carnatic
111. Carnival
112. Casiocore
113. Celtic
114. Celtic metal
115. Chaabi
116. Cha-cha-cha
117. Chamber music
118. Chanson
119. Chaotic hardcore
120. Charleston
121. Chicago blues
122. Chicago house
123. Children's music
124. Chillout
125. Chinese opera
126. Chip
127. Chip tune
128. Chipstyle
129. Choppage
130. Choral
131. Christian
132. Christian country
133. Christian gangsta rap
134. Christian hip-hop
135. Christian metal
136. Christian pop
137. Christian punk
138. Christian rap
139. Christian rock
140. Christian ska
141. Christian worship
142. Circus
143. Classic electronic
144. Classic rock
145. Classical
146. Classical crossover
147. Classical mass
148. Classical modern
149. Classical romantic
150. Classical spoken word
151. Classigrass
152. Click folk
153. Cliq-hop
154. Close harmony
155. Clownstep
156. Club
157. Club-house
158. Cockney
159. Coldwave
160. College rock
161. Comedy
162. Computer
163. Concerto
164. Conga
165. Contemporary Christian
166. Contrapuntal
167. Cool jazz
168. Country
169. Country noir
170. Country punk
171. Country rock
172. Country-western
173. Couplet
174. Cover
175. Cowpunk
176. Creole
177. Crossover
178. Crunk
179. Crust
180. Crust hardcore
181. Cubist funk
182. Cult
183. Cyber trance
184. Dance
185. Dance hall
186. Dance metal
187. Dancehall reggae
188. Dangak
189. Dark ambient
190. Dark metal
191. Darkcore
192. Darkstep
193. Darkwave
194. Deathcore
195. Death industrial
196. Death metal
197. Deep house
198. Delta blues
199. Detroit bass
200. Detroit techno
201. Deutschrock
202. Devotional
203. Dhrupad
204. Digital
205. Diluted gabber
206. Disco
207. Disco house
208. Dixieland
209. Dodecaphonic
210. Doo wop
211. Doom
212. Doom metal
213. Doom/death metal
214. Doo-wop
215. Downbeat
216. Downtempo
217. Dream
218. Dream trance
219. Drill and bass
220. Drone
221. Drum
222. Drum and bass
223. Drum solo
224. Drumfunk
225. Dub
226. Dubstep
227. Duet
228. Early electronic
229. Early music
230. Easy listening
231. Edits
232. Electro
233. Electro industrial
234. Electroclash
235. Electrofunk
236. Electronic
237. Electronic body music
238. Electronic dance music
239. Elegy
240. Elektro
241. Elevator music
242. Emo
243. Emocore
244. Enka
245. Epic metal
246. Epic trance
247. Eski
248. Ethereal
249. Ethnic
250. Etude
251. Eurobeat
252. Eurodance
253. Euro-house
254. Europop
255. Euro-techno
256. Euro-trance
257. Experimental
258. Experimental rock
259. Expressionism
260. Fado
261. Fast-fusion
262. Favela funk
263. Field recording
264. Filk
265. Film
266. Filmi sangeet
267. Flamenco
268. Folk
269. Folk metal
270. Folk punk
271. Folk rock
272. Folklore
273. Free jazz
274. Freeform hardcore
275. Freestyle
276. FreeTekno
277. Fugue
278. Funcore
279. Funeral doom metal
280. Funk
281. Funkabilly
282. Funk carioca
283. Funky
284. Funky house
285. Fusion
286. Futurepop
287. Futurock
288. Gabba
289. Gabber
290. Gabber house
291. Gagaku
292. Gaita
293. Galante
294. Game
295. Gamecore
296. Gamelan
297. Gangsta rap
298. Gangsta-funk
299. Garage
300. Garage-house
301. Geek rock
302. G-funk
303. Gharnati
304. Ghazal
305. Ghetto
306. Ghetto house
307. Ghetto-funk
308. Ghettotech
309. Glam metal
310. Glam rock
311. Glitch
312. Glitch-folk
313. Glock Rock
314. Gloomcore
315. Gnawa
316. Goa
317. Go-go
318. Gore grind
319. Gospel
320. Gothenburg metal
321. Gothic
322. Gothic metal
323. Gothic rock
324. Gregorian chant
325. Grime
326. Grindcore
327. Grindwhore
328. Groove metal
329. Grunge
330. Grungecore
331. Gstanzl
332. Guiju
333. Guoyue
334. Gypsy
335. Gypsy jazz
336. Gypsy punk
337. Hair metal
338. Hair rock
339. Hamburger Schule
340. Happy gabber
341. Happy hardcore
342. Hard bop
343. Hard dance
344. Hard house
345. Hard rock
346. Hard trance
347. Hardcore
348. Hardcore/sXe
349. Hardcore emo
350. Hardcore trance
351. Hardstep
352. Hardstyle
353. Harsh noise
354. Hatecore
355. Heavy metal
356. Hellektro
357. Heterophonic
358. HI NRG
359. Hick rock
360. Hillbilly
361. Hindustani classical
362. Hip-hop
363. Hiphouse
364. Hipjazz
365. Horror glam punk
366. Horror punk
367. House
368. Hua'er
369. Humorcore
370. Humour
371. Humppa
372. Hyangak
373. Hymn
374. Ibiza goth
375. Illbient
376. Impressionist
377. Improvisation
378. Indie
379. Indie pop
380. Indie rock
381. Indietronica
382. Industrial
383. Industrial metal
384. Industrial noise
385. Insect electronica
386. Instrumental
387. Instrumental pop
388. Instrumental rock
389. Insurgent country
390. Intelligent dance music
391. Intelligent drum and bass
392. Intelligent jungle
393. Intergalactic punk rock hip-hop
394. Interpretive
395. Italo
396. Italo Disco
397. Jamgrass
398. Javanese
399. Jazz
400. Jazz blues
401. Jazz fusion
402. Jazz rap
403. Jazz rock
404. Jazz vintage
405. Jazz-funk
406. Jazzstep
407. Jeongak
408. Jewish
409. Jive
410. J-metal
411. Joik
412. J-pop
413. J-rap
414. J-rock
415. J-trance
416. J-urban
417. Jtek
418. Juke house
419. Jumpstyle
420. Jump-Up
421. Jungle
422. Junkanoo
423. Juoiggus
424. Kabuki
425. Kantrum
426. Karaoke
427. Karnatak
428. Khyal
429. Klezmer
430. Kompa
431. Kouta
432. Kozmigroov
433. K-pop
434. K-rap
435. K-rock
436. K-urban
437. Krautrock
438. Kuaiban
439. Kunqu
440. Ländler
441. Latin
442. Latin freestyle
443. Latin jazz
444. Latin pop
445. Library
446. Lied(er)
447. Lift music
448. Liquid funk
449. Lo-fi
450. Lo-fi country
451. Lounge
452. Loungecore
453. Lu
454. Luk thung
455. M.O.R.
456. Madrigal
457. Malhun
458. Mambo
459. March
460. Mariarchi
461. Martial
462. Mashup
463. Mass
464. Math metal
465. Math rock
466. Mathcore
467. Mazurka
468. M-Base
469. Mechanical Death
470. Mediaeval
471. Meditative
472. Mele
473. Melodic black metal
474. Melodic death metal
475. Melodic rock
476. Melodic trance
477. Mento
478. Merengue
479. Metal
480. Metalcore
481. Mexican rock
482. Miami bass
483. Microhouse
484. Microtonal
485. Middle Eastern
486. Military
487. Mincecore
488. Minimal techno
489. Minimalist
490. Minsogak
491. Modal jazz
492. Modern classical
493. Mor lam
494. Motet
495. Motown sound
496. MPB
497. Murder metal
498. Música Popular Brasileira
499. Musical
500. Musique concrète
501. Muzak
502. N.S.B.M.
503. Nashville sound
504. National folk
505. Native American
506. Native American metal
507. Nederhop
508. Negerpunk
509. Neo progressive
510. Neo soul
511. Neoclassical metal
512. Neoclassicist
513. Neofolk
514. Neotraditional
515. Nerdcore hip-hop
516. Neue Deutsche Härte
517. Neue Deutsche Welle
518. Neurofunk
519. New Age
520. New jack swing
521. New metal
522. New romantic
523. New Wave
524. New Wave Of British Heavy Metal
525. New Wave Of Swedish Death Metal
526. New-school metallic hardcore
527. Newgrass
528. Nintendocore
529. Niyabinghi
530. No depression
531. No wave
532. Nocturne
533. Noise
534. Noise pop
535. Noise rock
536. Noisecore
537. Norteño
538. Northern soul
539. Novelty
540. Nu funk
541. Nu gabber
542. Nu Italo
543. Nu jazz
544. Nu punk
545. Nu soul
546. Nu tango
547. Nu-metal
548. Octet
549. Oi
550. Old school hip hop
551. Old school progressive electronic
552. Oldies
553. Oldskool
554. Old-time
555. Opera
556. Operetta
557. Oratorio
558. Orchestral
559. Oriental metal
560. Pagan
561. Pingju
562. Pipe & drum
563. Pirate metal
564. Pirate rock
565. Pleng phua cheewit
566. Plutonium rock
567. Political
568. Polka
569. Polsk Punk
570. Pop
571. Pop punk
572. Pop/funk
573. Pop-folk
574. Porn groove
575. Porngrind
576. Porno gore
577. Post-black metal
578. Post-emo indie rock
579. Post-emo style rock
580. Post-grunge
581. Post-hardcore
582. Post-industrial semi-punk nekronoise ambient happy hardcore triphop shoegaze
583. Post-punk
584. Post-rock
585. Postromantic
586. Post-thrash metal
587. Power ballad
588. Power electronics
589. Power metal
590. Power noise
591. Power pop
592. Powergrind
593. Pranks
594. Prelude
595. Primus
596. Progressive
597. Progressive country
598. Progressive death metal
599. Progressive folk
600. Progressive house
601. Progressive metal
602. Progressive rock
603. Progressive sludge
604. Progressive trance
605. Psybient
606. Psychedelic
607. Psychedelic noise
608. Psychedelic rock
609. Psychobilly
610. Psytekk
611. Psy-trance
612. Pubrock
613. Punk
614. Punk cabaret
615. Punk country
616. Punk hardcore
617. Punk oi
618. Punk pop
619. Punk rock
620. Punkgrass
621. Qawwali
622. Quartet
623. Queercore
624. Quickstep
625. Quintet
626. R.A.C.
627. Ragga
628. RaggaJungle
629. Ragtime
630. Raï
631. Ranchera
632. Rap
633. Rave
634. Recitative
635. Red dirt
636. Reggae
637. Reggaeton
638. Regressive country
639. Religious
640. Rembetiko
641. Renaissance
642. Retro
643. Revival
644. Rhapsody
645. Rhythm
646. Rhythm and bass
647. Rhythm and blues
648. Rhythmic noise
649. Rhythmic soul
650. Riot grrrl
651. Robot hip hop
652. Rock
653. Rock and roll
654. Rock in Opposition
655. Rockabilly
656. Rocksteady
657. Rococo
658. Romantic
659. Romantic doom metal
660. Roots country
661. Roots rock
662. Rural contemporary
663. Sacred steel
664. Sadcore
665. Salsa
666. Samba
667. Satire
668. Scat
669. Schlager
670. Schrammelmusik
671. Schranz
672. Screamo
673. Seasonal
674. Serial
675. Serialism
676. Sextet
677. Scenecore
678. Shibuya-kei
679. Shoegaze
680. Shomyo
681. Shona
682. Showtunes
683. Sichuan
684. Ska
685. Ska noise
686. Ska punk
687. Skacore
688. Skiffle
689. Slack-key
690. Slamgrass
691. Slamming Gore Groove
692. Slow jam
693. Slow rock
694. Slowcore
695. Sludge metal
696. Smooth jazz
697. Soca
698. Sogak
699. Son
700. Sonata
701. Soul
702. Soul jazz
703. Sound clip
704. Soundtrack
705. Southern gospel
706. Southern rock
707. Southern soul
708. Space
709. Space rock
710. Speech
711. Speed garage
712. Speed metal
713. Speedbass
714. Speedcore
715. Speedwood
716. Spiritual
717. Square dance
718. Stadium rock
719. Stoner doom
720. Stoner metal
721. Stoner rock
722. Straight Edge
723. Street punk
724. String pop
725. SubIndie
726. Sublow
727. Suicide metal
728. Suicide rock
729. Surf rock
730. Swamp rock
731. Swing
732. Symphonic
733. Symphonic black metal
734. Symphonic poem
735. Symphonic rock
736. Symphony
737. Synthpop
738. Synthtron
739. Tango
740. Tartan techno
741. Tech
742. Tech hardcore
743. Tech-house
744. Techmospheric
745. Technical death
746. Techno
747. Techno rock
748. Techno-industrial
749. Techstep
750. Tejano
751. Terror
752. Terror EBM
753. Terrorcore
754. Tex-Mex
755. Theatrical
756. Theme
757. Theme and variations
758. Third Stream
759. Thrang
760. Thrash metal
761. Threnody
762. Throat singing
763. Toccata
764. Tone poem
765. Traditional
766. Traditional Chinese
767. Trailer
768. Trance
769. Trancecore
770. Trancestep
771. Trashcan Americana
772. Tribal
773. Trio
774. Trip-hop
775. Troll metal
776. Tropicália
777. Tropicalismo
778. True Scottish Pirate Metal
779. Turbo-folk
780. Turntablism
781. Tuvan
782. Twang core
783. Twee
784. Twee pop
785. Twelve-tone
786. Two step
787. UK garage
788. Unblack metal
789. Uplifting trance
790. Uptempo
791. Urban
792. Vallenato
793. Vedic metal
794. Victoriandustrial
795. Viking metal
796. Visual kei
797. Vocal
798. Vocal house
799. Vocal-trance
800. Vomitcore
801. Waltz
802. Wedding
803. Weirdo
804. West coast
805. Western
806. Western swing
807. White metal
808. Wizard rock
809. Wobble
810. Wong shadow
811. World fusion
812. World music
813. Worldbeat
814. Wrock
815. Wyrd folk
816. Y'allternative
817. Yang
818. Yayue
819. Yodel
820. Yoik
821. Zeuhl
822. Zydeco

Fake genres

Given how large the above list has grown beyond my expectations, it seems that coming up with fake genres might be a greater challenge. Here's your starter pack (and no obvious hybrids like "Ambient classical death", please, unless they're really funny):

1. Raggagoth
2. Plickplock
3. Cakecore
4. Fliprock
5. Slip-hop
6. Slap-pop
7. Disco polo - UPDATE: apparently this genre, which I made up, is actually real

And as a last resort, my good friend P gives us a way to generate your own:

Submit more

Contact me here.