Every Musical Genre Ever

"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. 16-bit
  2. 2step
  3. 8-bit
  4. A cappella metal
  5. A cappella
  6. A.O.R.
  7. Aak
  8. Abstract
  9. Abstract hip hop
  10. Accelerated funk
  11. Acid
  12. Acid house
  13. Acid jazz
  14. Acid punk
  15. Acid tekno
  16. Acoustic
  17. Adult-orientated rock
  18. Adventure metal
  19. African
  20. Afro-Caribbean
  21. Aggrotech
  22. Aleatory
  23. Algorithmic
  24. Alpine
  25. Alpunk
  26. Alternative
  27. Alternative country
  28. Alternative country rock
  29. Alternative rock
  30. Amateur
  31. Ambient
  32. Ambient industrial
  33. Ambient psy
  34. American primitive guitar
  35. Americana
  36. Anarcho-punk
  37. Andean
  38. Anime
  39. Anthem
  40. Anthem rock
  41. Anthem trance
  42. Anti-folk
  43. Appalachian folk
  44. Aquacrunk
  45. Arabian metal
  46. Arena rock
  47. Aria
  48. Ars nova
  49. Ars subtilior
  50. Art rock
  51. Art song
  52. Art-pop
  53. Asian American jazz
  54. Ataricore
  55. Atmospheric
  56. Atmospheric sludge metal
  57. Australian aboriginal
  58. Avant-garde
  59. Avant-garde jazz
  60. Avant-garde metal
  61. Avant-pop
  62. Avant-progressive rock
  63. Bachata
  64. Baggy
  65. Bakersfield sound
  66. Ballad
  67. Band
  68. Barbershop
  69. Barcarole
  70. Baroque
  71. Barrelhouse
  72. Bass
  73. Bass & drum
  74. Battle metal
  75. Batucada
  76. Beat
  77. Bebop
  78. Berlin school electronic/Kosmiche
  79. Bhangra
  80. Big Band
  81. Big beat
  82. Bitpop
  83. Black metal
  84. Blip hop
  85. Bluegrass
  86. Blues
  87. Bongo flava
  88. Boogie
  89. Boogie woogie
  90. Booty bass
  91. Booty house
  92. Booty music
  93. Boredcore
  94. Bossa nova
  95. Bouncy techno
  96. Bouyon
  97. Braindance
  98. Brass band
  99. Brazilian funk
  100. Breakbeat
  101. Breakbeat hardcore
  102. Breakcore
  103. Britpop
  104. Britrock
  105. Broadway
  106. Brutal death metal
  107. Bubblegum pop
  108. Bubbling
  109. Business funk
  110. Cabaret
  111. Cafe
  112. Cajun
  113. Calypso
  114. Calypso jazz
  115. Candombe
  116. Cantata
  117. Canterbury scene
  118. Cantopop
  119. Caribbean
  120. Carnatic
  121. Carnival
  122. Casiocore
  123. Celtic
  124. Celtic metal
  125. Chaabi
  126. Cha-cha-cha
  127. Chamber music
  128. Chanson
  129. Chaotic hardcore
  130. Charleston
  131. Chicago blues
  132. Chicago house
  133. Children's music
  134. Chillgressive
  135. Chillout
  136. Chillstep
  137. Chinese opera
  138. Chip
  139. Chip tune
  140. Chipstyle
  141. Choppage
  142. Choral
  143. Christian
  144. Christian country
  145. Christian gangsta rap
  146. Christian hip-hop
  147. Christian metal
  148. Christian pop
  149. Christian punk
  150. Christian rap
  151. Christian rock
  152. Christian ska
  153. Christian worship
  154. Circus
  155. Classic electronic
  156. Classic rock
  157. Classical
  158. Classical crossover
  159. Classical mass
  160. Classical modern
  161. Classical romantic
  162. Classical spoken word
  163. Classigrass
  164. Click folk
  165. Cliq-hop
  166. Close harmony
  167. Clownstep
  168. Club
  169. Club-house
  170. Cockney
  171. Coldwave
  172. College rock
  173. Comedy
  174. Computer
  175. Concerto
  176. Conga
  177. Contemporary Christian
  178. Contrapuntal
  179. Cool jazz
  180. Country
  181. Country blues
  182. Country noir
  183. Country punk
  184. Country rock
  185. Country-western
  186. Couplet
  187. Cover
  188. Cowpunk
  189. Creole
  190. Crossover
  191. Crunk
  192. Crust
  193. Crust hardcore
  194. Cubist funk
  195. Cult
  196. Cyber trance
  197. Dance
  198. Dance hall
  199. Dance metal
  200. Dancehall reggae
  201. Dangak
  202. Dark ambient
  203. Dark folk
  204. Dark metal
  205. Darkcore
  206. Darkstep
  207. Darkwave
  208. Deathcore
  209. Death industrial
  210. Death metal
  211. Deep house
  212. Delta blues
  213. Detroit bass
  214. Detroit techno
  215. Deutschrock
  216. Devotional
  217. Dhrupad
  218. Digital
  219. Diluted gabber
  220. Disco
  221. Disco house
  222. Dixieland
  223. Djent
  224. Dodecaphonic
  225. Doo wop
  226. Doom
  227. Doom metal
  228. Doom/death metal
  229. Doo-wop
  230. Downbeat
  231. Downtempo
  232. Dream
  233. Dream trance
  234. Drill and bass
  235. Drone
  236. Drone metal
  237. Drum
  238. Drum and bass
  239. Drum solo
  240. Drumfunk
  241. Dub
  242. Dubstep
  243. Duet
  244. Early electronic
  245. Early music
  246. Easy listening
  247. Edits
  248. Electro
  249. Electro industrial
  250. Electroacoustic
  251. Electroacoustic improvisation
  252. Electroclash
  253. Electrofunk
  254. Electronic
  255. Electronic body music
  256. Electronic dance music
  257. Electronic grindcore
  258. Electroswing
  259. Elegy
  260. Elektro
  261. Elevator music
  262. Emo
  263. Emocore
  264. Enka
  265. Epic metal
  266. Epic trance
  267. Eski
  268. Ethereal
  269. Ethnic
  270. Etude
  271. Eurobeat
  272. Eurodance
  273. Euro-house
  274. Europop
  275. Euro-techno
  276. Euro-trance
  277. Experimental
  278. Experimental rock
  279. Expressionism
  280. Fado
  281. Fast-fusion
  282. Favela funk
  283. Field recording
  284. Filk
  285. Film
  286. Filmi sangeet
  287. Flamenco
  288. Folk
  289. Folk metal
  290. Folk punk
  291. Folk rock
  292. Folklore
  293. Folktronica
  294. Freak folk
  295. Free improvisation
  296. Free jazz
  297. Freeform hardcore
  298. Freestyle
  299. FreeTekno
  300. Frenchcore
  301. Fugue
  302. Funcore
  303. Funeral doom metal
  304. Funk
  305. Funkabilly
  306. Funk carioca
  307. Funky
  308. Funky house
  309. Fusion
  310. Futurepop
  311. Futurock
  312. Gabba
  313. Gabber
  314. Gabber house
  315. Gagaku
  316. Gaita
  317. Galante
  318. Game
  319. Gamecore
  320. Gamelan
  321. Gangsta rap
  322. Gangsta-funk
  323. Garage
  324. Garage-house
  325. Geek rock
  326. G-funk
  327. Gharnati
  328. Ghazal
  329. Ghetto
  330. Ghetto house
  331. Ghetto-funk
  332. Ghettotech
  333. Glam metal
  334. Glam rock
  335. Glitch
  336. Glitchcore
  337. Glitch-folk
  338. Glitch-hop
  339. Glock Rock
  340. Gloomcore
  341. Gnawa
  342. Goa
  343. Go-go
  344. Gore grind
  345. Gospel
  346. Gothenburg metal
  347. Gothic
  348. Gothic metal
  349. Gothic rock
  350. Gregorian chant
  351. Grime
  352. Grindcore
  353. Grindwhore
  354. Groove metal
  355. Grunge
  356. Grungecore
  357. Gstanzl
  358. Guiju
  359. Guoyue
  360. Gypsy
  361. Gypsy jazz
  362. Gypsy punk
  363. Hair metal
  364. Hair rock
  365. Hamburger Schule
  366. Happy gabber
  367. Happy hardcore
  368. Hard bop
  369. Hard dance
  370. Hard house
  371. Hard rock
  372. Hard trance
  373. Hardcore
  374. Hardcore/sXe
  375. Hardcore emo
  376. Hardcore trance
  377. Hardstep
  378. Hardstyle
  379. Harsh noise
  380. Harsh noise wall
  381. Hatecore
  382. Heavy metal
  383. Hellektro
  384. Heterophonic
  385. HI NRG
  386. Hick rock
  387. Hillbilly
  388. Hindustani classical
  389. Hip-hop
  390. Hip-hopera
  391. Hiphouse
  392. Hipjazz
  393. Horror glam punk
  394. Horror punk
  395. Horrorcore
  396. House
  397. Hua'er
  398. Humorcore
  399. Humour
  400. Humppa
  401. Hyangak
  402. Hymn
  403. Ibiza goth
  404. Illbient
  405. Impressionist
  406. Improvisation
  407. Indeterminacy
  408. Indie
  409. Indie pop
  410. Indie rock
  411. Indietronica
  412. Industrial
  413. Industrial hip-hop
  414. Industrial metal
  415. Industrial noise
  416. Insect electronica
  417. Instrumental
  418. Instrumental pop
  419. Instrumental rock
  420. Insurgent country
  421. Integral serialism
  422. Intelligent dance music
  423. Intelligent drum and bass
  424. Intelligent jungle
  425. Intergalactic punk rock hip-hop
  426. Interpretive
  427. Italo
  428. Italo Disco
  429. Jamgrass
  430. Javanese
  431. Jazz
  432. Jazz blues
  433. Jazz fusion
  434. Jazz rap
  435. Jazz rock
  436. Jazz vintage
  437. Jazz-funk
  438. Jazzstep
  439. Jeongak
  440. Jewish
  441. Jive
  442. J-metal
  443. Joik
  444. J-pop
  445. J-rap
  446. J-rock
  447. J-trance
  448. J-urban
  449. Jtek
  450. Juke house
  451. Jumpstyle
  452. Jump-Up
  453. Jungle
  454. Junkanoo
  455. Juoiggus
  456. Kabuki
  457. Kantrum
  458. Karaoke
  459. Karnatak
  460. Khoomei
  461. Khyal
  462. Klezmer
  463. Klezmer-punk
  464. Kompa
  465. Kouta
  466. Kozmigroov
  467. K-pop
  468. K-rap
  469. K-rock
  470. K-urban
  471. Krautrock
  472. Kuaiban
  473. Kunqu
  474. Ländler
  475. Latin
  476. Latin freestyle
  477. Latin jazz
  478. Latin pop
  479. Library
  480. Lied(er)
  481. Lift music
  482. Liquid chillstep
  483. Liquid dubstep
  484. Liquid funk
  485. Lo-fi
  486. Lo-fi country
  487. Lounge
  488. Loungecore
  489. Lowercase
  490. Lu
  491. Luk thung
  492. M.O.R.
  493. Madrigal
  494. Malhun
  495. Mambo
  496. March
  497. Mariarchi
  498. Martial
  499. Martian industrial
  500. Mashup
  501. Mass
  502. Math metal
  503. Math rock
  504. Mathcore
  505. Mazurka
  506. M-Base
  507. Mechanical Death
  508. Mediaeval
  509. Meditative
  510. Mele
  511. Melodic black metal
  512. Melodic death metal
  513. Melodic rock
  514. Melodic trance
  515. Mento
  516. Merengue
  517. Metal
  518. Metalcore
  519. Metalstep
  520. Mexican rock
  521. Miami bass
  522. Microhouse
  523. Microsound
  524. Microtonal
  525. Middle Eastern
  526. Military
  527. Mincecore
  528. Minimal techno
  529. Minimalist
  530. Minsogak
  531. Modal jazz
  532. Modern classical
  533. Moombahton
  534. Mor lam
  535. Motet
  536. Motown sound
  537. MPB
  538. Murder metal
  539. Music-core
  540. Música Popular Brasileira
  541. Musical
  542. Musique concrète
  543. Muzak
  544. N.S.B.M.
  545. Nashville sound
  546. National folk
  547. Native American
  548. Native American metal
  549. Nederhop
  550. Negerpunk
  551. Neo progressive
  552. Neo soul
  553. Neo-medieval folk
  554. Neoclassical metal
  555. Neoclassicist
  556. Neofolk
  557. Neotraditional
  558. Nerdcore hip-hop
  559. Neue Deutsche Härte
  560. Neue Deutsche Welle
  561. Neurofunk
  562. New Age
  563. New beat
  564. New jack swing
  565. New metal
  566. New romantic
  567. New school breaks
  568. New Wave
  569. New Wave Of British Heavy Metal
  570. New Wave Of Swedish Death Metal
  571. New-school metallic hardcore
  572. Newgrass
  573. Nightcore
  574. Nightstep
  575. Nintendocore
  576. Niyabinghi
  577. No depression
  578. No wave
  579. Nocturne
  580. Noise
  581. Noise pop
  582. Noise rock
  583. Noisecore
  584. Norteño
  585. Northern soul
  586. Novelty
  587. Nu funk
  588. Nu gabber
  589. Nu Italo
  590. Nu jazz
  591. Nu punk
  592. Nu school breaks
  593. Nu soul
  594. Nu tango
  595. Nu-metal
  596. Nunstep
  597. Octet
  598. Oi
  599. Old school hip hop
  600. Old school progressive electronic
  601. Oldies
  602. Oldskool
  603. Old-time
  604. Onkyokei
  605. Opera
  606. Operetta
  607. Oratorio
  608. Orchestral
  609. Oriental metal
  610. Pagan
  611. Pagan metal
  612. Piedmont blues
  613. Pingju
  614. Pipe & drum
  615. Pirate metal
  616. Pirate rock
  617. Pleng phua cheewit
  618. Plutonium rock
  619. Political
  620. Polka
  621. Polsk Punk
  622. Pop
  623. Pop punk
  624. Pop/funk
  625. Pop-folk
  626. Porn groove
  627. Porngrind
  628. Porno gore
  629. Post-black metal
  630. Post-emo indie rock
  631. Post-emo style rock
  632. Post-grunge
  633. Post-hardcore
  634. Post-industrial semi-punk nekronoise ambient happy hardcore triphop shoegaze
  635. Post-minimalism
  636. Post modern bovine smut funk
  637. Post-punk
  638. Post-rock
  639. Postromantic
  640. Post-thrash metal
  641. Power ballad
  642. Power electronics
  643. Power metal
  644. Power noise
  645. Power pop
  646. Powergrind
  647. Pranks
  648. Prelude
  649. Primus
  650. Progressive
  651. Progressive country
  652. Progressive death metal
  653. Progressive folk
  654. Progressive house
  655. Progressive metal
  656. Progressive rock
  657. Progressive sludge
  658. Progressive trance
  659. Psybient
  660. Psychedelic
  661. Psychedelic folk
  662. Psychedelic noise
  663. Psychedelic rock
  664. Psychobilly
  665. Psycore
  666. Psytekk
  667. Psy-trance
  668. Pubrock
  669. Punk
  670. Punk cabaret
  671. Punk country
  672. Punk hardcore
  673. Punk oi
  674. Punk pop
  675. Punk rock
  676. Punkgrass
  677. Purple sound
  678. Pyjama funk
  679. Qawwali
  680. Quan họ
  681. Quartet
  682. Queercore
  683. Quickstep
  684. Quintet
  685. R.A.C.
  686. Ragga
  687. RaggaJungle
  688. Ragtime
  689. Raï
  690. Ranchera
  691. Rap
  692. Rap opera
  693. Rave
  694. Recitative
  695. Red dirt
  696. Reductionism
  697. Reggae
  698. Reggaeton
  699. Regressive country
  700. Religious
  701. Rembetiko
  702. Renaissance
  703. Retro
  704. Retrowave
  705. Revival
  706. Rhapsody
  707. Rhythm
  708. Rhythm and bass
  709. Rhythm and blues
  710. Rhythmic noise
  711. Rhythmic soul
  712. Riot grrrl
  713. Robot hip hop
  714. Rock
  715. Rock and roll
  716. Rock in Opposition
  717. Rockabilly
  718. Rocksteady
  719. Rococo
  720. Romantic
  721. Romantic doom metal
  722. Roots country
  723. Roots rock
  724. Rumba
  725. Rural contemporary
  726. Sacred steel
  727. Sadcore
  728. Salsa
  729. Samba
  730. Satire
  731. Scat
  732. Schlager
  733. Schrammelmusik
  734. Schranz
  735. Screamo
  736. Seasonal
  737. Serial
  738. Serialism
  739. Sextet
  740. Scenecore
  741. Shibuya-kei
  742. Shoegaze
  743. Shomyo
  744. Shona
  745. Showtunes
  746. Sichuan
  747. Sickcore
  748. Ska
  749. Ska noise
  750. Ska punk
  751. Skacore
  752. Skiffle
  753. Slack-key
  754. Slamgrass
  755. Slamming Gore Groove
  756. Slow jam
  757. Slow rock
  758. Slowcore
  759. Sludge metal
  760. Smooth jazz
  761. Soca
  762. Sogak
  763. Son
  764. Sonata
  765. Soul
  766. Soul jazz
  767. Sound clip
  768. Soundtrack
  769. Southern gospel
  770. Southern rock
  771. Southern soul
  772. Space
  773. Space rock
  774. Speech
  775. Speed garage
  776. Speed metal
  777. Speedbass
  778. Speedcore
  779. Speedwood
  780. Spiritual
  781. Spiritual jazz
  782. Square dance
  783. Stadium rock
  784. Stoner doom
  785. Stoner metal
  786. Stoner rock
  787. Straight Edge
  788. Street bass
  789. Street punk
  790. String pop
  791. SubIndie
  792. Sublow
  793. Suicide metal
  794. Suicide rock
  795. Surf rock
  796. Swamp rock
  797. Swing
  798. Symphonic
  799. Symphonic black metal
  800. Symphonic poem
  801. Symphonic rock
  802. Symphony
  803. Synthpop
  804. Synthtron
  805. Synthwave
  806. Taiko
  807. Tango
  808. Tartan techno
  809. Tech
  810. Tech hardcore
  811. Tech-house
  812. Techmospheric
  813. Technical death
  814. Techno
  815. Techno rock
  816. Techno-industrial
  817. Techstep
  818. Tejano
  819. Terror
  820. Terror EBM
  821. Terrorcore
  822. Tex-Mex
  823. Theatrical
  824. Theme
  825. Theme and variations
  826. Third Stream
  827. Thrang
  828. Thrash metal
  829. Threnody
  830. Throat singing
  831. Toccata
  832. Tone poem
  833. Totalism
  834. Traditional
  835. Traditional Chinese
  836. Trailer
  837. Trance
  838. Trancecore
  839. Trancestep
  840. Trap
  841. Trashcan Americana
  842. Tribal
  843. Trio
  844. Trip-hop
  845. Troll metal
  846. Tropicália
  847. Tropicalismo
  848. True Scottish Pirate Metal
  849. Turbo-folk
  850. Turntablism
  851. Tuvan
  852. Twang core
  853. Twee
  854. Twee pop
  855. Twelve-tone
  856. Two step
  857. UK garage
  858. Unblack metal
  859. Uplifting trance
  860. Uptempo
  861. Urban
  862. Vallenato
  863. Vaporwave
  864. Vedic metal
  865. Victoriandustrial
  866. Viking metal
  867. Visual kei
  868. Vocal
  869. Vocal house
  870. Vocal jazz
  871. Vocal-trance
  872. Vomitcore
  873. Waltz
  874. Wedding
  875. Weirdo
  876. West coast
  877. Western
  878. Western swing
  879. White metal
  880. Witch house
  881. Wizard rock
  882. Wobble
  883. Wong shadow
  884. Wonky
  885. World fusion
  886. World music
  887. Worldbeat
  888. Wrock
  889. Wyrd folk
  890. Y'allternative
  891. Yang
  892. Yayue
  893. Yellow cocktail
  894. Yodel
  895. Yoik
  896. Zeuhl
  897. Zouk
  898. 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
  8. Demoncore

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