(Philojain) Music Genres — Master Lexicon (Genre · Subgenre · Microgenre)
Abstract ambient — Ambient music emphasizing non-referential texture and form
Abstract beats — Beat-driven music prioritizing texture over groove
Abstract hip hop — Experimental hip hop emphasizing atmosphere, abstraction, and nontraditional structure
Acid breaks — Breakbeat music infused with acid basslines
Acid dub — Dub music emphasizing acid synthesis textures
Acid house — House music defined by resonant TB-303 basslines and repetitive grooves
Acid jazz funk — Funk-forward acid jazz with rhythmic emphasis
Acid jazz — Fusion of jazz harmony with funk, soul, and club rhythms
Acid minimal — Minimal electronic music using acid timbres
Acid techno — Techno subgenre driven by aggressive acid synthesis
Acid trance — Trance music driven by resonant acid sequences
Acidcore — Hardcore techno variant built on acid lines
Adult contemporary — Polished pop-oriented music targeting mature audiences
Afrobeat — West African genre combining funk, jazz, and political expression
Afrobeats — Contemporary African pop blending dancehall, hip hop, and electronic styles
Aggressive techno — Techno prioritizing intensity and force
Aggro rap — Hip hop emphasizing aggressive delivery and tone
Aggrotech — Harsh electronic body music with distorted vocals and militant themes
Alternative country — Country music filtered through indie and rock aesthetics
Alternative hip hop — Hip hop diverging from mainstream production and themes
Alternative metal — Metal incorporating unconventional song structures and influences
Alternative rock — Broad rock category outside mainstream pop conventions
Ambient black metal — Black metal fused with ambient soundscapes
Ambient dub — Dub techniques applied to ambient soundscapes
Ambient glitch — Ambient music using digital error textures
Ambient industrial — Industrial music slowed into atmospheric forms
Ambient noise — Noise music emphasizing sustained texture
Ambient pop — Pop structures softened into ambient textures
Ambient post-rock — Post-rock emphasizing atmosphere over crescendos
Ambient techno — Minimal techno emphasizing mood rather than drive
Ambient — Atmospheric music prioritizing texture over rhythm
Ambient — Music prioritizing texture, space, and atmosphere over rhythm
Americana — Roots-based fusion of folk, country, blues, and rock
Anarcho-hip hop — Hip hop aligned with anarchist politics
Anarcho-punk — Punk defined by anarchist politics and DIY ethics
Ancestral drone — Drone music inspired by ritual traditions
Ancestral folk — Folk music invoking lineage and heritage
Anti-folk — Folk music with ironic, raw, or subversive presentation
Arena rock — Rock designed for large-scale venues and mass audiences
Art pop — Pop music incorporating conceptual and experimental ideas
Art rock — Rock emphasizing artistic ambition and avant-garde influence
Atmospheric black metal — Black metal focused on ambience and immersive texture
Atmospheric doom — Doom metal emphasizing space and mood
Atmospheric grind — Grindcore incorporating ambient passages
Atmospheric sludge — Sludge metal emphasizing texture and atmosphere
Autonomous techno — Techno designed for self-evolving systems
Avant-folk — Experimental reinterpretation of folk traditions
Avant-garde jazz — Jazz rejecting conventional harmony, rhythm, and form
Avant-garde metal — Metal using experimental composition and sound design
Ballad — Slow, emotive song form emphasizing melody and lyrics
Baltimore club — Regional dance music with rapid tempos and chopped vocals
Baroque pop — Pop music incorporating classical instrumentation and counterpoint
Bass house — House music emphasizing heavy basslines and groove
Bass-driven house — House music centered on sub-bass movement
Bass-heavy dub — Dub prioritizing low-frequency dominance
Bassline grime — Grime emphasizing sub-bass weight
Bassline — UK dance genre centered on prominent sub-bass patterns
Beatdown hardcore — Hardcore punk emphasizing slow, crushing breakdowns
Beatless ambient — Ambient music without rhythmic pulse
Beatless techno — Techno-derived textures without percussion
Bedroom folk — Intimate folk produced in home environments
Bedroom pop — Lo-fi pop produced in home recording environments
Bedroom R&B — Lo-fi R&B with personal aesthetics
Big beat — Electronic music combining breakbeats with rock energy
Black metal — Extreme metal characterized by atmosphere, tremolo riffs, and ideology
Bleak folk — Folk music emphasizing desolation and minimalism
Bluegrass — Acoustic American roots music featuring virtuosic picking
Blues rock — Rock music structured around blues harmony and feel
Blues — African American genre rooted in expressive vocal and instrumental forms
Boom bap — Hip hop production style emphasizing punchy drums and samples
Boombox punk — Punk designed for low-fidelity playback
Bossa nova — Brazilian genre blending samba rhythm with jazz harmony
Breakbeat — Rhythmic style using syncopated drum patterns
Breakcore — Extreme electronic genre with chaotic breakbeats and tempos
Britpop — British rock movement emphasizing melody and national identity
Broken beat jazz — Jazz-influenced broken rhythm dance music
Broken techno — Techno using fractured rhythmic structures
Brutal death metal — Death metal emphasizing extreme heaviness
Brutalist techno — Techno emphasizing stark repetition and force
Calypso — Caribbean folk music with rhythmic storytelling
Chamber pop — Pop music featuring orchestral or chamber arrangements
Chicago house — Early house music defined by drum machines and soul influence
Chillhop — Relaxed lo-fi hip hop used for background listening
Chiptune — Music created using vintage computer and game hardware sounds
Cinematic ambient — Ambient music evoking film soundtracks
Cinematic black metal — Black metal structured with cinematic dynamics
Cinematic post-rock — Post-rock emphasizing narrative arcs
Classic rock — Canonical rock music from mid-20th century
Cloud rap — Hip hop subgenre with ethereal production and melodic vocals
Cloud trap — Trap music with ethereal production
Cold techno — Minimal techno with detached affect
Coldwave — Minimal electronic music with dark, detached aesthetics
Comedy rock — Rock music incorporating humor and satire
Conscious hip hop — Hip hop focused on social and political commentary
Contemporary folk — Modern adaptations of traditional folk music
Contemporary R&B — Modern evolution of rhythm and blues
Contemporary ritual — Modern music designed for ceremonial function
Cosmic ambient — Ambient music evoking outer space
Cosmic disco — Disco infused with sci-fi aesthetics
Country rock — Fusion of country music with rock instrumentation
Country — American genre rooted in rural storytelling traditions
Crate-digging hip hop — Hip hop built from obscure samples
Crossover thrash — Thrash metal fused with hardcore punk
Crunk — Southern hip hop subgenre emphasizing chant-like energy
Crust punk — Hardcore punk fused with extreme metal aesthetics
Dark ambient — Ambient music with ominous or bleak atmospheres
Dark folk — Folk music emphasizing somber themes
Dark jazz — Jazz influenced by noir, doom, and cinematic tension
Dark minimal techno — Minimal techno with bleak tonality
Dark psytrance — Psytrance emphasizing ominous atmospheres
Dark techno — Techno emphasizing dystopian and heavy textures
Death doom — Hybrid of death metal and doom metal
Death metal — Extreme metal focused on speed, aggression, and brutality
Deathcore — Hybrid of death metal and metalcore breakdowns
Deconstructed club — Club music dismantling dance conventions
Deep ambient — Extremely subtle atmospheric music
Deep dub techno — Dub techno with extended depth and space
Deep house — House music with smooth grooves and soulful warmth
Deep microhouse — Minimal house emphasizing micro-variation
Delta blues — Early rural blues style from the Mississippi Delta
Depressive black metal — Black metal focused on despair
Detroit techno — Futuristic techno style rooted in machine aesthetics
Digital hardcore — Hardcore punk fused with aggressive electronics
Digital noise — Noise music rooted in digital processes
Disco — Dance music defined by four-on-the-floor rhythm and orchestration
Djent — Metal subgenre emphasizing polyrhythmic palm-muted riffs
Doom metal — Slow, heavy metal emphasizing weight and atmosphere
Downtempo — Slower electronic music for relaxed listening
Downtuned hardcore — Hardcore punk with lowered tunings
Drill — Hip hop subgenre with dark minimal beats and street narratives
Drone doom — Doom metal emphasizing prolonged drones
Drone folk — Folk music emphasizing sustained tones
Drone metal — Metal built on sustained tones and minimal structure
Drone metal — Sustained-tone metal subgenre
Drum and bass — Fast electronic genre with breakbeats and bass focus
Dub techno — Techno influenced by dub production and repetition
Dub — Remix-based reggae offshoot emphasizing bass and space
EBM — Electronic body music characterized by rigid rhythms and sequenced bass
Electro — Early electronic funk combining drum machines and synth bass
Electroclash — Electronic pop blending punk attitude with retro synths
Emo — Rock music emphasizing emotional expression and confessional lyrics
Ethereal doom — Doom metal infused with ambient textures
Ethereal pop — Pop music emphasizing airy atmospheres
Ethereal wave — Atmospheric gothic-influenced electronic music
Experimental bass — Bass music exploring unconventional structure
Experimental club — Club-oriented music defying dance norms
Experimental doom — Doom metal pushing formal boundaries
Experimental electronic — Electronic music exploring unconventional structures
Experimental grime — Grime deconstructed beyond standard forms
Experimental hip hop — Hip hop pushing formal, sonic, or conceptual boundaries
Experimental rock — Rock music rejecting traditional song forms
Experimental trap — Trap music altering traditional patterns
Field-recording ambient — Ambient music built from environmental sound
Folk drone — Drone music rooted in folk traditions
Folk punk — Punk music infused with folk instrumentation and ethos
Folk — Traditional acoustic-based music passed through oral and written traditions
Forest psytrance — Psytrance inspired by natural imagery
Free improv noise — Noise-oriented free improvisation
Funk — Groove-centered genre emphasizing rhythm and syncopation
Future bass — Electronic genre with melodic drops and modulated bass
Future garage — Garage music with futuristic sound design
G-funk — West Coast hip hop style with funk-influenced synth lines
Gabber — Extremely hard, fast-paced techno subgenre
Garage rock — Raw rock music with simple structures
Glam rock — Rock emphasizing theatricality and visual style
Glitch ambient — Ambient music shaped by digital artifacts
Glitch hop — Hip hop beats using glitch aesthetics
Glitch — Electronic music using digital errors as material
Gospel — Christian music centered on vocal harmony and worship
Gothic folk — Folk music influenced by gothic themes
Grime — UK urban genre combining rap with electronic beats
Grindcore — Extreme metal blending hardcore punk and death metal
Gritty boom bap — Raw, sample-heavy hip hop
Grungegaze — Fusion of grunge heaviness and shoegaze texture
Hard bop — Jazz style incorporating blues and gospel influences
Hard minimal techno — Minimal techno emphasizing force
Hard trance revival — Modern reinterpretation of early trance
Hardcore punk — Fast, aggressive punk emphasizing intensity
Hardstyle — Electronic dance music with distorted kicks and anthemic builds
Hauntological ambient — Ambient music evoking lost futures
Heavy metal — Loud guitar-driven music emphasizing power and distortion
Heavy post-rock — Post-rock emphasizing weight over delicacy
Hip hop — Cultural movement centered on rhythmic vocal delivery
House — Electronic dance music built on four-on-the-floor rhythm
Hyperpop glitch — Hyperpop incorporating glitch textures
IDM — Electronic music focused on complex rhythms and listening depth
Indie folk — Folk-influenced music from independent scenes
Indie pop — Melodic pop produced outside mainstream industry
Indie rock — Guitar-driven rock emphasizing independence
Industrial ambient — Ambient music using industrial sound sources
Industrial doom — Doom metal fused with industrial textures
Industrial techno — Techno emphasizing mechanical harshness
Industrial — Music using mechanical sounds and abrasive textures
Instrumental hip hop — Hip hop without vocal presence
Jazz fusion — Jazz combined with rock, funk, or electronic elements
Jazz — Improvisation-centered music with swing and harmonic complexity
Jazztronica — Jazz harmony blended with electronic production
Jungle — Early drum and bass style with reggae influence
K-pop — Korean popular music blending global pop styles
Kosmische ambient — Ambient music derived from cosmic krautrock
Krautrock — Experimental German rock emphasizing repetition and electronics
Leftfield bass — Bass music operating outside conventional club structures
Liquid drum and bass — Drum and bass emphasizing melody and smoothness
Lo-fi house — House music embracing raw and imperfect textures
Lo-fi jazz — Jazz recorded or produced with intentional low fidelity
Lo-fi metal — Metal music emphasizing raw, unpolished production
Lo-fi pop — Pop music embracing intimate, degraded aesthetics
Lo-fi — Music embracing low-fidelity aesthetics and intimacy
Machine funk — Funk music driven by sequencers and drum machines
Martial industrial — Industrial music using militaristic rhythms
Mathcore — Hardcore punk with complex meters and abrupt changes
Meditative drone — Drone music designed for sustained contemplation
Melancholic techno — Techno emphasizing emotional introspection
Melodic black metal — Black metal with strong melodic content
Melodic death metal — Death metal emphasizing melody alongside aggression
Melodic dub techno — Dub techno with pronounced harmonic movement
Melodic house — House music prioritizing melody
Melodic techno — Techno balancing rhythm with harmonic progression
Metalcore — Fusion of hardcore punk and metal techniques
Microhouse — Minimal house with subtle rhythmic detail
Minimal ambient — Ambient music reduced to sparse elements
Minimal drone — Drone music using minimal harmonic movement
Minimal techno — Techno stripped to essential rhythmic elements
Minimal wave — Minimal electronic pop influenced by coldwave
Modern classical — Contemporary art music rooted in classical tradition
Modern ritual ambient — Ambient music structured for contemporary ritual
Modular techno — Techno created using modular synthesis systems
Neo-psychedelia — Modern reinterpretation of psychedelic aesthetics
Neo-soul jazz — Soul music infused with jazz harmony
Neo-soul — Modern soul music blending R&B, jazz, and hip hop
Neo-tribal techno — Techno incorporating primal rhythmic elements
Neoclassical darkwave — Darkwave fused with classical orchestration
New wave — Post-punk pop emphasizing synthesizers
Noise ambient — Ambient music incorporating noise textures
Noise drone — Drone music built from noise sources
Noise rock — Rock music using feedback and dissonance
Noise — Music constructed from nontraditional sound sources
Nordic folk ambient — Folk ambient influenced by Scandinavian traditions
Occult rock — Rock music drawing on esoteric symbolism
Opera — Dramatic classical form combining music and theatre
Organic house — House music emphasizing natural grooves
Outlaw country — Country music rejecting commercial polish
Outsider folk — Folk music created outside formal traditions
Pagan folk — Folk music inspired by pre-Christian traditions
Percussive techno — Techno emphasizing rhythmic attack
Post-black metal — Black metal expanded with post-rock dynamics
Post-club — Club music designed for listening rather than dancing
Post-doom — Doom metal evolving toward atmospheric forms
Post-hardcore — Hardcore punk evolved toward experimentation
Post-industrial ambient — Ambient music derived from industrial textures
Post-metal sludge — Sludge metal with post-metal dynamics
Post-metal — Atmospheric metal emphasizing texture and dynamics
Post-punk electronic — Electronic music rooted in post-punk aesthetics
Post-punk — Punk-influenced music exploring art and mood
Post-rave ambient — Ambient music reflecting post-rave culture
Power noise — Noise music driven by distorted rhythms
Progressive metal — Metal with technical complexity and odd meters
Progressive psytrance — Psytrance with evolving song structures
Progressive rock — Rock featuring complex forms and virtuosity
Progressive sludge — Sludge metal incorporating progressive elements
Psychedelic rock — Rock aiming to evoke altered consciousness
Psytrance — Electronic dance music inspired by psychedelic culture
Punk — Fast, raw rock emphasizing rebellion
R&B — Rhythm and blues tradition centered on groove and vocals
Rap — Rhythmic spoken vocal style within hip hop
Reggae — Jamaican genre emphasizing offbeat rhythm and bass
Reggaeton — Latin urban dance music blending reggae and hip hop
Ritual ambient — Ambient music designed for ceremonial contexts
Ritual drone — Drone music emphasizing ritual repetition
Ritual industrial — Industrial music structured as ritual performance
Shoegaze doom — Doom metal fused with shoegaze textures
Shoegaze — Rock music with dense layered guitar textures
Signalwave — Vaporwave offshoot using broadcast audio
Ska — Jamaican-rooted genre with upbeat rhythms
Slowcore ambient — Ambient-influenced slowcore rock
Sludge metal — Doom metal mixed with hardcore aggression
Soul — Genre emphasizing emotional vocal delivery
Space ambient — Ambient music evoking cosmic environments
Spiritual jazz ambient — Jazz-influenced ambient music
Stoner doom — Doom metal influenced by psychedelic rock
Synthpop — Pop music driven by synthesizers
Tech house — Hybrid of house groove and techno minimalism
Techno ritual — Techno music structured for trance and repetition
Techno — Electronic dance music built on repetition and machine rhythm
Thrash metal — Fast aggressive metal with sharp riffing
Trap — Hip hop subgenre with heavy bass and hi-hat rolls
Tribal ambient — Ambient music emphasizing tribal rhythm and texture
Trip hop — Downtempo genre blending hip hop and electronica
Urban experimental — Experimental music reflecting urban environments
Vaporwave — Internet-based nostalgia music
Void metal — Extreme metal emphasizing emptiness and space
Wall-of-sound ambient — Ambient music using dense layered textures
Warehouse techno — Techno designed for large industrial spaces
Witch house — Dark electronic music with occult aesthetics
World music — Umbrella term for global traditional and hybrid styles
Xenharmonic music — Music using alternative or nonstandard tuning systems
Xeno-electronic — Electronic music using unfamiliar tuning or structure
Yacht rock — Smooth, polished soft rock emphasizing studio perfection
Zen drone — Drone music emphasizing stillness and minimal change
Zeuhl — Progressive rock style rooted in ritual repetition and invented mythology
