Disclaimer: I am very strongly opinionated about music. Though I will ATTEMPT to be as objective as possible, there is a high likelihood that my personal music taste will leak into the following response. Sorry... but not really.
Hey questioner,
This is a great question, and something that I have often wondered about myself. Sadly, there can never be an actual answer, as music—and art in general—is subjective. Everyone is going to have different opinions. Nonetheless, below I have listed what I consider to be the most prominent, significant, and consequential genres of music, both from a historical and modern view. For each genre, I will offer a brief explanation of what it is, where/when it comes from, its historical importance, and modern-day significance. I'll also give some examples of well-known artists and songs that fall under said genre and a "completely objective" score out of 10 for that genre, 'cause why not?
Classical:
Classical music. The cascading accumulation of creative composition. The boundless barrage of booming brass mixed with the sophisticated sound of serene strings. Classical music is formal and complex in musical form and harmonic organization, originating from western Europe's churches and royal courts. The music of ancient Greece and Rome heavily influenced it. It's safe to say that a large chunk of modern music stems from or was at one point influenced by classical music.
But let's be honest, who really listens to classical music nowadays besides cranky old men who are constantly blabbering about "symphonies" or "modes"? And despite whatever dumb article you read that claims that classical music is good for studying, the truth is, it's just a good way to put you to sleep (except for that one piece by Tchaikovsky that uses cannons).
Some well-known classical music composers are J. Bach, Ludwig von Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Frédéric Chopin. Try listening to 1812 Overture, Fur Elise, or Four Seasons.
All in all, classical music is important historically and all, but is kinda lame with the general lack of vocals (except in opera, but I can literally count the number of people I know who listen to opera on one hand), and it's outdated. I give it a solid 5/10.
Hip Hop + Rap:
A quick note: yeah you could argue that rap and hip hop are different, but they are closely related in origin and style, and I don't want to write a whole section for both.
Hip Hop is a genre of music that uses strong rhythmic beats, with rapping vocals that interplay with the beat. The genre originated in New York during the 1970s. It emerged within the black communities of New York; it was more of a culture than just a style of music. It's made of four main elements: DJ'ing, MCing, Graffiti, and Dance. If you're interested in the origins of Hip Hop, I suggest you look into it, as the culture surrounding it and the buildup to its creation is really interesting.
Anyway, some popular Hip Hop/Rap artists include Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Dr. Dre, and so on. Try listening to Fight the Power, Lose Yourself, or Alright.
Hip Hop/Rap is a cool genre with an interesting origin and culture, but I'm constantly taken aback by the absurdly crude and vulgar language within rap. 6/10 for a final score.
Country:
Ugh. If you want to make your ears bleed, listen to country cause that's about all it's good for. Imma skip the whole spiel for this genre. 0/10 because I can't do negatives.
Ska:
Ska is another interesting genre. It is known for its mixture of Jamaican and Caribbean rhythms, punky energy, and most notably, its use of horns. It's kinda like a weird mashup of rock, punk, and blues.
Ska originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s before taking to the United States. It went off and on in popularity as it evolved and changed, though it was less popular of a genre than many others and comparatively had much less impact on music culture.
I personally love ska. It has an energy that other genres don't. It's super upbeat and danceable, if that makes sense.
Here are some cool ska artists: Less Than Jake, Reel Big Fish, The Specials, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Streetlight Manifesto, and my personal favorite, Operation Ivy. Try listening to Sound System, The Impression That I Get, and All My Best Friends Are Metalheads.
To conclude, ska gets a good 8/10.
Pop:
Pop is the juggernaut of music. The name literally is just short for popular music. It went mainstream in the 1950s in the US and UK. It never really was set in stone what made a song a pop song. For a while, even rock music was considered pop. Nowadays, pop music is mostly defined by its basic format of choruses and hooks.
As stated before, pop has dominated the music scene for a long time. Artists like Micheal Jackson, Elvis, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Taylor Swift, and Ed Sheran have all been frontrunners of the pop scene. Some really popular pop songs include: Thriller, My Heart Will Go On, Uptown Funk, and Poker Face.
The thing is about pop, it's really basic. I mean REALLY basic. Like, did you know that Despacito has over 8.1 BILLION views on youtube? A good chunk of pop songs sound essentially the same, and the genre has very little creativity. Now that isn't to say all pop songs are basic, but I have to generalize for the sake of this whole letter. All in all, I give it an okay 4/10.
Jazz:
Jazz. A pretty controversial genre. It's classified by its complex harmony, syncopated rhythm, and degree of improvisation. It uses a mix of strings and horns, bass, piano, vocals, drums, along with other instruments. Kind of a jack of all trades.
Jazz originated in the New Orleans African American communities, coming from Blues. As jazz grew in popularity and spread across the States, it adopted local music styles, and different forms surfaced.
Well-known jazz artists include Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Ella Fitzgerald. A few great songs are: What A Wonderful World, Fly Me To The Moon, At Last, and Take The A Train.
The thing about jazz is that lots of people don't like it. Due to the improvisational nature of it, many dismiss it as mere "self-indulgent noodling." But the genre has tons of creativity and an immense amount of talent required to master the genre. Depending on your stance, jazz can be either really good or really bad. For me, being as objective as possible of course, I'll give it a 7/10.
Electronic (EDM):
This style of music employs electronic instruments (believe it or not), defined by the strong electronic rhythm within the music.
It was created during the 1960s and 70s, when Moog Synthesizers and drum machines began to grow in popularity, though it was never a really popular genre. EDM (Electric Dance Music) was seen a lot in the 1980s-90s but has since fallen from the spotlight. In general, electronic music has never been that influential.
Some well know Electronic artists include Marshmello, Calvin Harris, and Skrillex. Try listening to the songs Feel so Close, After Dark, or Five Hours.
So, in total, electronic music is nothing that special. Most electronic songs have little to no lyrics, which can make it boring to listen to. On the other hand, EDM is good party music and was popular in nightclubs for a while. I give it a 3/10; I'd never listen to it on my own, but it's not the worst genre.
R&B + Blues:
The term Rhythm and Blues originated in the 1940s as a general marketing term for all African American music. It combines funk, blues, soul, and pop elements to create a new music genre. Blues can be considered a stand-alone genre, but I'm already tired of writing, so I'm combining these.
When African American music, such as jazz and blues, became popular around the 1920s-40s, much of the music came to be considered R&B. Eventually it developed into its own genre. That's a huge simplification of the history of R&B, so if you're interested, do your own research.
Popular R&B artists include Stevie Wonder, Sam Cooke, Beyoncé, and Otis Redding. Try listening to Bring It On Home, Stand By Me, I Got You (I Feel Good), or Waterfalls.
All in all, R&B is a cool genre and was the predecessor for other modern genres, such as rock 'n roll. The music is creative and groovy (I love the word groovy), so I'll give R&B an 8/10.
Rock:
All of the previous genres have led up to this. The ultimate genre of music. Guitars, drums, and vocals combine to form musical masterpieces. The music you can't help but feel the rhythm of. Be it punk-rock, pop-rock, anthem-rock, glam-rock, metal, alternative-rock, indie-rock, funk-rock, or math-rock, all have an energy that makes you want to run a marathon.
Rock music came from some of the African American music styles that I mentioned before, like jazz and blues. It was only in the 1950s when the term "Rock and Roll" began to be used, right when Elvis Presley became popular. He, along with artists such as Jimi Hendrix and Buddy Holly defined the genre. As rock gained momentum, more and more styles of it surfaced.
The Beatles became worldwide sensations as rock stars in the 60s. U2, Queen, Van Halen, and The Rolling Stones became some of the next most popular bands in the '70s. KISS, Scorpions, Bon Jovi, and Guns N' Roses dominated the 80s. Nirvana, Green Day, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Pearl Jam were at their peak in the '90s. Radiohead, The Killers, Blink-182, and Linkin Park were popular in the 2000s. And so on.
My personal favorite bands (which are the best ones anyway) are Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rise Against, AFI, Bad Religion, and Bayside. Some of the best rock songs are Sweet Child O' Mine, Jump, Smells Like Teen Spirit, Livin' On A Prayer, and Basket Case. Give them a listen.
I absolutely adore rock music (if that wasn't already obvious). It has shaped and influenced my life. The amount of creative, entertaining, cool, head-thumping songs is endless. I feel like I can always come back to rock music, whether I want to try something new, or listen to some classics. Also, since I play guitar, rock music is a constant inspiration for me to get better at my instrument. Frankly, no matter what anyone says, rock is a perfect genre—an easy 10/10. If you think otherwise, you're wrong.
Anyway, thanks for reading that extended rant. Here's a compilation of the scores I gave each genre. Also, I know I missed some smaller genres. I just didn't want to write anymore :).
Country: 0/10
Electronic: 3/10
Pop: 4/10
Classical: 5/10
Hip-Hop/Rap: 6/10
Jazz: 7/10
Ska: 8/10
R&B/Blues: 8/10
Rock: 10/10
Sincerely,
Dear Letterbox
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