Top 10 Most Popular Types of Music in History

The Top Ten
1 Rock 'n Roll Rock music is a music genre that was created in the 1940s. The genre was popular during the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 2000s. Rock bands generally consists of a guitar player, a drummer, bass player and singer. There are many rock subgenres - such as heavy metal, alternative, hard rock, grunge, and more. Notable rock bands and music artists include The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Queen, Van Halen, Foo Fighters,... read more

Some of the most popular music artists in history include The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Cream, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Queen, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Rush, Genesis, Van Halen, AC/DC, Dire Straits, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Guns 'n Roses, Metallica, Bon Jovi, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Oasis, Blur, Linkin Park, Coldplay, Muse, System of a Down, and others. And those are all rock artists. That alone shows how popular - and how diverse - rock music is.

I find it hilarious how people are arguing over which genre is the best, as if that's what the poll is asking. Rock and roll isn't my favourite genre, but it's had a tremendous influence on music throughout recent history, which is why I voted for it. I love EDM, but the genre is relatively new and hasn't had a large impact on music history yet, which is why I didn't vote for it.

Rock and Roll has been around since the 50s, and it's still around today. It keeps making itself different each decade. 50s - Rock and Roll, 60s - Classic Rock, 70s - Classic Rock, 80s - Retro Rock, 90s - Punk and Alternative, 00s - Hard Rock, 10s - New Wave. And it's still going to change. Even though it's not on the Billboard 24/7, it still is an experimental, creative, diverse type of music.

2 Pop

I love Pop because it is so diverse. It borrows musical styles from other genres like rock, indie, country, R&B, and so on. This genre transforms them into happy, fun, and catchy songs, but sometimes it also turns them into dark, sad, meaningful songs, all while keeping that catchy beat. Please don't dislike this comment. I've done a lot of research on different genres and found out that almost every major popular song is always at least pop or a sub-genre of pop (e.g., Pop-Rock). The term "Pop" stands for "Popular," which is where it got its name.

List of Pop artists today (all researched individually): Rihanna, Bruno Mars, One Direction, Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Britney Spears, Miley Cyrus, Maroon 5, P!nk, Michael Jackson (King of Pop), Robin Thicke, Far East Movement, Adele, LMFAO, Celine Dion, Shakira, Kanye West, Jennifer Lopez, U2, PSY, Mariah Carey, Carly Rae Jepsen, Skylar Grey, Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera, David Garrett, Avril Lavigne, Enrique Iglesias, Katy Perry, Madonna, Glee, Cher, Kelly Clarkson, Christina Perri, Lana Del Rey, Ke$ha, Robbie Williams, Demi Lovato, Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, Black Eyed Peas, B.O.B, Bridgit Mendler, Ed Sheeran, Fergie, Janoskians, Cimorelli, Jonas Brothers, Justin Timberlake, Lenka, Leona Lewis, Neon Trees, Nicki Minaj, Olly Murs, Paramore, Foster the People, Train, Ariana Grande.

(I'm not claiming that all these artists are pop artists. I found out their information individually from Wikipedia. All of the above have been listed as pop artists.)

3 Rap

Rap music is by far the best. It doesn't have so much yelling and screaming that you find very common in rock music. Have you seen how a lot of these rock and rollers dress? Did someone say abusive childhood upbringing? Ask any professional psychologist to do a deep analysis of individuals and groups of rock, and you'll know why they create this type of psychotic so-called music.

Country music? I guess if you are obsessed about your car, dog, truck, farm, then you will be into country music. You can't pin all the violent messages as being only from rap music either. For all you true rock listeners out there, you know, you know for a fact that rock music over the many years has delivered much violence, drugs, sex, you name it. It outweighs any load of inappropriate explicitness that you'll hear from other genres. I could go further, but I'd have to write a really long essay just to get you listeners who like calling banging on drums and stroking metal strings things that sound good.

I guess if you grow up in an old-fashioned home and don't know any better, then you'd probably listen to rock. Expand your mind and grow a pair. Your dad probably likes the same groups as you, and he's probably 20 years older than you...

4 Heavy Metal Heavy Metal music is a sub-genre of rock music that originated in the late 1960s-70s, featuring more distorted and heavier instrumental work and darker lyrical themes. Heavy Metal broke into mainstream success with bands such as Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Metallica.

Other notable Heavy Metal bands include Judas Priest, Anthrax, Testament, System of a Down, Megadeth, Slayer, Pantera, Avenged... read more

For those of you who think that heavy metal consists of the singer screaming as loud as they can, the guitarist playing the guitar as fast as they can, and the drummer banging on the drums as loud as they can, just take a moment to think: would it really be that popular if it was just as simple as that? Try listening to any heavy metal song. You'll be pleasantly surprised, I promise you.

The lyrics have a much deeper meaning than almost any other genre of music, and don't let the way some bands present themselves off the stage put you off. I don't like it when bands dress up in all-black, wear black makeup, and all that stuff either, but try and just concentrate on the music. There's far more to it than you think there is.

Heavy metal is the most famous genre and the only one that will live by its own greatness. Bands like Iron Maiden, Metallica, Judas Priest, Megadeth, Motorhead, Pantera, and Black Sabbath will never die.

In my own mind, I don't like pop, always talking about love and being slow with no creativity at all. And rap is boring, talking fast with explicit language. But rap metal isn't so good or so bad, though I don't like rap metal bands like Limp Bizkit and Cypress Hill.

But metal, with all its side-genres, embodies pure awesomeness! Metal can be written about anything: stories, personality, death, pain, love, brotherhood, Dadaism, family, society, memories, anger, darkness, wars, peace... Metal is the only genre that will live by its own creativity.

5 Country

I once liked country. Artists like Waylon Jennings, Conway Twitty, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, and many others from that era were great. Today's country is a sellout! Ever since Garth Brooks came on the scene in the late '80s/early '90s, he changed things for the worse. He would run around the stage and jump off things. I feel that this ushered in country/rock (crock) and country/rap (crap).

The country industry will do anything to make a buck, like redoing rock classics and trying to claim them as their own. Also, have you seen the way country artists look today? They wear worn-out jeans and t-shirts, have long hair, and tattoos. They look like a bunch of guys who couldn't make it in rock, so they go country. It just seems like in almost every genre of music, artists are judged more on their appearance and not the substance of their music. Country and pop seem to be the worst in that regard.

Country music is one of the best types of music in history. I would definitely suggest to all lovers of music that they listen to country music because it's fun, different, and something akin to civilisation. It is also very simple, and anyone can enjoy those great country songs.

If you are looking for all-time classics, I would definitely recommend Johnny Cash. But if you are interested in newer country artists (and believe me, there are many who are very good), I would definitely recommend Miranda Lambert. She is awesome! Bye!

6 R & B

R&B is a dying genre because most of the best R&B artists are now getting old (Mariah Carey, R. Kelly, and Mary J Blige, for example) or went pop (like Beyoncé, Usher, Chris Brown, and Rihanna, for example). The ones that did define R&B and stayed aren't able to keep it afloat because they aren't as creative as the ones mentioned above. They aren't visionaries and can't make the genre break out like it did in the past. The big guys of R&B don't see a point in working harder to bring it back to the scene, while the older guys don't have mainstream appeal anymore.

Recently, there has been a jolt of alternative R&B which is taking over the contemporary R&B that we've come to know since the early 2000s, based on hip hop. This R&B is more focused on quiet storm, electronica, and soul. Some of the new pioneers are The Weeknd, Miguel, and Frank Ocean. We also have retro soul making a comeback with Justin Timberlake, Robin Thicke, and Pharrell-produced tracks.

R&B suffered a lot because the special essence that it once had got fully transferred over to pop in the mid-2000s, and it then transformed into Dance-Pop, taking the popularity of R&B with itself. The genre needs its top stars like Beyoncé and Usher to really push the genre into the mainstream, something Justin Timberlake and Robin Thicke somewhat did recently.

7 Punk Punk rock is a subgenre of rock music. It usually has rebellious lyrics and down stroked power chords played on guitars. Bad Religion, Sex Pistols, and Green Day (actually pop-punk, which is still punk in a way) are a few punk rock bands. The subgenre influenced thrash metal because of it's down stroked guitar playing and other factors.

Punk has been a large influence in music today and is easily one of my favorite genres!

Punk will always have fans since it always gives positive emotions to young people.

Punk, how could you not love it? Come on, guys, grow up!

8 Classical

Come on, I'm so angry that this is at the bottom of the list. It should be first. The reasons behind it are: 1) It is a game! You try to identify all the instruments. 2) It proves you are smart! Most intelligent (I misspelled intelligent on purpose) people listen to classical music. 3) It's the only one that will not grow out of our culture and is nowhere relatable to "modern songs" that all have a so-called "millennial whoop" in every "hit". 4) It has a very wide variety of instruments, unlike "modern songs", where the only instrument is computers and electronics. 5) Unlike the scientific studies that say music is getting worse every year, but if music is already made, it can't get worse unless someone makes a stupid remix.

Classical music is actually a specific genre, but most people group it in a broad conglomerate of styles including baroque and opera. All of these are like the best five-star restaurants that serve delicious, healthy food that is only enjoyed by people with matured tastes and the means of appreciation. Pop music is like McDonald's. It has the mass appeal, mass consumption because it is designed to please in the easiest manner.

9 Jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, United States, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and developed from roots in blues and ragtime. Jazz is seen by many as "America's classical music".

Jazz had its footings from the 1890s-1910s, was at its peak during the 1920s-1940s, was still quite popular in the 1950s-1970s, and has been not as prevalent but still very impactful from the 1980s onwards. Many subgenres of it, such as nu jazz and jazz rap, emerged in the late 20th century.

Well, Rock and Roll is probably the most popular, but I still vote for Jazz. It's my personal favorite, and if it weren't for Jazz, there would be no Rock, Metal, Pop, or Rap.

Jazz has to be my favorite type of music because of all the possibilities. It is so nice to listen to and easy to get the beat of it.

10 Alternative Alternative rock is a style of rock music that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular in the 1990s. In this instance, the word "alternative" refers to the genre's distinction from mainstream rock music.

Come on, guys! Don't you all love Radiohead? Ok, rock and roll is great, and stemming from it is the best band in the world, Queen. Jazz is cool too, but what are rap and pop doing here? Michael Jackson is a great singer and dancer, but both genres are lacking. Talking as fast as you can with a dull beat is NOT music. Rap is destroying music! Pop is just on the edge, but please, guys, stop listening to rap! We need to go back to the 60s, then we can see the golden years of music, the 60-90s, oh, and the 40-50s were awesome too.

Alternative music is about a band being original. Rap is some people talking really fast, and pop is becoming more and more techno and dub-step. It really annoys me when I can fit pop into two categories: love songs and dance/techno. Alternative is clearly better than pop and rap and should be in the top ten.

If one more person says rap is people talking fast, I'm going to lose it. I also really like alternative, but saying rap is people talking fast is like saying alternative is people complaining a lot. There is no 'better' music genre, and those on this page bashing other genres are being ignorant.

The Contenders
11 Hip Hop
12 Soul Soul music (often referred to simply as soul) is a popular music genre that originated in the African American community in the United States in the late 1950s and early 1960s. It combines elements of African-American gospel music, rhythm and blues and jazz.

Soul music is where all the negative does not exist. Unlike rap and hip-hop, soul music is a legendary genre that people of all ages are allowed to listen to. Soul music never represents 'how to be a thug' like rap and hip-hop. The lyrics to soul have an actual meaning.

13 Reggae

Apart from the Holy Quran, which is the best melody ever, no music can claim to be even next to reggae music. The minimum distance between reggae and whatever music may be second is at least a 40-year drive.

It is one of the best music genres because it has a lot of soul in it. It grabs a lot of people's attention and heart. It touches many people in so many ways.

Music that speaks not only of morals, happiness, and truth but also utilizes an incredible array of instruments. Enough said.

14 Techno

Techno is going to be the next big thing. So, grow up and listen to Monstercat or Deadmau5. This should be number one.

I just feel so many vibes. All the songs that are techno are so underrated for me.

I want to become like Marshmello, Slushii, and Tokyo Machine so badly because of this music type. I would listen to this instead of anything else!

15 Hard Rock Hard Rock is a subgenre of rock music known for having heavier guitar riffs/solos. It originated around 1964-1965 with various Garage Rock bands.

Modern hard rock is the best. I really enjoy bands like Disturbed, Avenged Sevenfold, and Stone Sour.

I like a lot of rock genres, but hard rock is my favorite.

16 Blues Blues is a music genre and musical form originated by African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the end of the 19th century.

Blues is the foundation of everything. If it wasn't for blues, there would be no rock n' roll or R&B. R&B literally stands for rhythm and blues. As for heavy metal and rap, there are plenty of metal bands that are strongly blues-influenced, and the lyrics in post-war blues songs are the basis of how rap songs are structured.

For me, there is nothing that beats real blues. When you get it, there is nothing more beautiful. I can listen to any kind of blues for hours. It's a shame that the genre has died out a little.

It has influenced jazz and rock, both of which are indigenous American musical styles.

17 Grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is a subgenre of alternative rock and a subculture that emerged during the mid-1980s.

A special type of music for a certain generation and probably more to come.

I think grunge is the father of modern rock and metal!

Nirvana, Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden. They can stand up to any other four bands on this list.

18 Nu Metal
19 Indie

Indie is amazing. I just love it like God. In my opinion, it's the best in the world. A great indie band is Circa Waves, who are great at this kind of music.

Come on! I know you all love Of Monsters And Men, Fun., Grouplove, and Mumford and Sons! Vote for this here!

I can't believe that dubstep is ranked over indie...

20 Metal Heavy Metal music is a sub-genre of rock music that originated in the late 1960s-70s, featuring more distorted and heavier instrumental work and darker lyrical themes. Heavy Metal broke into mainstream success with bands such as Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Metallica.

Other notable Heavy Metal bands include Judas Priest, Anthrax, Testament, System of a Down, Megadeth, Slayer, Pantera, Avenged... read more

Metal is a great genre of music. It is incredibly diverse, encompassing styles from heavy metal to speed and thrash metal, and even niche subgenres like pirate metal, exemplified by the band Alestorm. There are also humor metal bands. Metal bands sing about a variety of themes, including death, pain, love, life, personal stories, and many other topics.

The music itself is diverse. There are songs that start off slow and progress to really fast solos. There are metal songs that maintain a fast pace throughout, and there are also slower songs. All in all, metal is a great genre of music due to its incredible diversity.

Metal is my favorite. You should check out these metal bands: Hammerfall, System of a Down, Metallica. My favorite is Hammerfall. The most popular, obviously, is Metallica!

21 Dance
22 Dubstep

Dubstep is the all-time best. There's dubstep for every emotion. The best part is the drop.

Not counting Skrillex, this is an awesome genre with a high amount of variety. Whether you like music that is intense or really chill.

All dubstep is good, but Bassnectar is something special.

23 K-pop

Basically, the best music. Probably because it's unique, and they can dance, sing, have uniqueness, rap, and there are so many groups all the time. So basically, a lot of people love it. I suggest BIG BANG, H.O.T, BTS, EXO, and GOT7.

The K-pop members of any group are so sweet and funny. I get so excited whenever someone starts playing K-pop. The boys and girls are so beautiful, with or without makeup (not that it matters). BTS is my favorite! I love those seven guys: Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Rap Monster, Jimin, V, Jungkook.

I love K-pop! It is just amazing, and it really makes you feel excited. The people in the band are really handsome and pretty too.

24 Electronica

The blend perfectly matches my personality!

Electronica is my favorite type of music. I love it. It moves my whole body and goes into my heart.

25 Gospel

This is based on Christian and Catholic hymns. Many people are Christian, but never get to vote gospel because not many people like to listen to gospel anymore. I want to give the people that love gospel a chance to praise the Lord, not be shy, and vote gospel for one of their votes. That says that it is their favorite music. So, all Christians and Catholics, show who you are by voting for this option!

There are a lot of awesome Christian songs out there. You just have to search for them. God can touch your heart through Christian/gospel music. You can become a new person, a better person! Turn away from your worldly lives! God loves you! God bless you. Vote gospel! Try searching "For King and Country" on YouTube. You should also try "Toby Mac."

I love Christian music because it's uplifting and leaves me feeling more renewed in my soul than any other kind of music.

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