Top Rock Subgenres

The father genre of every genre that sounds good, the REAL music, ROCK ON!!! and vote for your favorite subgenre which was born from Rock Music!
The Top Ten
1 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.

Listen to AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Guns N' Roses, or if we're counting heavy metal, bad omens, motionless in white, or other rock bands like skillet and tell me hard rock isn't good. I double dog dare you!

The most well-known rock bands in rock history fall under the genre of hard rock: Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Guns 'N Roses, Van Halen, Alice Cooper, Bon Jovi, UFO...

The best subgenre rock/metal in the history.

2 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

The best of the best of the best of the BEST! If you hate this then you're waste of human flesh and blood!

Technically still a rock subgenre. Similar debate with anime and cartoon.

Yeah um it is not exactly rock it has became a different genre

3 Progressive (Prog) Rock

No other rock subgenres can match it in terms of complexity and over all musicianship as well being adventurous. Yes, Genesis, King Crimson, Jethro Tull and others might seem like dinosaurs to some but they influenced many of todays newer prog bands. Aside from that most people know about Pink Floyd and Rush but it's time to exlore not just the first bands I mentioned here but the genre as a whole. Unless you view music as aural wallpaper you won't be disappointed.

Until rather recently, prog rock was a rather overlooked and relatively undiscovered rock subgenre. While most of the bands are still far from mainstream(with maybe a few exceptions)it has gained a lot of acceptance over the past several years due to an increase awareness which possibly stems from a lot of fans of Pink Floyd, Rush, Yes, Genesis, King Crimson and Porcupine Tree(among others) discovering it.

Glad to see this so high. Love psychedelic, blues, folk and hard too, but I think prog caters to most of my tastes as it is so broad. And I couldn't let punk win! Bands like yes, rush, Floyd and ELP are GODLY. A little surprised to see pop rock so low but WHY IS CHRISTIAN ROCK #9?!?

Don't be turned off to this amazing genre that say "it's for smart people only" or "you wouldn't understand it" This genre of music changed my life. Simply put: It is music without limits.

4 Alternative Rock 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.

Yeah, this site has a catastrophic perception of what alternative rock is.
I mean, bands like Linkin Park and Coldplay are great, but they're in no way representative of alternative.
For representative bands of alternative rock, try R.E.M., U2, Weezer, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Stone Temple Pilots, Pearl Jam, etc.

A very wide and popular sub-genre, it is everywhere, if you don't listen to alternative rock, you're either living in an indigenous tribe or, god forbid, a psychopath.

It gives such a wide range of creativity without being tied to one specific genre

5 Punk Rock 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.

I love the rebellion and pissing everyone off. I also love how loud and fast it is. There are so many great bands to come out of this genre like the ramones, Green Day, bad religion, the Sex Pistols, hüsker dü, fang, clash, rancid, bikini kill, and so many more. It should AT LEAST be at number 3.

I like punk rock so much

6 Grunge Grunge (sometimes referred to as the Seattle sound) is a subgenre of alternative rock and a subculture that emerged during the mid-1980s.
7 Blues Rock Blues rock is a fusion genre combining elements of blues and rock. It is mostly an electric ensemble-style music with instrumentation similar to electric blues and rock: electric guitar, electric bass, and drums, often with Hammond organ.

The best of the best, the stones, the doors

8 Indie Rock

Why do I have to explain my pick when it's based exclusively on personal taste? It feels completely unnescesary :S

9 Nu Metal

Should be number one

10 Alternative Metal Alternative metal is a music genre that infuses heavy metal with influences from alternative rock and other genres normally associated with metal.
The Contenders
11 Soft Rock
12 Christian Rock

Yes.
Look down on it and miss out.

13 Christian Metal

Religion + metal= doesn't mix

14 Psychedelic Rock Psychedelic Rock is a style of rock music in the late 1960s where it is incorporated, influenced or inspired by psychedelic culture which revolves around the perception of hallucinogenic drugs. It is incorporated with improvisation, electronic sound effects and extended solos.

This is honestly my Favorite Musical Genre of All time (prog would be a close second), and I feel for good reason too. I mean what is there not to like about Psychedelic Rock. It is I feel the most creative music genre of all time. The Fuzz Guitars make the music sound awesome as well. With some of the most talented band ever being Psychedelic rock such as The Beatles (Later on in their Career), Pink Floyd (Early), Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Jefferson Airplane, The Doors, and even the more obscure bands like Blue Cheer, Love, and Iron Butterfly, I also like or may even love a lot of the modern Psychedelic bands like Tame Impala, The Black Angles, The Flaming Lips, etc. And without it we would not have Prog, Kraut, Acid, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, and much more!

It makes me feel great and out of touch with this world, I love it

15 Southern Rock
16 Industrial Metal
17 Electronic Rock
18 New Wave

I heard this subgenre was the backlash against disco.

The sound of the 80s.

19 Art Rock
20 Garage Rock
21 Power Metal

One of my favourite subgenres

22 Folk Rock
23 Symphonic Rock
24 Pop Rock Pop rock is a form of rock music where it emphasises more on recording craft and songwriting than the attitude. Commonly known as an alternative to rock and roll.
25 Stoner Rock

Just put everything above Christian metal, for the love of Zeus.

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