Rock is an umbrella term which categorizes a type of music. Rock music includes strong guitars, melodic basslines and brash drums. Rock music generally follows a 4/4 time signature, though the genre has diversified to mix up the sound. Rock bands typically include a guitarist, a bassist and a drummer, though other instruments have been known to be incorporated.
Subgenres[]
Alternative Rock[]
Originally called "college rock" after being played on college radio stations, Alternative Rock encompasses a broad range of musicians and bands that didn't catch on in mainstream stations. Today, it describes music that is more avant-garde and lesser known in comparison to more popular bands. Many of the genres described bellow fall into the "alt rock" label, such as emo, grunge, goth, and punk to name a few.
For a more in-depth description of Alternative, go to this page.
Emo[]
Emotional hardcore, or emo, is a genre that was born from the hardcore movement. Like it's distant cousin, punk, emo is fast, brash and loud. Emo music can be generally described as "sad" or "depressing," with lyrics generally discussing the more upsetting aspects of life, such as loss, heartbreak, peer pressure, etc. in a confrontational way, hence the "emotional" label.
For a more in-depth description of Emo, go to this page.
Glam Rock[]
Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s. It was performed by musicians who wore outrageous costumes, makeup, and hairstyles, particularly platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists drew on diverse sources across music and throwaway pop culture, ranging from bubblegum pop and 1950s rock and roll to cabaret, science fiction, and complex art rock. The flamboyant clothing and visual styles of performers were often camp or androgynous, and have been described as playing with other gender roles.
For a more in-depth description of Glam Rock, go to this page.
Grunge[]
Grunge is a darker, edgier style that is usually depicted these days with glitches, vinyl records, cigarettes, neon lights, and the color black (which is only loosely related to the original grunge). Historically, the original grunge movement has its roots in the 1990s hard rock scene of Seattle, Washington. It was a countercultural, anti-consumerism youth movement and musical genre that defined Generation X. Grunge fashion was made popular by bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden, and was meant to be timeless and casual.
For a more in-depth description of Grunge, go to this page.
Gothic Rock[]
Gothic rock is a genre derivative of the post-punk movement. Gothic rock is categorized as having "scything" guitars, melodic basslines and sparse drumming. Gothic rock is naturally moody, dark and introspective of concepts such as life, disease, death and the afterlife, though it can be just about anything. Goth is an umbrella term used to label not just gothic rock, but also; deathrock, darkwave, coldwave, minimalwave and etherealwave.
For a more in-depth description of Gothic Rock, go to this page.
Hardcore Punk[]
Hardcore punk is a derivation of punk, which began in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It takes Punk into a more intense and aggressive level while retaining its DIY ethics and key values. Primal screaming, moshing, faster tempos and heavily distorted sounding guitar are the major characteristics found in this genre[1]. Notable hardcore punk bands include Bad Brains, Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, and D.O.A..
For a more in-depth description of Hardcore, go to its subheading on this page.
Hard Rock[]
Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard rock music was produced by Link Wray, the Who, the Rolling Stones, Mountain, Vanilla Fudge, The Stooges, Blue Öyster Cult, and the Jimi Hendrix Experience.
For a more in-depth description of Hard Rock, go to this external page
Industrial[]
Industrial rock is a fusion genre that fuses industrial music and rock music. It initially originated in the 1970s, and drew influence from early experimental and industrial acts such as Throbbing Gristle, Einstürzende Neubauten and Chrome. Industrial rock became more prominent in the 1980s with the success of artists such as Killing Joke, Swans, and partially Skinny Puppy, and later spawned the offshoot genre known as industrial metal. The genre was made more accessible to mainstream audiences in the 1990s with the aid of acts such as Nine Inch Nails and Marilyn Manson, both of which have released platinum-selling records.
For a more in-depth description of Industrial, go to this page.
Metal[]
Born from the blues and psychedelia movements of the time, Metal music formed during the 70s. Metal is easy to define by ear, with its distorted guitars, fast drums and aggressive lyrics. Since it's inception, many subgenres of metal have formed; death metal, doom metal, thrash metal, glam metal, symphonic metal, gothic metal, and nu-metal just to name a few.
For a more in-depth description of Metal, go to this page.
Post Punk[]
Post-punk is a music genre formed in the late 1970s. As its name entails, the genre started immediately from the punk movement's decline, which was likely due to Sid Vicious' death and the following split of the Sex Pistols. Post-punk is a more experimental, avant-garde take on its predecessor. Post-punk can be slower, more lyrically rich, and have more emotional tones compared to punk's faster and abrasive style. Post-punk would go on to influence a variety of genres in its wake, mainly Goth, but also Shoegaze, Synthwave, No wave, Dark wave, and many more.
For a more in-depth description of Post Punk, go to this page.
Post Rock[]
Post-Rock is the fusion of the roots of rock with more artistic and experimental methods, as well as with other genres of music. Gaining popularity with the indie scenes of the 1980s and 1990s, Post-Rock is often paired with genres such as jazz, electronic, and ambient. Post-rock mainly focused on the timbre and atmosphere of sound, evoking emotions ranging from melancholy and desolation, to grandiose and even apocalyptic. Post-rock is mostly well known as being atmospheric, with bands such as Godspeed You! Black Emperor and their notable albums that focuses on vast ambience with repetitive crescendos and sombre tone. Other notable bands from the Post-Rock genre include Sigur Rós, A Silver Mt. Zion, Mogwai, Talk Talk, and Slint.
For a more in-depth description of Post Rock, go to this page.
Progressive Rock[]
Progressive rock, also known as prog rock or art rock, is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and the United States throughout the mid- to late 1960s. Additional elements contributed to its "progressive" label: lyrics were more poetic, technology was harnessed for new sounds, music approached the condition of "art", and the studio, rather than the stage, became the focus of musical activity, which often involved creating music for listening rather than dancing. Notable musicians of Progressive Rock include King Crimson, Frank Zappa, Todd Rundgren's Utopia, Yes, ELP, Rush, Kansas, and Genesis.
For a more in-depth description and reviews about Progressive Rock, visit this external website.
Psychedelic Rock[]
For a more in-depth description of Psychedelic Rock go to to this page.
Punk[]
Punk is an aesthetic and subculture centered around the punk rock movement of 1970s that followed in the footsteps of the Hippie movement. While the Hippies were more about peace, love, and harmony; the Punks were loud, abrasive, acerbic, and went out of their way to do whatever they could to offend members of the status quo. Many preached for anarchism, far-left politics (Punk in the UK was a direct reaction to the Margaret Thatcher-era of politics at the time, which was hardline right-wing, after all), and spitting in the face of the Establishment by rejecting the prevailing capitalist philosophy of the time.
For a more in-depth description of Punk, go to this page.
Slowcore[]
Slowcore, as the name suggests, is characterized by slower tempos, melancholic themes and minimalist arrangements[2]. It is a subgenre of alternative rock emerged in the early 1990s in the United States. It stood as an anti-thesis to the vigorous spirit of Grunge. Thus, it ended under a decade along with the downfall of Grunge. Lately, Slowcore came back to prominence thanks to the internet[3].
Slowcore, unlike its counterpart Sadcore, centered more on musical aspects, rather than on the lyrics. It's not surprising that many Slowcore bands produce instrumental tracks. Slowcore is often confused with Post-rock since the precursor of this genre, Codeine, was also considered as Post-Rock on some accounts[4].
Artists associated with this genre include: Codeine, Low, Red House Painters, Duster, Idaho, Spain. Some of the bands overlaps with Dream Pop such as Galaxie 500 and Spiritualized due to their dainty atmosphere.
Soft Rock[]
Soft rock is a derivative form of pop rock that originated in the late 1960s in the U.S., particularly in the region of Southern California, and in the United Kingdom. The style smoothed over the edges of singer-songwriter and pop rock, relying on simple, melodic songs with big, lush productions. Soft rock was prevalent on the radio throughout the 1970s and eventually metamorphosed into the synthesized music of adult contemporary in the 1980s.
Southern Rock[]
Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music and a genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country music, and blues and is focused generally on electric guitars and vocals. Author Scott B. Bomar speculates the term "Southern rock" may have been coined in 1972 by Mo Slotin, writing for Atlanta's underground paper, The Great Speckled Bird, in a review of an Allman Brothers Band concert.