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[SalsaShark]

I seriously have no clue about the different genres of music. Call me an idiot if you must, but please clarify for me. To me everything falls into like four categories, Country, Rock, Pop, Rap, and Classical... so really I don't get what goes into what subgenre, so if someone could explain to me what makes one thing emo while another thing's indie while another things something else I'd really appreciate it.

[Inlander]

I think you're better off not knowing.

[Johnny C]

Just classify under "good" and "crap." Don't bother with anything else besides basics or conversations with "normies" make you feel like a tool.

[c1utch]

Haha, well at least you don't confuse classical with "classic"

ie:
 "I like classical music"
"Oh me too man, Zepplin is a god"

hah.  

Genres do kinda impede just enjoying music.  I don't like the country genre, but there are songs that could be defined as country that I like.

I guess genres tend to define a group of people's taste in music rather than the music itself.  

But think whatever you want about them, we all have our own way to label music types.

[SalsaShark]

Yeah, genres can keep people from listening to something they might otherwise like. Like my friend doesn't like country, in fact, she says she can stand it. Then I play a "Whiskey Lullaby" by Brad Paisley and Alison Kruss one night and she's like "Oh my god! This song is so pretty!", it's something she never would have listened to otherwise.

[Marauder]

To me everything falls into like four categories, Country, Rock, Pop, Rap, and Classical...

Okay, (1) Country, (2) Rock, (3) Pop, (4) Rap, and (5) Classical...hmm, yes, four categories.
As mentioned earlier, it'd be much easier to not elaborate.

[Johnny C]

"I like classical music"
"Oh me too man, Zepplin is a god"

BLARG

I've totally had that conversation.

[KharBevNor]

To me everything falls into like four categories, Country, Rock, Pop, Rap, and Classical...

And Jazz, Metal, World, Electronic, Folk, Blues, Techno...

[ForteBass]

Anyone who forgets Jazz deserves several punchings to the face and spleen.

[Psiogen]

"World" isn't a genre.

[KharBevNor]

It's got a rack at most record stores, festivals, radio shows and websites devoted to it.

Of course, it's only a genre in that loose and broad sense Folk is, and World's equivalent of those guys in dodgy waistcoats could probably lecture you for years on what real World is and isn't, why World is a false genre, and how it's interchangeable with folk.

But that doesn't change the fact that it's a genre.

[Psiogen]

If "world music" is a genre, then the Andromeda Galaxy is an asteroid.

[Inlander]

And thus the thread begins its inevitable downward spiral . . .

[Johnny C]

Rock

Metal

Metal = sub-category of the broad category of "rock."

[KharBevNor]

Well, no, not really.

Rock is blues based. A lot of modern metal isn't. Burzum or Emperor is closer to Richard Wagner than Robert Johnson.  Though related, they're different forms of music.

Though, tbh, I'll relax on World, as if metal was what my local HMV actually puts in its metal rack...*shudders*

[McTaggart]

Good/Bad. All there is to it. The problem is that my good and bad won't correpond nicely to the next guy's good and bad.

If someone doesn't like what you like, ask them why. If they can't answer, punch them in the face.

[Robbo]

Also Johnny C, I'd invite you to look up how Black Sabbath started out. Rock influence is almost an after throught in Metal, original drawing mostly from Blues (pure Blues rather than the watered down white man version).

And as Khar pointed out, has move away from that. A lot drawing more heavily on things like Classical, Folk, Punk, Jazz and other things. There are Metal bands that dont use any sort of Blues or Rock based things in their music, or even any of the instruments in some cases.

Music changes and evloves, rather than always just creating subgeners.

[blindsuperhero]

Punk

What, as in Punk Rock?

[SuperSUGA]

I'm getting quite a sick pleasure out of watching this thread progress.

[Hatebunny]

Why even use 'good and bad'? It's 'I like it or I don't like it' Sadly, that requires exposing yourself to everything, which is time consuming. SO, Perhaps it'd be nice if someone (i.e. me) actually tried answering the question instead of saying 'the answer sucks' ya freakin' hippies.

If you like a wide variety of music, and at the same time, a lot of that music happens to be in a similar style, you may want to know 'wow, there must be a name for this style, since it's so prevalent.' and lo and behold, there is!

Take, for example 'techno' which is one of the most widely misused genre names in existence. techno describes a certain kind of electronic music that generally features cheesey fake clap sounds on every other beat, 4/4 timing, and obligatory synthy sounds and voice recordings...similar to Strongbad's description. This genre hardly exists anymore except in immitators who emulate the style that was more popular in the early 90s.
While that description is pretty broad, it's easier to compare when contrasted with the OTHER genres that it is mistaken for. i.e. Trance, goa, eurodance, downtempo, breakbeat, IDM and such. Even those subgenres have subgenres.

Then you have metal, industrial metal, thrash metal, screamcore...dark metal...etc etc.
Rock, alt-rock, post-rock, grunge, indie-rock, space-rock....blah blah blah
Acid jazz, jazz, abstract jazz, blues, RnB, swing, Big Band
Rap, Hip Hop
and of course classical music is divided more by time period than style, like Baroque and such.

those are a few examples of genres and subgenres. look them all up, maybe you'll find something you like.

[sketchyjoe]

I really don't like people who say "Oh I hate classifying music. Can't we just call it music." Genres and subgenres are there so people can find music to similar to the stuff they already like otherwise you'd get conversations like.

"Can anyone give me some music that sounds like Bob Dylan?"
"Anal Cunt. They both use guitars all the time."

[est]

+10pts for Bill Hicks.

[Sturge]

I only listen to haircutcore

[a pack of wolves]

Genres and subgenres are also not always just about music. To me, hardcore is an entire subculture, it's not just about a particular sound, and I've often heard people talk in the same way about hip-hop, reggae and many other genres.

However, I really couldn't begin to answer this guy's question. There are too many genres in existence to run through them all, and many are contentious (i.e. someone mentioned 'screamcore' which I assume must be another term for 'screamo') or uninteresting to many people. If you've never been able to pick up on genre differences then I'd just run with it and not worry too much.

[Hatebunny]

the whole subculture thing bothers me.
Sure, I can see people having a kind of kinship based on the music they listen to, but at the same time, it disturbs me that people dress a certain way, or talk a certain way, just so that they fit into the subculture.

I wear the clothes that fit, and that I like, I talk the way my mouth makes words come out, and I listen to music that makes me feel a certain way. I don't see why it should go beyond that. Crazy little fanatics.

[a pack of wolves]

You're missing the point. In the case of hardcore, it's as much a political or philosophical standpoint as it is a musical genre. Clothing or speech is irrelevant.

[Hatebunny]

I was speaking out against anything involving adopting something in the name of the music you like. I'd rather that I adopted the music rather than music adopting us.

[kilan_tolshi]

hmm . . . music talk. Still say it's all just noise (hey it hurts me ears 'kay?) but whatever floats yer boat. Anyways as far as the original question goes (as far as I understand the answer) is that there is no 'actual' way to say what is emo and what is indie etc. Take a look at when Marten was comparing 'indie cred' with Dora's brother. yes, for those who understand the meaning behind indie you can tell more precisely what can be considered indie, but that doesn't mean what one sees as indie is indie to everyone. okay really just wanted to ramble ;P just moved across country and finally got net back
Don't think people would agree much with my translation, but it just goes to show you: 'keep 'yer mouth shut and accept what I tells ya ta be true'
hehe ;p

[KharBevNor]

I was speaking out against anything involving adopting something in the name of the music you like. I'd rather that I adopted the music rather than music adopting us.

If you listen to music because you dress a certain way, then you're doing something wrong. Apart from that, I have no problem.

Subcultures rock.

[normz]

see and then there are the bands that can't be classified into a nice neat little box, you know bands so revoloutionary that they sort of blur the lines of several genres ......... what about those type of bands? *sigh* music is such a personal thing that people are always going to form their lil subcultures through solidarity and hence we have this battle royale-esque situation; ie this is whats good and this is whats bad however like someone else said its more like this is what i like this is what i dont like and i try and give most music a chance without letting the 'genre label' its been given impede me cause as you guys said there are subcultures which mostly come about out of our human need to label everything neatly into nice little categories and often a subculture is a way of describing something new

[Robbo]

Those bands are either coined with a long ass name, get called Avant Garde if they actually are, or they wait around and get called Experimental til more bands start playing like them and a new subgenre or genre forms.

Genres are great, but they're sort of like stamp collection or trainspotting. Everyone can tell the most basic things form a brief look and that's all some people need. But the more hardcore need all the details and to know the little things. Because it matters to them.

To us, we're the stamp collectors and train spotters, though how bad we are is another issue.

[Druid]

Allmusic.com has nice genre descriptors.

I wouldn't get too wrapped up in genres they are just guide posts and aren't supposed to be super sacred institutions. They are nice for finding other similar music, but they can also be bad when speaking with the uneducated. Like mentioning emo and people just going off the misconceptons they've heard.

[Robbo]

Music info sites cause more arguments than genres. As for your emo example, I see it and raise you Metal, because it's an on going thing around here

But some genres are a very serious thing, because of subcults that grow up around them. Hardcore as mentioned and of course Black Metal.

Like I said, some people are train spotters and care about their genres. And will sit there pouring over tabbed out/sheet music for bands, comparing them to prove thier influences and how they fit with certain styles.

[Druid]

Genres are pretty subjective. I've heard the Pixies referred to as hardcore punk before, but think they are more in the Alt Rock catagory. They do have punk influences, but they really aren't true punks especially for the late 80s.

[Robbo]

Just because someone referred to them as Hardcore Punk, doesn't make it true.

Some stuff is far less subjective than others. Mainly those coming from small scenes like Hardcore and Black Metal. But then have you ever heard BM played without the distortion and in high quillity? Just not right.

[Druid]

Of course. I saw that and wondered what the hell the author was thinking.