• personal favorites are in italics
• reference albums will be underlined.
• i made this for fun DON'T PISS ME OFF FOR GOD'S SAKE .
• see more about metal here

a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music. performers such as bob dylan and the byrds (several of whose members had earlier played in folk ensembles) attempted to blend the sounds of rock with their pre-existing folk repertoire, adopting the use of electric instrumentation and drums in a way previously discouraged in the u.s. folk community.

• reference artists:

bob dylan, the byrds, simon & garfunkel, pentangle, eagles.

a style of music that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. the music incorporated new electronic sound effects and recording effects, extended solos, and improvisation. the sound of this music is often etheral, mysterious and charming or suddently chaotic and cacophonic.

• reference artists:

pink floyd (early), the doors, jimi hendrix , cream, the seeds, jefferson airplane.

• important psychedelic rock album:

pink floyd - the dark side of the moon (1973)

basically a subgenre of roots rock developed in the southern united states from rock and roll, country music, and blues and is focused generally on electric guitars and vocals (even if bands like the marshall tucker band was also known to incorporate instruments such as the flute and saxophone into their sound).

• reference artists:

the allman brothers band, lynyrd skynyrd, the marshall tucker band.

a style of rock music performed by musicians who wore outrageous costumes (at the time), makeup, and hairstyles. musically speaking glam rock bands are pretty diverse in style but tied to already existing rock subgenres of that time. some of them drew inspiration from hard rock, others from rock n' roll, folk rock or similar styles.

• reference artists:

sweet, slade, new york dolls, queen, cinderella , david bowie (72-74), mott the hoople.

• important glam rock album:

queen - queen ii (1974)

a style of rock music that emerged from post-punk. gothic rock stood out due to its darker sound, with the use of primarily minor or bass chords, reverb, dark arrangements, or dramatic and melancholic melodies, having inspirations in gothic literature allied with themes such as sadness, nihilism, dark romanticism, tragedy, melancholy and morbidity.

• reference artists:

bauhaus, the cure , the sisters of mercy, christian death.

a style of rock music generated by increasingly popular hard rock and pop rock bands that began creating material inherently designed for large audiences. arena rock is characterized by commercially oriented and radio-friendly songs (such as slower power ballads), highly produced music, strong emphasis on melody, frequently employs anthemic choruses and large use of keyboard instruments. the genre also known as anthem rock, aor, melodic rock, stadium rock, corporate rock or dad rock.

• reference artists:

def leppard , journey, bon jovi , europe, whitesnake.

a british-based music genre and culture movement that emphasised britishness. it produced brighter, catchier rock music partly in reaction to the popularity of the darker lyrical themes of theus-led grunge music and to the uk's own shoegaze music scene. although the term britpop was viewed as a marketing tool, and more of a cultural moment than a musical style or genre, its associated bands typically drew from the British pop music of the 1960s, glam rock and and indie pop of the 1980s.

• reference artists:

oasis, pulp, blur, the verve, radiohead (until 2000).

a derivative of punk that combines elements of punk rock with power pop or pop. the sounds are generally brighter and way more polished than 70s punk or hardcore punk. the rawness and diy ethics of the past are less prevalent.

• reference artists:

green day , offspring, blink 182, sum41, avril lavigne , good charlotte.

a rock music genre characterized by an emphasis on emotional expression, sometimes through confessional lyrics. emo is considered a form of post hardcore punk music. nonetheless, emo has also been considered a genre of indie rock, punk rock and pop punk. lyrics, a focus in emo music, are typically emotional and often personal or confessional, dealing with topics such as failed romance, self-loathing, pain, insecurity, suicidal thoughts, love, and relationships.

• reference bands:

my chemical romance , fall out boy , taking back sunday, the used, paramore .

in the 50s black and white residents were living in close proximity in larger numbers than ever before, and as a result heard each other's music and even began to emulate each other's fashions. this "cultural collision" of african-american music such as jazz, rhythm and blues, boogie woogie, gospel and "white music" such as country and pop is the mixture that gave birth to rock n' roll in all of its derivative forms.

• reference artists:

carl lee perkins, jerry lee lewis, chuck berry, elvis presley, johnny burnette.

more a cultural phenomenon of the mid 60s than an actual genre the british invasion happened when rock and pop music acts from the united kingdom and other aspects of british culture became popular in the united states. the term is used to describe the sound of seminal bands like the beatles in the beginning of their carrier, that was a perfect mixture of american and british style of rn'r and pop of that time.

• reference artists:

the beatles, the rolling stones, the who, the kinks, the zombies, the animals.

a broad genre of rock music started by psychedelic bands that focused on musical reinvention and innovation. lyrics were more poetic, songs were longer and more complex, 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.

• reference artists:

yes, emerson - lake & palmer, king crimson, genesis , pink floyd , mike old-field, the moody blues, jethro tull.

simply a subgenre of rock music formed from the fusion of rock and country. it was developed by rock musicians who began to record country-flavored records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. these musicians recorded rock records using country themes, vocal styles, and addition- al instrumentation, most characteristically pedal steel guitars.

• reference artists:

buffalo springfield, the flying burrito brothers, emmylou harris, linda ronstadt.

a music genre rooted in 60s garage rock. punk bands rejected the perceived excesses of mainstream 70s rock. they typically produced short, fast-paced songs with hard-edged melodies and singing styles, stripped-down instrumentation, and often shouted political, anti-establishment lyrics. punk embraces a diy ethic: many bands self-produced recordings and distributed them through independent record labels.

• reference artists:

ramones, sex pistols, the clash, dead kennedys, buzzcocks, billy idol.

a punk rock subculture and music genre generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. hardcore punk generally disavows commercialism, the established music industry, mainstream rock and often addresses social and political topics with confrontational, politically-charged lyrics. hardcore was heavily characterized by diy ethics in underground music scenes.

• reference artists:

minor threat, bad brains, black flag, discharge, agnostic front.

a rock subculture and genre (sometimes referred to as the seattle sound) that fuses elements of punk rock and metal. some bands performed with more emphasis on one or the other influence. lyrics are typically angst-filled and introspective, often addressing themes such as social alienation, self-doubt, abuse, neglect, betrayal, social and emotional isolation, psychological trauma and a desire for freedom.

• reference artists:

nirvana , alice in chains, pearl jam (early years), soundgarden, mudhoney.

a fusion genre that mixes vocal and instrumental elements of hip hop (rap, scat, scratching, beat box beats) with various forms of rock.

• reference artists:

kid rock, limp bizkit, linkin park , p.o.d., quarashi.

a form of experimental rock characterized by a focus on exploring textures and timbre over traditional rock song structures, chords, or riffs. post rock artists are often instrumental, typically combining rock instrumentation with electronics. post rock borrow from diverse sources including ambient, electronica, jazz, krautrock, dub, and minimalist classical.

• reference artists:

mogwai, radiohead (from 2000 onwards), god is an astronaut, don broco, godspeed you! black emperor.

a genre grown up pretty fast on instagram that recalls a little bit the math rock sound from the late 80s/early 90s by artists like don caballero, damon che, slint (just to name a few). one of the main features of the genre is the overall complexity of every aspect of this music that is really influenced by jazz, electronic music and progressive rock. weird chord voicing, crispy clean tones, unusual time signatures, frequent lack of vocals, absence of clear song structure, trap/hip hop/dubstep elements occur very often.

• reference bands:

polyphia, ichika nito, tera melos.

a genre of rock music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in southern california. It was especially popular in two major forms: the first is instrumental surf, distinguished by re- verb-heavy electric guitars played to evoke the sound of crashing waves, largely pioneered by dick dale and the del-tones. the second is vocal surf, which took elements of the original surf sound and added vocal harmonies, a movement led by the beach boys.

• reference artists:

dick dale, beach boys, jan and dean, the ventures, the surfaris.

a raw and energetic style of rock and roll that flourished in the mid 60s characterized by basic chord structures played on electric guitars and other instruments, sometimes distorted through a fuzzbox, as well as often unsophisticated and occasionally aggressive lyrics and delivery. its name derives from the perception that groups were often made up of young amateurs who rehearsed in the family garage, although many were professional. it's considered the starting point for future forms of punk music.

• reference artists:

the outsiders, the castaways, the standell, the troggs, question mark & the mysterians, the stooges.

rock music that looks back to rock's origins in folk, blues and country music in opposition to the perceived excesses of dominant psychedelic and developing progressive rock.

• reference artists:

creedence clearwater revival, the grateful dead, john fogerty.

heavier rock music typified by a heavy use of aggressive vocals, distorted electric guitars, bass guitar, and drums, sometimes accompanied with keyboards. it began in the mid 60s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. the genre developed into a major form of popular music in the 70s. during the 80s, some hard rock bands moved away from their hard rock roots and more towards pop rock.

• reference artists:

guns n roses , deep purple, led zeppelin , ac/dc, aerosmith, kiss.

• important hard rock album:

guns n' roses - appetite for destruction (1987)

a broad genre of rock music born from musicians departed from the raw simplicity and traditionalism of punk rock, instead adopting a variety of avant-garde sensibilities and non-rock influences. Inspired by punk's energy and diy ethic but determined to break from rock cliches, the artists experimented with styles like electronic music, jazz, and ideas from art and politics, including critical theory, modernist art, cinema and literature.

• reference artists:

u2, joy division, siouxsie and the banshees, talking heads, the cure , death cult, r.e.m, the smiths.

simply a fusion genre that mixes elements of funk and rock. many instruments may be incorporated into the music, but the overall sound is defined by the classic combination of drumset, bass and electric guitars. the guitar can be funk or rock-influenced, usually with distortion or fuzz.

• reference artists:

living colour, red hot chilli peppers, lenny kravitz , incubus, primus.

a typically slow-to-mid tempo style of rock music that features a heavily distorted, groove-laden bass-heavy sounds, melodic vocals and "retro" production. bands such as sleep have involved the concept of cannabis to be part of the core of their albums and songs.

• reference artists:

kyuss, sleep, fu manchu, acrimony, monster magnety.

a derivative of grunge that has a less abrasive or intense tone than traditional grunge. originally, the term was used almost pejoratively to label mid 90s rock bands that emulated the original sound of grunge combined with a more radio-friendly songwriting style.

• reference artists:

silverchair, candlebox, staind, puddle of mudd, nickelback, creed , 3 doors down, three days grace.

a genre of indie rock also known as garage rock revival, played by musicians that started to play a stripped down version of guitar rock inspired by the original sounds and aesthetics of garage rock, new wave and post-punk. the music ranged from the atonal tracks, to melodic pop songs and popularised distorted guitar sounds. there was an emphasis on "rock authenticity" that was seen as a reaction to the commercialism of mtv-oriented nu metal, hip hop and "bland" post-britpop groups.

• reference bands:

the strokes, interpol, the white stripes, the hives, white lies.

basically a resurgence of the pop punk sound from the early 00s.

• reference artists:

machine gun kelly, avril lavigne , mod sun, yungblud.