Acid jazz – psychedelic style of jazz influenced heavily by funk and hip-hop production
Acid rock – a form of psychedelic rock, characterized with long instrumental solos, few (if any) lyrics and musical improvisation
Acid techno – a form of techno that developed out of acid house.
Acid trance
Adult contemporary – a broad term for any music with lush and soothing qualities, and a focus on melody and harmony.
Afropop – a genre of African popular music.
Saya – Bolivian music derived from African rhythms
Afro-Cuban jazz – style of jazz influenced by traditional Afro-Cuban music.
Afrobeat – a large-scaled and energetic combination of West African, highlife, jazz, and funk music.
Aguinaldo
Akustiline muusika (Acoustic) – a music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means.
Alternatiivkantri – any style of country that deviates from the normal
Alternatiivne hiphop – any style of hip hop that deviates from the norm
Artcore (muusika) – an electronic music genre that mixes instrumental music with DnB and Electro
Ashik – music performed by mystic or traveling Turkish, Azerbaijan, Georgian, Armenian, and Iranian bands, using vocals and the saz, performed since ancient times.
Austraalia hiphop – hip hop performed by Australians
Austraalia kantri – country music performed by Australians
Austraalia pubirokk – style of hard rock founded in and drawing on themes native to Australian inner-city and suburban pubs and drinking establishments
Avangarddžäss – experimental or avant-garde jazz music
Avangard-metal – experimental or avant-garde heavy metal or hard rock
Avangardmuusika – music considered to be ahead of its time, often using new, unusual, or experimental elements, or fusing pre-existing genres.
Avant-punk – experimental punk music
Axé – style of Salvadorian, Bahian, and Brazilian music informed by Afro-Cuban and Afro-Brazilian styles
B
Bachata – An Afro-Dominican style waltz, consisting of despairing, and romantic ballads, popular among Dominican artists
Baggy – a British style that combined alternative rock and acid house, often creating a psychedelic and funky sound
Baguala – folk music of the Indians of the Calchaquí valleys of Argentina
Baião – a Brazilian rhythmic formula built around the zabumba drum that later combined itself with elements of mestizo, European, and African styles
Baila – Sri Lankan style that begun among the Afro-Sinhalese (or Kariff) community
Baisha xiyue – orchestral Chinese style used by the Naxi people, often found in Taoist or Confucian ceremonies
Bajourou – initially an acoustic style of Malian pop music played at gatherings (particularly weddings), which has since become mostly electronic
Bakersfield sound – a raw and gritty country style that acted as a reaction against the slick, overproduced Nashville sound
Bal-musette – 19th century style of French accordion-based dance music
Musette – French folk dance music
Balakadri – Guadeloupean music made from the quadrille, usually performed at balls
Balearic beat, also known as Balearic house, electronic dance music that was popular into the mid-1990s.
Balkan Brass Band – Serbian music made by soldiers that combined military brass with folk music
Baltimore Club – combination of hip hop and house music
Bambuco – Colombian style based on waltz and polka
Banda – brass-based Mexican music
Bangsawan – style of Malay opera based on Indian styles introduced by immigrants
Bantowbol – Cameroonian style of accordion music
Barbershop muusika – an art song in four part harmony in a cappella styling
Barcarolle – traditional music style from Italy, sung by venetian gondollers.
Barn dance – folk music played in a barnhouse
Barokk pop – combination of classical music, orchestral pop, rock, and Baroque music
Barokk – style of Western art music made between the 17th and 18th centuries
Barynya – Russian folk music style.
Bass – styles of EDM with an emphasis on bass, such as drum and bass, bass house, UK garage, and dubstep
Bassline – style of speed garage that combines elements of dubstep, particularly its emphasis on bass
Batá-rumba – Cuban rumba music that incorporates bata and guaguanco
Batucada – an African-influenced style of Brazilian samba
Baul – A style of folk music, specially in Bengali region.
Beach – Californian genre from the 1950s that combined elements of all popular genres at the time, particularly big band and shag jazz
Beat – British fusion of all popular 1960s American styles – R&B, pop, jazz, rock
Beatboxing – a capaella music created to emulate hip hop beats
Beautiful – term of endearment for various easy listening genres
Bebop – fast-paced style of jazz popular in the 1940s and 1950s
Beguine/Biguine Music style from French territory in the caribbean, Martinique island and precursor of jazz
Beiguani muusika – style of Chinese traditional music popular in Taiwan and the province of Zhangzhou
Bel canto – a light, sophisticated style of Italian opera singing
Bend-skin – urban Cameroonian music
Benga muusika – Kenyan popular music based on Luo and Kikuyu folk music
Bent edge
Berejú – Colombian dance with African origins
Berliini koolkonna elektrooniline muusika – heavily experimental electronic music that acted as a more avant-garde form of Krautrock and inspired ambient and New Age music
Bhajan – Hindu religious music
Bhangra muusika – fusion of South Asian and British popular styles, initially developed by Punjabi Indian-English as a combination of their respective cultural styles, but later used to refer to any South Asian/European fusion
Bhangragga – a fusion of bhangra, reggae and dancehall
Big beat – 1990s electronic music based on breakbeat with other influences
Big band – large orchestras which play a form of swing music
Bikutsi – Cameroonian EDM, originating in the Beti community
Biomusic – a form of experimental music which deals with sounds created or performed by living things.
Bitpop – electronic music, where at least part of the music is made using old 8-bit computers, game consoles and little toy instruments. Popular choices are the Commodore 64, Game Boy, Atari 2600 and Nintendo Entertainment System.
Black metal – Extreme metal known for its lo-fi recording, shrieking vocals, unconventional song structures and dark or supernatural lyrics.
Black MIDI – sheet music consisting in huge amount of notes per instrument, generally written in digital MIDI format.
Blue-eyed soul – rhythm and blues or soul music performed by white artists.
Bluegrass – American country music mixed with Irish and Scottish influences
Bluus ballaad – fusion of blues and folk
Bluus – African-American music from the Mississippi Delta area
Bluusrokk – a hybrid musical genre combining bluesy improvisations over the 12-bar blues and extended boogie jams with rock and roll styles.
Boi – Amazonian folk music
Boogaloo
Izvorna bosanska|Bosnia pärimusmuusika – Bosnian rural roots music
Bossanoova – a well-known style of Brazilian music, a lyrical fusion of samba and jazz.
Bounce – energetic hip-hop music, native to New Orleans, frequently characterized by chromatic tics and "call and response" lyrics
Bouncy techno – an upbeat form of electronic dance music.
Brass – music performed with brass instruments, prior to the advent of jazz
Breakbeat hardcore – a fusion of breakbeat and acid house
Breakbeat – a style of EDM known for its 4/4 drum pattern and heavy use of turntable scratching
Breakcore – fast and frantic style of breakbeat known for its intentionally diverse range of samples, which make it a hard-to-define genre
Breakstep
Brega muusika genre of Brazilian popular music
Brill Building Sound – a distinct style of jazz and Latin-inspired pop developed in the Brill Building of New York, USA
Briti bluus – blues performed by British musicians
Briti folkrokk – associated with the folk revival of the 1960s, British folk rock tends to use modern, often electric, instruments alongside or in place of traditional and acoustic folk instruments
briti funk – funk performed by the British, often influenced by soul, jazz, and Caribbean music
Briti invasioon – British musicians, primarily of the beat movement, who became popular in America during the 1960s
Briti pop – British rock music from the 1990s that subverted the depressing themes of the then-popular grunge movement in favor of jangly, optimistic, guitar-pop, often touching on the themes of partying and working class life.
Broken beat – EDM played in a syncopated 4/4 rhythm, with punctuated snare beats
Brown-eyed soul – soul music performed by Latinos
Brukdown – Belizean music inspired by European harmonies, African rhythms, and the call-and-response format
Bubblegum dance – fusion of Eurodance and bubblegum pop
Bubblegum pop – pop music known for its simplicity, happy and cute lyrics, and emphasis on image rather than substance.
Bulerías – fast-paced flamenco music
Bullerengue – style of Colombian music with African rithms and chants.
Bunraku – Japanese folk music often played at puppet theaters
Burger-highlife – style of highlife played by Ghanaian-Germans
Burgundia koolkond – group of French, Belgian, and Dutch composers active in the 15th century, known for their secular forms
Bush ballad – Australian folk music often dealing with themes of Australian spirit and rebellion
Bütsantsi muusika – Greek music performed during the age of the Byzantine Empire, known for its ecclesiastical form
C
Ca din tulnic – Romanian folk music played with the alpenhorn
Ca trù – a style of Vietnamese chamber music performed by one lute player and a geisha-esque female singer, used to entertain wealthy audiences, who would be included in the performances, and to perform in religious ceremonies
Cadence rampa – upbeat style of kadans
Cadence-lypso – fusion of kadans and calypso
Cải lương – modern Vietnamese folk opera
Cajun – roots music of Louisiana, USA, inspired by Acadian ballads and Creole
Calinda – Trinidadian folk music played during practices of the martial art of the same name
Calypso – Trinidadian folk music, inspired by both African and French styles, and known for its lyrics dealing with the racist oppression of native Trinidadians at the time
Calypso-style baila – fusion of baila and calypso
Campursari – Indonesian fusion genre, combining several folk styles with pop music
Can Can
Candombe – fusion of African and Uruguayan styles developed by African-Uruguayan slaves in the 19th century
Cante chico – the vocal component to flamenco music
Cante jondo – flamenco music that incorporates deep vocals
Canterbury scene – group of British avant-garde, progressive rock, and jazz fusion musicians based in the English city of Canterbury, Kent
Cantiga – Portuguese ballad style from the Middle Ages
Cantiñas – upbeat form of Andalusian flamenco music
Canto livre – Portuguese folk music known for its far-left political messages
Cantopop – any Chinese pop music sung in Cantonese
Canzone Napoletana – Italian music sung in Neapolitan
Capoeira – Brazilian music played during performances of the martial art of the same name
Carimbó Music and dance from the north east of Brazil
Cariso – Trinidadian folk music, often considered an early form of calypso
Karnataka muusika – southern Indian classical music
Carnavalito
Carol – a festive song, often sung on Christmas or, rarely, Easter
Cartageneras – a style of flamenco known for its focus on folklore
Cavacha – style of rhythm popular in Kenyan and Zairean music
Celempungan – Sudanese folk music
Cha-cha-cha muusika – Cuban folk music
Chacarera – Argentinian folk and dance music
Chakacha – music of the Swahili people of Kenya and Tanzania
Chalga – fusion of Bulgarian etno-pop and dance music with Eastern and Arab elements, popular in Southern Bulgaria
Chamamé – style of Argentinian, Mesopotamian, and Brazilian folk music
Chamarrita – style of Argentinian and Uruguayan folk music
Champeta – African-Colombian folk music
Jamrieng samai – Cambodian pop music
Changüí – Cuban music that fused African and Spanish styles
Chanson – French vocal-driven music
Chant – singing or speaking rhythmically to a very small number of pitches
Chap hop – a variety of music originating from England that mixes the hip hop genre with elements from the Chappist or steampunk subcultures
Charanga – traditional Cuban dance music
Charanga-vallenata – fusion of charanga, vallenata, and salsa
Charikawi – music accompanying of the dance of the same name of the Garifuna people of west Africa
Charleston (dance)
Chầu văn – a downtempo, trance-inducing style of Vietnamese folk music
Chèo – a style of musical theater performed by Vietnamese peasants
Chicago bluus – blues music performed by Chicago inhabitants
Chicago house – house music performed by Chicago inhabitants
Chicago soul – soul music performed by Chicago inhabitants
Chicken scratch – fusion of Native American, White American, Mexican, and European styles, performed by the Native American Tohono O'odham people
Lastemuusika – any music marketed towards children
Chill-out – umbrella term for electronic music with a slow tempo, designed to calm people after raves
Chillwave – indie pop style known for its looped synths and calming effects
Chiptune – Electronic music that is made on vintage computers/game systems or emulations thereof. May also refer to electronic music that uses samples from video games or vintage computers.
Choro – fast-paced Brazilian pop music
Chouval bwa – Martinican folk music
Chowtal – north Indian folk music performed during the Phagwa or Holi festival
Kristlik alternatiivrokk – fusion of Christian and alternative rock
Kristlik kantri – fusion of Christian and country music
Kristlik hardcore – fusion of Christian and hardcore punk rock
Kristlik hiphop – hip hop with Christian themes
Kristlik metal – fusion of Christian and heavy metal rock
Kristlik muusika – any music with overt Christian themes
Kristlik punk – fusion of Christian and punk rock
Kristlik rokk – rock music with Christian themes
Kristlik ska – ska music with Christian themes
Chula
Chumba – folk and dance style of the Garifuna people of west Africa
Church musicKirikumuusika
Chut-kai-pang – fusion of chutney, calypso, and parang
Chutney Soca – fusion of chutney and soca music
Chutney pop – Caribbean pop music that fuses calypso and cadence with several Indian styles
Tuva kõrilaul – style of throat singing performed by the Tuva people of Siberia, created to mimic the chirps of crickets
Cielito
Cifra
Klassikaline kantri – umbrella term for country music released before the use of the term to describe it
Classic female blues – an early form of blues music known for its female vocalists
Klassitsism – a clearer, slicker form of Western art music performed in the 18th and 19th centuries, known for its emphasis on homophones and melody
Klassikaline muusika – umbrella term for Western art music known for its use of large orchestras and staff notation
Close harmony – any music with notes performed in a close range
Coladeira – Cape Verdean folk music
Coldwave – French post-punk
Combined rhythm – Dutch Antillean folk music inspired by zouk, merengue, and soca
Koomiline muusika – any music that incorporates heavy themes of humor and comedy
Koomiline räpp – fusion of comedy and hip hop music
Koomiline rokk – fusion of comedy and rock music
Koomiline ooper – fusion of comedy and opera music
Compas – a modernized form of Haitian meringue music
Concerto – a three-part classical piece in which one instrument takes lead and is backed by an orchestra
Conga – Cuban music played to accompany the dance of the same name
Conjunto – fusion of Mexican and German styles developed by Mexican-Americans who had bought German instruments in Texas
Contemporary Christian music – pop music with overt Christian themes
Contemporary R&B – a style of R&B music popular in the 21st century that combines soul-inspired vocals with hip-hop and EDM-inspired production
Contradanza – 19th century Cuban dance music
Cool jazz – a relaxed, downtempo form of jazz heavily inspired by classical music, that existed as a reaction to the fast-paced bebop
Coon song – music about black stereotypes
Corrido – Mexican storytelling ballad
Kantribluus – fusion of country and blues music
Country folkKantrifolk – fusion of country and folk music
Kantripop – fusion of country and pop music
Kantriräpp – fusion of country and hip hop music
Kantrirokk – fusion of country and rock music
Kantrimuusika – American roots music played with acoustic guitars, banjos, fiddles, and harmonicas
Coupé-Décalé – Ivorian-French EDM drawing on zouk and African influences
Cowpunk – fusion of country and punk rock music
Kreeta muusika – Greek folk music performed by inhabitants of the island of Crete
Crossover thrash – fusion of thrash metal and hardcore punk
Crunk – fusion of hip hop and EDM, known for its heavy basslines and shouted, call-and-response vocals
Crunkcore – fusion of crunk and screamo
Crust punk – fusion of anarcho- and hardcore punk and extreme metal
Cuarteto – Argentinian merengue music, originating in the city of Cordoba, and influenced also by Spanish and Italian styles
Rumba
Cueca – umbrella term for Argentinian, Chilean, and Bolivian styles
Puya – traditional music style from Colombia
Cumbia villera – cumbia performed by inhabitants of the shantytowns of Buenos Aires
Cumbia – fusion of Colombian folk music and African and Spanish styles bought from slaves and colonists, respectively
Currulao
D
Dabke – Arabic folk dance music, often played at weddings
Dadra – light vocal style of Hindustani classical music, originating from the Bundelkhand region
Dadra tala – a style of Hindustani classical music which utilizes six beats in two equal rows of three
Daina – Latvian folk music
Daina – Lithuanian folk music
Dance – any music designed to make the listener dance. Also known as club music, an offshoot to electronic music which gave rise to EDM.
Dance-pop – pop music with an emphasis on dance rhythms, fusion of dance and pop musical styles.
Dance-punk – a grittier and rawer form of new wave music, linked heavily to the contemporary indie scene
Dance-rock – fusion of post-punk and post-disco, linked heavily to the new wave
Dancehall – Jamaican pop music that abandons reggae's roots influences for a slicker, EDM-inspired production
Dangdut – melodic and heavily optimistic form of Indonesian pop
Danger – any music that will, somehow, potentially harm either the performers or the audience, linked heavily to noise rock
Dansband – Swedish folk music
Danza – Puerto Rican style of music that accompanies the ballroom-influenced dance of the same name
Danzón – Cuban dance music
Dappan koothu – Indian folk dance music, popular in the states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, often used as filmi music in the movies produced in those states
Dark ambient – style of ambient music that creates a feeling of dread and foreboding, rather than the relaxation given off by most ambient
Dark cabaret – fusion of cabaret and gothic rock
Punk Cabaret – a fusion of musical theater and cabaret style music with the aggressive, raw nature of punk rock.
Dark pop – fusion of industrial/goth rock synthesizers with hip hop/techno drums
Dark rock – fusion of gothic and alternative rock
Dark wave – excessively pessimistic style of post-punk, which relied on tales of realistic sorrow, rather than the fantasy elements of the then-popular gothic rock
Darkcore – chaotic and sinister style of jungle, which relied on pitch-shifting and horror movie audio samples
Darkstep – style of darkcore jungle that takes its signature sinister feel and fuses it with upbeat breakbeats and ambient noises, creating an excessively chaotic tone
De dragoste – Romanian love music
Death metal – Extreme metal known for its distorted guitar structure, growling vocals, blast beat drumming and dark or violent lyrics.
Death rock – style of gothic rock known for its scratchy guitars, and lyrics focusing on supernatural and pessimistic themes, sometimes delving into intentionally campy horror themes
Death-doom – fusion of death and doom metal
Deathcore – fusion of death metal and metalcore
Deathgrind – fusion of death metal and grindcore
Décima – Hispanic genre of sung poetry
Deep Funk
Deep house – form of Chicago house, inspired by jazz and soul music
Delta blues – blues music performed by inhabitants of the Mississippi Delta
Descarga – a genre of improvised Afro-Cuban music
Desi – a style of Hindustani classical raga, associated with the Asavari and Kafi thaat
Detroit blues – blues music performed by inhabitants of Detroit, Michigan, USA
Detroit techno – techno performed by inhabitants of Detroit, Michigan, USA
Dhamar – a tala used in Hindustani classical music, associated with the dhrupad style, and played on a pakhawaj
Dhrupad – vocal style of Hindustani classical music, considered the oldest still being performed today
Dhun – a light instrumental form of Hindustani classical music
Diablada – Telluric Bolivian folk music style.
Digital hardcore – fusion of hardcore punk and hardcore techno, known for its far-left lyrics
Dirge – a song of mourning, often played at a funeral
Dirty rap – hip hop with sexual and pornographic themes
Dub – subgenre of reggae in which pre-existing tracks are heavily remixed, emphasizing the drum and bass (or riddim) and dubbing snippets from other works
Dubstep – dub-inspired subgenre of UK garage known for its heavy basslines and reverberant drums
Brostep – an aggressive and metal-influenced style of dubstep popular in America
Dubtronica – fusion of dub and EDM
Dunedin Sound – style of indie pop based in Dunedin, New Zealand
Dunun – family of west African drums
Dutch jazz – jazz performed by Dutch musicians
E
Gabber – a faster, more anarchistic, form of house music designed to counter the pretentious Dutch house scene of the 1980s
Early – umbrella term for any music made from the prehistoric era until the advent of baroque music
Emo – heavily emotional and pessimistic style of post-hardcore punk
Enka – a popular, modern adaptation of traditional Japanese music
Eremwu eu – work songs of the female bakers of the Garifuna people of west Africa
Ethereal wave – atmospheric subgenre of dark wave
Euro disco – European disco music, which incorporated elements of pop rock and synthpop
Euro house – European house music, usually a house-based form of Eurodance or Euro disco
Eurobeat – antecedent to Italo disco
Eurodance – European dance music and evolution of Euro disco that adapted elements of house and hi-NRG
Europop – European pop music
Eurotrance – European trance music, usually a fusion of Eurodance with uplifting trance and/or hard trance.
Exotica – fusion of many popular international genres from the 1950s marketed at Americans, who were attracted to the exotic label
F
Fado – Portuguese folk music, often touching on the themes of melancholia and working class struggles
Falak – Afghan, Tajik, and Pakistani religious folk music
Fandango – Spanish music made to accompany the upbeat dance of the same name
Farruca – a light form of flamenco
Festejo – a festive form of Afro-Peruvian music
Filk – style of folk (sometimes expanding to other genres) with heavy science-fiction or fantasy themes
Filmi-ghazal – fusion of filmi and ghazal poetry
Filmi – Indian film scores
Fingerstyle – the act of plucking guitar strings with the fingertips
Flamenco – popular style of Spanish folk dance music developed in Andalusia by Romani-Spanish (or Gitanos), but latter expanding to the general Spanish populus
Hula – Hawaiian folk music made to accompany the dance of the same name
Humppa – Finnish jazz style
Hunguhungu – folk music performed by Garifuna women
Hyangak – Korean court music from the Three Kingdoms period
Hyphy – fast-paced style of hip hop from the San Francisco Bay Area
I
Icaro – music sung in healing ceremonies of the Shipibo-Conibo people of Peru
East Coast blues – umbrella term for any blues music made by inhabitants of the American East Coast, usually used to refer to the New York or Piedmont scenes
East Coast hip hop – any hip hop produced by inhabitants of New York
Igbo – any music performed by the Igbo people of Nigeria
Irish folk – traditional music of the Irish people
Illbient – form of ambient inspired by dub in its use of layering and hip hop in its use of sampling
Impressionist – style of Western art music inspired by the visual arts movement of the same name
Improvisational – any kind of music that is made up on the spot
Indie – music that is formed around an idea of remaining on the underground and a DIY ethic
Indie folk – fusion of indie rock and folk music
Indie pop – a melodic, often angst-free and optimistic, form of pop-rock associated with the indie scene
Indie rock – generic term for rock music linked to the indie subculture
Indietronica – fusion of indie rock and EDM
Indo jazz – fusion of jazz and traditional Indian music
Industriaalne hiphop – fusion of industrial and hip hop music
Industrial death metal – fusion of industrial and death metal
Industrial – early form of electronica that linked avant-garde electronic experimentation to punk rock energy, vocalisation, and ethics. Industrial spawned an indulgence in darkness, horror, and even fascism (although often not seriously) that carried over into goth, emo, and metalhead culture
Industriaal muusikal – musical theater performed by the workers of a company to promote teamwork
Kabareemuusika – an often jazz-informed style of music played at upbeat stageplays or burlesque shows
Kabuki – form of Japanese musical theatre known for its elaborate make-up and costuming
Kacapi suling – Sundanese folk music
Kachāshī – fast-paced Ryukyuan festive folk music
Kaiso – Trinidadian folk music
Kalamatianó – Greek folk music
Kammerdžäss – fusion of chamber and jazz music
Kammerpop – Fusion of alternative rock and chamber music
Kan ha diskan – Breton folk music
Kansas City blues – blues music performed by Kansas City inhabitants
Kantrum – fast-paced Khmer-Thai folk music
Karaoke - a form of entertainment, offered typically by bars and clubs, in which people take turns singing popular songs
Kaseko – Surinamese music that fuses African, European, and American styles
Kawachi ondo – Japanese folk music from the Osaka region
Kawaii metal - Fusion of heavy metal and J-pop
Kayōkyoku – an early form of J-Pop
Kecak – Balinese folk opera
Keldi fusioon – popular music that includes a Celtic influence
Keldi hiphop – fusion of Celtic and hip hop music
Keldi metal – fusion of Celtic and heavy metal music
Keldi muusika – folk music of the Celts, an ethnic group inhabiting Scotland, Ireland, Wales, the Isle of Man, some parts of France and Spain, and once England
Kolomyjka – tongue-in-cheek Hutsul folk dance music
Komagaku – Japanese court music from the Heian period
Kpanlogo – Ghanan folk dance music
Kpop – South Korean pop music
Krakowiak – fast-paced Polish folk dance music
Krautrock – highly experimental form of German art rock that incorporated electronic influences
Kriti – Indian classical music
Kroncong – Indonesian folk music utilizing the ukele
Kuduro – Angolan folk music
Kulintang – ancient gong music of the Filipinos, Indonesians, Malays, Bruneian, and Timorese
Kundiman – Filipino love songs
Kvæði – Icelandic folk music
Kwaito – South African house music
Kwassa kwassa – Congolese folk dance music
Kwela – South African skiffle music
L
Modern laïka – modernized and pop-informed style of laïka
Laiko – Greek folk dance music
Lambada – Brazilian dance music
Landó
Latin metal – A genre of heavy metal with Latin origins, influences, and instrumentation, such as Spanish vocals, Latin percussion and rhythm such as Salsa rhythm
Latin music – Spanish- and Portuguese-language popular music
Latin pop – fusion of pop music and Latin American music or any pop music from the Spanish-speaking world
Latin swing – a fusion of gypsy jazz rhythms and Latin music, including flamenco, samba and salsa. Created and played by Lulo Reinhardt, Germany
Lavani – style of traditional Indian music performed in Maharashtra
Legényes – Hungarian and Romanian folk dance music performed by the inhabitants of Transylvania, now modern-day Cluj-Napoca
M-Base – style of musical thought and composition developed by Steve Coleman
Madchester – fusion of EDM, psychedelic rock, and indie rock
Mahori – form of Thai and Khmer classical music
Makossa – Cameroonian pop
Malambo – Argentinan and Uruguayan style of folk music dance
Malhun – Arab folk poetry
Malhun – north African style of classical music that borrows from Andalusian traditions
Maloya – style of folk developed by the slaves on the French territory of Reunion
Mambo – Cuban style of jazz
Manaschi – Kyrgyz song recital of the Epic of Manas
Mandopop – style of C-pop sung in the Mandarin language
Manele – Romani folk music
Mangue Bit – Brazilian electronic genre played in a fast-paced, punk-informed style
Manila Sound – fusion of Western rock music and traditional Filipino folk music
Mapouka – traditional folk dance music of the Aizi, Alladian, and Avikam people of the Ivory Coast
Marabi – South African style informed by blues and jazz
Maracatu – Brazilian folk dance music
Mariachi – fusion of Mexican folk music and pop music
Marinera – romantic Peruvian folk dance music
Marrabenta – Mozambican folk dance music informed by Portuguese styles
Martial industrial – style of neo-folk informed by military marches and militaristic themes
Martinetes – a cappella flamenco music
Maskanda – South African folk music
Mass – Christian hymns sung by large vocal groups
Matamuerte – Garifuna folk dance music
Math rock – rhythmically complex form of experimental rock
Mathcore – fusion of metalcore and math rock
Maxixe – Brazilian folk dance music
Mazurka – Polish folk dance music
Mbalax – Senegalese folk dance music that combines traditional sabar drumming techniques with jazz, soul, rock, and Latin music
Mbaqanga – Zulu jazz style that was one of the first South African genres to achieve intertribal recognition
Mbube – South African a cappella music
Medieval folk rock – form of folk rock that incorporated elements of earlier folk traditions, such as Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque music, despite what the name may suggest
Medieval metal – fusion of folk metal and Medieval folk rock
Keskaja muusika – period of Western art music ranging from the 6th to 15th centuries
Meditation – any music created to aid meditation procedures
Mejoranera – Panaman guitar music
Melam – Indian drumming style
Melodic hardcore – style of hardcore punk known for its slower, melodic guitars, juxtaposed with shouted vocals
Melodic metalcore – fusion of melodic hardcore and metalcore
Melodic – any music that utilizes melody, the combination of notes so that they are perceived as a single string of music
Memphis blues – style of blues from Memphis
Memphis soul – polished, funky style of soul from Memphis
Mento – Jamaican folk music
Merengue – Dominican folk dance music
Merengue típico – style of modern merengue that attempts to sound similar to 19th century merengue
Méringue – Haitian guitar music
Metalcore – fusion of thrash metal and hardcore punk; often sung melodically
Mexican rock – rock music performed by Mexicans
Meykhana – Azerbaijani spoken word music
Mezwed – Tunisian folk music
Miami bass – rave-inspired style of hip hop
Microhouse – minimalist, stripped down form of house music
Milonga – Argentinian and Uruguayan folk dance music
Milongón – Uruguayan folk music
Min'yō – Japanese folk music
Mini-jazz – rock-inspired meringue music
Minimal Goa
Minimal music – heavily experimental form of orchestral music known for its simplicity
Minimal techno – fusion of techno and minimal music
Minneapolis sound – glam-informed style of dance-rock pioneered by Prince
Minstrel – American folk music which parodied African-American styles
Minuet – French folk dance music
Modern rock – any rock music (usually alternative rock) made during or after the 1990s
Modinha – Brazilian folk music
Montuno – loose term for Cuban music and its derivatives
Moombahcore – moombahton incorporating dubstep influences and elements of Dutch house
Moombahton – fusion of electro house and reggaeton
Mor lam sing – fast-paced, sexual, and modernized form of mor lam
Mor lam – Laotian and Thai folk music
Morenada – folk music and dance style from the Bolivian Andes
New school hip hop – hip hop music made after the mid-80s
New prog – more ambitious and alternative rock-inspired form of progressive rock
New Taiwanese Song – Taiwanese pop music
New wave – early form of punk-informed synthpop
New wave of new wave – 1990s British revival of new wave music
New Weird America – term for the, often psychedelic-informed, indie folk music of the 2000s
New York blues – a jazz-influenced style of blues from New York, New York
New-age – form of ambient music intended for use during meditation
Nintendocore – fusion of chiptune and metalcore
Nisiotika – Greek folk music from the Aegean Islands
No wave – avant-garde punk subgenre created as a reaction to the commercial new wave
Noh – long, highly dramatic Japanese opera
Noise – trend in orchestral, rock, and electronic music where harsh, non-melodic, and often random sounds are used alongside or in place of conventional sounds
Noise pop – derivative of noise rock in which noises and feedback are used, but made into a melodic, often relaxing sound
Noise rock – loud, atonal, dissonant, and unconventional rock music
Nordic folk – folk music of the Nordic people
Nortec – Mexican EDM
Norteño – Mexican folk music
Northern soul – soul music made by northern English
Nu gaze – new form of Shoegaze
Nu jazz – modern jazz music that borrows from funk and EDM
Nu metal – fusion of thrash, groove, and alternative metal that also borrows elements from punk, industrial, grunge, and hip hop
Nu skool breaks – a more abstract and drum & bass-inspired style of breakbeat
Nu-disco – modern house music that draws inspiration from disco
Old school hip hop – generic term for hip hop music recorded before approximately 1989
Old Time Radio – Old Time Radio Shows from the 30's – 60's
Old-time – archaic term for many different styles that were an outgrowth of Appalachian folk music and fed into country music
Oldies – Popular music from the 50's and 60's.
Jungle – style of EDM known for fast tempo, breakbeats, samples, and dub-inspired layered synths
Olonkho – Yakut epic songs
Ondo
Operatic Pop – subgenre of pop music that is performed in a classical operatic style (also referred to as "Popera")
Organ trio – a style of jazz from the 1960s that blended blues and jazz (and later "soul jazz") and which was based around the sound of the Hammond organ
Organic ambient – often acoustic ambient music which uses instruments and styles borrowed from world music
Oriental metal – a subgenre of folk metal that incorporates elements of traditional Middle Eastern music.
Ottoman military band – the oldest variety of military marching band in the world.
Outlaw country – late 1960s and 70s form of country music with a hard-edged sound and rebellious lyrics
Outsider music – generic term for music performed by outsiders
P
P-Funk – 1970s fusion of funk, heavy metal and psychedelic rock, most closely associated with the bands Funkadelic and Parliament, who shared many members collectively known as P-Funk
Pagan metal
Pagan rock
Pagode – Brazilian style of music which originated in the Rio de Janeiro region
Paisley Underground – 1980s style of alternative rock that drew heavily on psychedelia
Palm wine – fusion of numerous West African, Latin American and European genres, popular throughout coastal West Africa in the 20th century
Piedmont blues - Blues music from the East Coast of the United States. Characterized by syncopated fingerpicked guitar playing and ragtime-based rhythms.
Pimba – Origin: Portugal.
Pinoy rock – rock and roll sung in Tagalog from the Philippines
Pinpeat orchestra
Piphat – ancient form of Thai classical ensemble
Pirate metal – mix of heavy metal and pirate music
Tambito – Folk music style from Costa Rica and Panama
Tamborito – Folk music style from Panama
Tambu – music genre and dance form, found on Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao
Tamburitza
Tamil Christian keerthanai – Christian devotional lyrics in Tamil
Táncház – Hungarian dance music
Tango – Argentine popular music that spread internationally in the 1920s
Tanguk – a form of Korean court music that includes elements of Chinese music
Elevator music – comfortable and soothing music designed for and played in shopping malls, usually elevators therein, to create a sense of ambience and comfort
Tappa
Taquirari – traditional music and dance from Santa Cruz Bolivia
Taqwacore
Tarana – form of vocal music from northern India using highly rhythmic nonsense syllables
