| Bands come and go, but the classification
| |
| | producing singles. Kraftwerk was one of
|
| and re-classification of their music is
| |
| | the pioneers of the Electronic movement.
|
| an exercise that never grows old. There
| |
| | Grunge: A sound that grew out of, and
|
| are no hard and fast rules, no
| |
| | became synonymous with, the Seattle music
|
| universally accepted methodology or
| |
| | scene in the late 1980's and early
|
| definitions to fall back on. Music geeks
| |
| | 1990's; a heavy punk meets metal kind of
|
| are faced with bands that change their
| |
| | affair. The typical grunge uniform
|
| sound and/or appearance from release to
| |
| | consisted of jeans and a short-sleeve
|
| release and a classification system that
| |
| | T-shirt worn over top of a long-sleeved
|
| is completely open to interpretation.
| |
| | T-Shirt, sometimes with an ubiquitous
|
| As a starting point, how about nailing
| |
| | goatee beard on the chin of male
|
| down some basic definitions and examples
| |
| | practitioners. Bonus points were awarded
|
| of musical genres? It sounds
| |
| | for wearing a red and black check lumber
|
| straightforward, but even that can be a
| |
| | jacket. Examples: Pearl Jam, Nirvana,
|
| challenge. There is no set number of
| |
| | Alice in Chains.
|
| agreed upon genres, names for the genres
| |
| | Psychedelic Rock: For those who liked
|
| (or what is even considered to be a
| |
| | Rock and Heavy Metal, but found them too
|
| standalone genre) and the definitions
| |
| | restrictive, Psychedelic Rock added all
|
| themselves are frequently the subject of
| |
| | sorts of guitar fuzz, distortion and
|
| argument. But with the help of Canadian
| |
| | occasionally disjointed lyrics to create
|
| uber-music geek Allan Cross, along with
| |
| | a distinct sound. Classic examples
|
| far too many hours of trolling through
| |
| | include The Jesus and Mary Chain and The
|
| music industry publications like Rolling
| |
| | Brian Jonestown Massacre, with its roots
|
| Stone and Spin, here's an attempt at some
| |
| | going back to the 1960's with the
|
| basic definitions. By the way, we're
| |
| | Strawberry Alarm Clock and even The
|
| sticking to the general rock world for
| |
| | Beatles.
|
| this exercise, so for the purposes of
| |
| | Rockabilly: When rock got just too damned
|
| this article only, country and/or
| |
| | complicated, some bands apparently had a
|
| western, jazz, adult contemporary and all
| |
| | hankering for the old-school, 50's style
|
| sorts of other music do not exist;
| |
| | roots rock pioneered by Elvis Presley and
|
| they're off limits.
| |
| | others. They donned rolled up jeans,
|
| Emo: A style of music that's part punk in
| |
| | white T-shirts and black leather
|
| its sound, but leaning heavily toward the
| |
| | motorcycle jackets, slicked back their
|
| emotional, melodramatic and angst-ridden
| |
| | hair, and pumped out the rockabilly. You
|
| end of that spectrum. In other words,
| |
| | won't find a better example than The
|
| melodic and moody punks. Jimmy Eat World
| |
| | Stray Cats.
|
| is often lumped under the Emo banner and
| |
| | Ska: A combination of Jamaican music and
|
| many people would consider Panic! At The
| |
| | rock that reached the height of its
|
| Disco and AFI to be current occupants as
| |
| | popularity in the late 70's and early
|
| well. The Smiths are another possible Emo
| |
| | 80's with British bands like Madness, The
|
| contender.
| |
| | English Beat and The Specials. Ska was
|
| Goth: An offshoot of the punk movement,
| |
| | danceable, and the bands tended to be
|
| Goth appealed to the gloomier music fan.
| |
| | larger than typical rock outfits,
|
| Proper attire was built almost entirely
| |
| | employing the standard guitar/drum/bass
|
| around black and frequently extended to
| |
| | combo but usually augmenting this with
|
| black-dyed hair, black lipstick, heavy
| |
| | horns, an organ and keyboards, and
|
| use of mascara and black nail polish. In
| |
| | sometimes a designated stage dancer.
|
| general, the look was spooky; the music
| |
| | Next up in the classification of music is
|
| could range from moody to sinister.
| |
| | a series of more general terms used to
|
| Classic examples: Siouxsie and the
| |
| | encompass a wider swath of music,
|
| Banshees, Bauhaus and Sisters of Mercy.
| |
| | frequently for the purpose of describing
|
| New Romantics: Appearing as part of the
| |
| | a radio station's music format.
|
| post-punk music scene in the early
| |
| | Alt-Rock: Starting off simply enough as
|
| 1980's, New Romantics favoured frilly
| |
| | an alternative to the rock music being
|
| shirts, skinny ties and make-up. Classic
| |
| | played on mainstream radio, this used to
|
| bands in this vein included Duran Duran,
| |
| | be a somewhat rare classification,
|
| Visage, Japan and Roxy Music.
| |
| | dominated by bands that could be heard on
|
| Synthpop: A sound that became popular in
| |
| | alternative or college radio stations:
|
| the late 1970's and early 80's, Synthpop
| |
| | R.E.M., for example. But by the 1990's,
|
| was, as the name suggests, pop-oriented
| |
| | "rock" as it had been known was being
|
| music that relied heavily on the use of
| |
| | left behind on radio and what was known
|
| keyboards, drum machines and
| |
| | as Alt-Rock actually began to dominate
|
| synthesisers, and tended to avoid guitars
| |
| | the play lists.
|
| or at least relegate them to supporting
| |
| | Rock: Once upon a time this used to be
|
| instruments. Classic examples: Depeche
| |
| | straightforward. The Beatles, The Rolling
|
| Mode, Human League and OMD.
| |
| | Stones and other bands like them, were
|
| Heavy Metal: Gaining prominence in the
| |
| | considered Rock bands. As time passed
|
| late 60's and 70's, Heavy Metal was a
| |
| | though, these bands tended to be lumped
|
| "heavy" blend of rock and blues with an
| |
| | under Classic Rock. Today there are Rock
|
| emphasis on guitar and drums. Bands
| |
| | bands - Foo Fighters being a good example
|
| tended to adopt a look that included long
| |
| | - but they are frequently referred to as
|
| hair, T-shirts, tight jeans and leather -
| |
| | Alt-Rock. In other words, Alt-Rock has,
|
| you'd never mistake them for New
| |
| | for a large part, usurped Rock as "rock"
|
| Romantics. Classic Heavy Metal bands
| |
| | these days. Confused? You and me both...
|
| include Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and
| |
| | Indie: Bands that are not directly
|
| Metallica. Spinal Tap is the definitive
| |
| | affiliated with any of the major record
|
| Heavy Metal spoof band.
| |
| | labels, typically giving the artists
|
| Heavy Metal spawned all sorts of
| |
| | greater artistic control over their
|
| offspring genres, of which some were, or
| |
| | music, at the cost of personally
|
| are, popular enough to deserve their own
| |
| | shouldering a greater percentage of the
|
| definitions.
| |
| | production, promotion and distribution
|
| Hair Metal: Heavy Metal with more of a
| |
| | costs of their music. College radio
|
| Pop or Rock flair; nothing too deep but
| |
| | stations are big proponents of Indie
|
| trying to appeal to a wider audience.
| |
| | bands, but some, like Arcade Fire, have
|
| Hair Metal is all about appearance; a
| |
| | made the jump to mainstream.
|
| variation on the 70's glam look featuring
| |
| | Pop: The least frightening (at least on
|
| lipstick, tight leather, frills,
| |
| | the surface), most melodic and
|
| bandanas, and long, spiked, teased, or
| |
| | radio-friendly of them all, Pop artists
|
| tinted hair. The look tended to undermine
| |
| | aim to sell vast quantities of records
|
| their credibility among their more
| |
| | and do so by appealing to the widest
|
| serious metal peers. Poison, Ratt and
| |
| | audience possible. Pop music itself
|
| Cinderella all went for this niche. Hair
| |
| | changes over time, but pop stations are
|
| Metal bands tend to suffer on the reunion
| |
| | where you'll hear the likes of Michael
|
| circuit because, although they can maybe
| |
| | Jackson, Britney Spears, Spice Girls and
|
| still play, all too often their hair has
| |
| | Girls Aloud.
|
| failed over the years and without that...
| |
| | Classic Rock: Now that Alt-Rock is known
|
| Nu Metal: An attempt to update Heavy
| |
| | as Rock, and former Rock bands are
|
| Metal for the 90's. Elements of other
| |
| | sounding a little quaint to many
|
| genres were blended in, sometimes with
| |
| | listeners, where does that leave the
|
| Rap, sometimes Grunge, perhaps a bit of
| |
| | 60's, 70's and 80's Rock bands? They are
|
| Industrial or even Goth. It still relies
| |
| | now conveniently packed under the term
|
| heavily on guitar and drums, but bands
| |
| | Classic Rock, a massive category that can
|
| veered from the classic Heavy Metal look
| |
| | include anything from The Beatles to Van
|
| and fancied themselves up a bit. Classic
| |
| | Halen.
|
| examples: Korn, Orgy and Linkin Park.
| |
| | New Wave: A marketing-derived term
|
| Speed Metal: Think Heavy Metal, but
| |
| | originally used by record companies to
|
| faster. Because Heavy Metal became too
| |
| | describe many of the Synthpop and New
|
| ponderous and lumbering for some, Speed
| |
| | Romantic post-punk British bands of the
|
| Metal developed. The Heavy Metal guitar
| |
| | late 1970's and early 1980's. This is a
|
| solo became more dominant within the
| |
| | very broad label and was eventually used
|
| songs and the tempos were greatly
| |
| | to describe anything from Depeche Mode to
|
| increased. Early practitioners of the
| |
| | A-Ha.
|
| style included Judas Priest and more
| |
| | So it turns out that genres and
|
| contemporary bands such as Primal Fear
| |
| | classifications are constantly evolving,
|
| have kept the tradition alive.
| |
| | bands are moving between genres and even
|
| Progressive Rock (also known as
| |
| | the definitions themselves are subject to
|
| Prog-Rock): This is what happens when a
| |
| | interpretation.
|
| Rock band decides to get intellectual and
| |
| | An artist like Neil Young is a good
|
| explore concepts and musical virtuosity
| |
| | example of the way in which musicians vex
|
| rather than aiming for the classic three
| |
| | the music geeks. At the beginning of his
|
| minute pop single. Synthesizers and
| |
| | career, Young played with Buffalo
|
| string instruments were often employed to
| |
| | Springfield and Crosby, Still, Nash and
|
| fill out the sound and make things more
| |
| | Young. He would have been typically
|
| elaborate. Drummers abandoned their drum
| |
| | classified as a Rock musician, with a
|
| kits for complex percussion stands. Rush,
| |
| | leaning toward Folk.
|
| Pink Floyd and Genesis (at least early
| |
| | Then Neil went through a phase where he
|
| Genesis) are among the better known
| |
| | moved toward a Country sound, again with
|
| Prog-Rock bands.
| |
| | a touch of Folk. Harvest is pretty
|
| Industrial: Just as the name suggests,
| |
| | representative of this period, but then
|
| Industrial music sounds big, noisy and
| |
| | came Rock again with songs such as Like A
|
| mechanical. Not known for being
| |
| | Hurricane. From out of nowhere, he veered
|
| particularly radio-friendly because of
| |
| | into Electronic with an album that was so
|
| the unusual sounds, aggressiveness and
| |
| | unexpected, he ended up in a fight with
|
| frequent use of uncomfortable or
| |
| | his record label over whether the release
|
| socially-risqué subject material.
| |
| | satisfied his contractual obligation -
|
| Classic examples include: Nine Inch
| |
| | they basically argued that Re-Ac-Tor was
|
| Nails, Skinny Puppy and Ministry.
| |
| | so out there, it "shouldn't count as a
|
| Hip Hop: Employing elements of a strong
| |
| | Neil Young record."
|
| beat, sampling, rap and often the use of
| |
| | Young went through a bit of a Rockabilly
|
| a turntable, Hip Hop rose from the inner
| |
| | phase, then eventually sashayed into
|
| cities to commercial success through the
| |
| | Grunge, with his Rockin' In The Free
|
| 80's. Run DMC, Beastie Boys and OutKast
| |
| | World single being adopted by Grunge
|
| are just a few examples of the vast
| |
| | converts as an anthem. From there,
|
| catalogue of successful Hip Hop groups.
| |
| | Harvest Moon swayed dangerously close to
|
| Punk: A style of music that became
| |
| | Adult Contemporary, and now he appears to
|
| prominent in the mid to late 70's, punk
| |
| | be back to his Folk roots.
|
| was built around the premise that anyone
| |
| | So how on earth do you classify Neil
|
| could and should make music, regardless
| |
| | Young? Well, you could choose to break
|
| of their musical skill. Punk became a
| |
| | his career into phases and classify each
|
| sounding board for a generation of angry
| |
| | of those individually, or do the safe
|
| youth whose songs were about social
| |
| | thing and file him under Classic Rock.
|
| statements with musical accompaniment
| |
| | There's a good weekend worth of arguing
|
| tending toward the loud, fast and simple.
| |
| | over this one, and don't think it won't
|
| Classic examples: Sex Pistols, The Clash,
| |
| | happen.
|
| Stiff Little Fingers and The Ramones.
| |
| | And of course, you can combine any of the
|
| Electronic: A distinctive sound that
| |
| | categories and classifications in an
|
| developed in the mid to late 70's as
| |
| | attempt to define a band. The Police, for
|
| synthesiser technology became more widely
| |
| | example, defy a straightforward
|
| available. Unlike Synthpop, Electronic
| |
| | definition and so become a compound
|
| artists seemed more interested in
| |
| | categorization: reggae-influenced, new
|
| exploring soundscapes and stringing
| |
| | wave, post-punk, power-pop trio.
|
| together interesting noises than
| |
| | Simple, isn't it?
|
