The most popular genres of music in the world
The most popular genres of music in the world – Music surrounds us everywhere. There is not a single person in the world who does not listen to music. Time flows, and with it the musical preferences of people change, certain directions in music appear and disappear.
In this article, we will consider the most popular genres, as well as understand the fundamental differences between different directions.
Music genre as a concept
A musical genre is understood as a category of works that are similar in compositional, stylistic, plot or any other features. Music is divided into various categories depending on the general mood, tempo, use of musical instruments or techniques. Music is one of the most popular entertainment in the world. However, there are many other interesting things to do – for example, casino games with the bet app Senegal. On the platform you can find entertainment for every taste.
Pop music
The so-called pop music is characterized by a pronounced sense of rhythm, an interesting instrumental component and a visual presentation.
The songs of this genre are built on the principle of “verse + chorus”, and the content of the texts in them is not the main focus.
An important part of the pop genre is the rhythmic structure, since most of the songs are performed simultaneously with the dances. For this reason, a clear beat and rhythm can be traced in all pop compositions.
The average length of the songs is 3-5 minutes.
Initially, pop music was considered as a mixture of the most popular works of different musical genres, and interest in the direction arose in the 40s of the last century. It was at this time that crooners came into fashion – pop singers who reproduce vocal parts in a special manner. The peculiarity was to adjust the vocals to the microphone performance. Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby were especially famous then.
Hip-hop
Originating in the United States as a protest against racial discrimination, hip hop has become one of the most popular genres of music in the world. Hip-hop is a mix of funk, jazz, rhythm and blues, reggae. This is not just a musical style, but a mix that includes elements such as breakdancing, DJing, as well as rap – reading recitative to the beat.
Lyrics can be completely different: from lines with casual memories to discussions on acute social problems. An important role is played by the visual style, which not only reflects the character of each performer, but is also a reference to the American subculture.
Hip-hop is divided into many sub-genres and directions. We list some of them:
Old school – music of the early period, characterized by an unchanging rhythm, simplified recitative.
New school – the direction is characterized by relatively short tracks, minimalist lyrics.
Grime – tracks filled with an atmosphere of gloom, rolling basses, as well as an aggressive manner of reading.
G-Frank – in the compositions, male recitative is diluted with female backing vocals, and deep funk basses echo with subtle melodic overflows.
Horrorcore is characterized by brutal motives, rather harsh lyrics and brutal tracks.
Modern rap music is quite diverse. Musical compositions are mostly simple, but always retain the rhythm and a certain melody. The peculiarity of rap is rhythm – in each measure there is a certain accent: snaps, claps, whistles, percussion or something else.
R&B
For many music lovers, rhythm and blues is associated with pop music and hip-hop. This is a true connection, since the musical genre is close to their aesthetic. The history of R&B began in the thirties of the last century and originated from the musical culture of the black population of America. Gradually, from rural country blues, the genre transformed into a more massive rhythm and blues.
R&B sub-styles include doo-wop, soul, funk, and even smooth jazz. In the texts of music of this kind you will not find special mental themes – everything here is quite easy and unconstrained. Rhythm and blues is distinguished from other areas by pronounced dance motifs, rich basses and melodiousness. A classic example of R&B is the famous Tina Turner, Nina Simone. Among modern performers, it is worth highlighting Beyoncé, Alisha Keys, Berry White.
Classical music
When talking about the most popular musical genres in the world, it is impossible not to mention the classics. For a long time, instrumental music performed a practical function: it accompanied vocal parts, complemented theatrical performances or choral singing. But gradually classical works occupied a separate niche. Various schools of instrumental music began to emerge, many instrumental subgenres appeared: sonata, suite, concerto for orchestra, and much more.
The peculiarity of the classics is that it is understandable without words and is particularly expressive, thanks to the use of a variety of musical instruments. With their help, you can convey almost any mood, it is easy to change the tone of the composition.
Modern concerts of classical music gather full houses in many countries. Today, musicians often return to works written by Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Wagner. The masterpieces of instrumental music include works by Paul Mauriat, Richard Clauderman, Fausto Papetti.
Chanson
One of the most popular genres of music originated in France. Chanson in translation into Russian means “folk song”, and the history of its occurrence begins in the XII century, when music began to be superimposed on the verses of lyrical French poets. But as a musical genre, chanson was formed only closer to the 19th century.
Chanson is very dynamic and changes under the influence of different cultures. So, the chanson lost its entertaining character after the Second World War. In the post-war years, the style becomes more serious, the lyrics touch the lives of ordinary people. The history of post-war chanson is inextricably linked with the name of Edith Piaf, and the heyday of the genre gave the world Lara Fabian, Yves Montana, Mireille Mathieu.
Chanson has several distinctive features:
Poeticity is the predominance of text over music.
The musical component in this case only emphasizes the emotionality of the composition.
Content of texts. The text basis reveals the depth of the author’s thoughts and experiences.
Realism. Chanson are songs about life, experience, sincere emotions.
It is believed that chanson became popular in the 90s, but this is a delusion. In fact, the genre developed much earlier, and romances and folk songs had a considerable influence on it. Today, chanson reflects the color of the national culture and is a combination of disparate trends.
