Genres, Basically: Rock Music

With all these different sub-genres of rock music floating around, it is quite easy to get confused.  Allow me to help you clarify the meaning of some of these genres.

Rockabilly

Elvis, and all those other cool cats in the 1950s that your great grandparents probably hated.


Blues Rock

Take Muddy Waters.  Add Jagger.  John Mayer also creeps in.  The Black Keys make it delicious.


Hard Rock

A loosely defined group of music.  Makes you nod your head and go "Ungh!  Yeauh!"


Soft Rock

Opposite of Hard Rock, supposedly.  Also known as "Easy Listening".  Basically Fleetwood Mac.


Classic Rock

Anything before the 90s.  What your parents probably listen to.


Alternative Rock

Any rock music made after 1989.  Slowly being killed by Chicago radio.


Industrial Rock

Guitars, bass, and drums featuring the construction workers of America.  Sometimes band members reach their mid 40s and compose award-winning film scores.


Christian Rock

Guitars plus Jesus.  Handled with care, it can actually pass.


Folk Rock

I'm telling you a story...with guitars.  Fact:  Everybody, and I mean everybody loves at least one folk song.


Psychedelic Rock

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It's exactly what you think it is.  Just watch Yellow Submarine...




Grunge

The 90s.  Garage bands.  Nirvana.  Flannel shirts.  Daria.


Glam Rock

I...I really don't think it's about the sound of the music.  The 'Lady Gaga's' of their day.


Rap Rock

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Rock music with rappers.  Don't give me that look.  It's more frequent than you think it is.  I'm looking at you Linkin Park...Beastie Boys...Rage Against the Machine...Red Hot Chili Peppers...  The list goes on.

Heavy Metal

Loud.  Distorted.  Impressive screaming vocals.  Extra-long guitar solos.  Cool fast drumming-thingy.  Aggressive.  Whiplash.  Overcompensated masculinity.


Nu Metal

Love child of grunge and metal.  Hip hop sometimes visits on the weekends.  Here's looking at you, Korn.


Punk Rock

Anti-establishment influenced rock conceived in the 1970s.  Short songs, and simple riffs.  Went from The Clash to Green Day to Blink 182.  Keeps claiming that it is not dead.  Possibly may be in a state of denial.  Evidence shows that the Irish may still have it.


Ska Punk

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Combination of ska and punk rock elements.  Usually contains a brass section.  I'm thinking of The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, but you're probably thinking of Sublime.  I'm okay with that.


Pop Rock

Mainstream, commercial, often unauthentic, but catchy.  Actually gets played on the radio.  Even the white kids can sing along.


Party Rock

Spoilers:  It's not really rock music.


I'd like to take this time to thank Wikipedia.com for all their scholarly help.  You truly are a student's dream.