…and possibly are.

I didn’t intend to write this post. Originally, I was going to write another one of my “hilarious” posts where I make up music genres and discuss them as if they’re real. However, I found out that one of the styles I “invented” turned out to be real. It seems truth is stranger than fiction (and indeed, Ruth is stranger than Richard). So, I went to Wikipedia to find out what other crazy styles are actually out there, and I was staggered by the sheer number. These days, if someone makes music which sounds even slightly different from what’s gone before, people think it is deserving of its own category. I’m not sure if this trend is to do with hipster snobbery, or a reaction to the increasingly homogenised chart music. That’s a debate for another day, and probably another blog.

Anyway, here is the result of my many minutes of research on Wikipedia…

1. Crust punk
2. Bent edge
3. Nardcore
4. Folk metal
5. Djent
6. Death ‘n’ Roll
7. Viking rock
8. Cowpunk
9. Punk pathetique
10. Dangdut

11. Lowercase
12. Liquid funk
13. Hardbag
14. Japanoise
15. Grindie
16. Isolationism
17. Neurofunk
18. Darkstep
19. Folktronica
20. Ghettotech
21. Humppa
22. Swamp pop
23. Livetronica
24. Wonky pop
25. Sophisti-pop
26. Yé-yé
27. Unblack metal
28. Nintendocore
29. Pornogrind
30. Mathcore
31. Medieval metal
32. Filk
33. Czech bluegrass
34. Tecno brega
35. Grindcore
36. Gabber
37. Psybient
38. Illbient
39. Space disco
40. Diva house
41. Progressive bluegrass
42. Folk noir
43. Death industrial
44. Martial industrial
45. Electronic body music
46. Goa trance
47. Aggrotech
48. Power noise
49. Technoid
50. Witch house

I state that these aren’t made-up, but I suppose they all music styles are, to a certain degree. It’s human nature to try to categorise things into groups, and often people go too far. However, enough people must think that these are worthy of a Wikipedia page.

Your homework is to go and listen to at least one song from each of these styles. Good luck!