Update, 2019-01-31

Thank you for contributing to this listing! I am no longer collecting musical genres. There are too many of them!

"Bands with a million styles"

...is a line from a song by Huey Lewis And The News called "The Heart Of Rock And Roll". I first heard the line many years ago but it's stuck with me since. Are there really a million styles of music? If not, how many are there?

Here, I aim to find out.

The criteria to add a genre is very, very simple: No making up genres. To be added, there must exist some music of that genre. If I do a Google search for your genre I expect to find something concrete (and that's more than just a last.fm tag!). Other than that: wide open.

Obviously the list below is incomplete. Mail me your suggestions.

Perhaps I should clarify: the aim here is to compile a long list. Not a definitive one. :)

Genres, alphabetical

1. 16-bit
2. 2step
3. 8-bit
4. A cappella metal
5. A cappella
6. A.O.R.
7. Aak
8. Abstract
9. Abstract hip hop
10. Accelerated funk
11. Acid
12. Acid house
13. Acid jazz
14. Acid punk
15. Acid tekno
16. Acoustic
17. Adult-orientated rock
18. Adventure metal
19. African
20. Afro-Caribbean
21. Aggrotech
22. Aleatory
23. Algorithmic
24. Alpine
25. Alpunk
26. Alternative
27. Alternative country
28. Alternative country rock
29. Alternative rock
30. Amateur
31. Ambient
32. Ambient industrial
33. Ambient psy
34. American primitive guitar
35. Americana
36. Anarcho-punk
37. Andean
38. Anime
39. Anthem
40. Anthem rock
41. Anthem trance
42. Anti-folk
43. Appalachian folk
44. Aquacrunk
45. Arabian metal
46. Arena rock
47. Aria
48. Ars nova
49. Ars subtilior
50. Art rock
51. Art song
52. Art-pop
53. Asian American jazz
54. Ataricore
55. Atmospheric
56. Atmospheric sludge metal
57. Australian aboriginal
58. Avant-garde
59. Avant-garde jazz
60. Avant-garde metal
61. Avant-pop
62. Avant-progressive rock
63. Bachata
64. Baggy
65. Bakersfield sound
66. Ballad
67. Band
68. Barbershop
69. Barcarole
70. Baroque
71. Barrelhouse
72. Bass
73. Bass & drum
74. Battle metal
75. Batucada
76. Beat
77. Bebop
78. Berlin school electronic/Kosmiche
79. Bhangra
80. Big Band
81. Big beat
82. Bitpop
83. Black metal
84. Blip hop
85. Bluegrass
86. Blues
87. Bongo flava
88. Boogie
89. Boogie woogie
90. Booty bass
91. Booty house
92. Booty music
93. Boredcore
94. Bossa nova
95. Bouncy techno
96. Bouyon
97. Braindance
98. Brass band
99. Brazilian funk
100. Breakbeat
101. Breakbeat hardcore
102. Breakcore
103. Britpop
104. Britrock
105. Broadway
106. Brutal death metal
107. Bubblegum pop
108. Bubbling
109. Business funk
110. Cabaret
111. Cafe
112. Cajun
113. Calypso
114. Calypso jazz
115. Candombe
116. Cantata
117. Canterbury scene
118. Cantopop
119. Caribbean
120. Carnatic
121. Carnival
122. Casiocore
123. Celtic
124. Celtic metal
125. Chaabi
126. Cha-cha-cha
127. Chamber music
128. Chanson
129. Chaotic hardcore
130. Charleston
131. Chicago blues
132. Chicago house
133. Children's music
134. Chillgressive
135. Chillout
136. Chillstep
137. Chinese opera
138. Chip
139. Chip tune
140. Chipstyle
141. Choppage
142. Choral
143. Christian
144. Christian country
145. Christian gangsta rap
146. Christian hip-hop
147. Christian metal
148. Christian pop
149. Christian punk
150. Christian rap
151. Christian rock
152. Christian ska
153. Christian worship
154. Circus
155. Classic electronic
156. Classic rock
157. Classical
158. Classical crossover
159. Classical mass
160. Classical modern
161. Classical romantic
162. Classical spoken word
163. Classigrass
164. Click folk
165. Cliq-hop
166. Close harmony
167. Clownstep
168. Club
169. Club-house
170. Cockney
171. Coldwave
172. College rock
173. Comedy
174. Computer
175. Concerto
176. Conga
177. Contemporary Christian
178. Contrapuntal
179. Cool jazz
180. Country
181. Country blues
182. Country noir
183. Country punk
184. Country rock
185. Country-western
186. Couplet
187. Cover
188. Cowpunk
189. Creole
190. Crossover
191. Crunk
192. Crust
193. Crust hardcore
194. Cubist funk
195. Cult
196. Cyber trance
197. Dance
198. Dance hall
199. Dance metal
200. Dancehall reggae
201. Dangak
202. Dark ambient
203. Dark folk
204. Dark metal
205. Darkcore
206. Darkstep
207. Darkwave
208. Deathcore
209. Death industrial
210. Death metal
211. Deep house
212. Delta blues
213. Detroit bass
214. Detroit techno
215. Deutschrock
216. Devotional
217. Dhrupad
218. Digital
219. Diluted gabber
220. Disco
221. Disco house
222. Dixieland
223. Djent
224. Dodecaphonic
225. Doo wop
226. Doom
227. Doom metal
228. Doom/death metal
229. Doo-wop
230. Downbeat
231. Downtempo
232. Dream
233. Dream trance
234. Drill and bass
235. Drone
236. Drone metal
237. Drum
238. Drum and bass
239. Drum solo
240. Drumfunk
241. Dub
242. Dubstep
243. Duet
244. Early electronic
245. Early music
246. Easy listening
247. Edits
248. Electro
249. Electro industrial
250. Electroacoustic
251. Electroacoustic improvisation
252. Electroclash
253. Electrofunk
254. Electronic
255. Electronic body music
256. Electronic dance music
257. Electronic grindcore
258. Electroswing
259. Elegy
260. Elektro
261. Elevator music
262. Emo
263. Emocore
264. Enka
265. Epic metal
266. Epic trance
267. Eski
268. Ethereal
269. Ethnic
270. Etude
271. Eurobeat
272. Eurodance
273. Euro-house
274. Europop
275. Euro-techno
276. Euro-trance
277. Experimental
278. Experimental rock
279. Expressionism
280. Fado
281. Fast-fusion
282. Favela funk
283. Field recording
284. Filk
285. Film
286. Filmi sangeet
287. Flamenco
288. Folk
289. Folk metal
290. Folk punk
291. Folk rock
292. Folklore
293. Folktronica
294. Freak folk
295. Free improvisation
296. Free jazz
297. Freeform hardcore
298. Freestyle
299. FreeTekno
300. Frenchcore
301. Fugue
302. Funcore
303. Funeral doom metal
304. Funk
305. Funkabilly
306. Funk carioca
307. Funky
308. Funky house
309. Fusion
310. Futurepop
311. Futurock
312. Gabba
313. Gabber
314. Gabber house
315. Gagaku
316. Gaita
317. Galante
318. Game
319. Gamecore
320. Gamelan
321. Gangsta rap
322. Gangsta-funk
323. Garage
324. Garage-house
325. Geek rock
326. G-funk
327. Gharnati
328. Ghazal
329. Ghetto
330. Ghetto house
331. Ghetto-funk
332. Ghettotech
333. Glam metal
334. Glam rock
335. Glitch
336. Glitchcore
337. Glitch-folk
338. Glitch-hop
339. Glock Rock
340. Gloomcore
341. Gnawa
342. Goa
343. Go-go
344. Gore grind
345. Gospel
346. Gothenburg metal
347. Gothic
348. Gothic metal
349. Gothic rock
350. Gregorian chant
351. Grime
352. Grindcore
353. Grindwhore
354. Groove metal
355. Grunge
356. Grungecore
357. Gstanzl
358. Guiju
359. Guoyue
360. Gypsy
361. Gypsy jazz
362. Gypsy punk
363. Hair metal
364. Hair rock
365. Hamburger Schule
366. Happy gabber
367. Happy hardcore
368. Hard bop
369. Hard dance
370. Hard house
371. Hard rock
372. Hard trance
373. Hardcore
374. Hardcore/sXe
375. Hardcore emo
376. Hardcore trance
377. Hardstep
378. Hardstyle
379. Harsh noise
380. Harsh noise wall
381. Hatecore
382. Heavy metal
383. Hellektro
384. Heterophonic
385. HI NRG
386. Hick rock
387. Hillbilly
388. Hindustani classical
389. Hip-hop
390. Hip-hopera
391. Hiphouse
392. Hipjazz
393. Horror glam punk
394. Horror punk
395. Horrorcore
396. House
397. Hua'er
398. Humorcore
399. Humour
400. Humppa
401. Hyangak
402. Hymn
403. Ibiza goth
404. Illbient
405. Impressionist
406. Improvisation
407. Indeterminacy
408. Indie
409. Indie pop
410. Indie rock
411. Indietronica
412. Industrial
413. Industrial hip-hop
414. Industrial metal
415. Industrial noise
416. Insect electronica
417. Instrumental
418. Instrumental pop
419. Instrumental rock
420. Insurgent country
421. Integral serialism
422. Intelligent dance music
423. Intelligent drum and bass
424. Intelligent jungle
425. Intergalactic punk rock hip-hop
426. Interpretive
427. Italo
428. Italo Disco
429. Jamgrass
430. Javanese
431. Jazz
432. Jazz blues
433. Jazz fusion
434. Jazz rap
435. Jazz rock
436. Jazz vintage
437. Jazz-funk
438. Jazzstep
439. Jeongak
440. Jewish
441. Jive
442. J-metal
443. Joik
444. J-pop
445. J-rap
446. J-rock
447. J-trance
448. J-urban
449. Jtek
450. Juke house
451. Jumpstyle
452. Jump-Up
453. Jungle
454. Junkanoo
455. Juoiggus
456. Kabuki
457. Kantrum
458. Karaoke
459. Karnatak
460. Khoomei
461. Khyal
462. Klezmer
463. Klezmer-punk
464. Kompa
465. Kouta
466. Kozmigroov
467. K-pop
468. K-rap
469. K-rock
470. K-urban
471. Krautrock
472. Kuaiban
473. Kunqu
474. Ländler
475. Latin
476. Latin freestyle
477. Latin jazz
478. Latin pop
479. Library
480. Lied(er)
481. Lift music
482. Liquid chillstep
483. Liquid dubstep
484. Liquid funk
485. Lo-fi
486. Lo-fi country
487. Lounge
488. Loungecore
489. Lowercase
490. Lu
491. Luk thung
492. M.O.R.
493. Madrigal
494. Malhun
495. Mambo
496. March
497. Mariarchi
498. Martial
499. Martian industrial
500. Mashup
501. Mass
502. Math metal
503. Math rock
504. Mathcore
505. Mazurka
506. M-Base
507. Mechanical Death
508. Mediaeval
509. Meditative
510. Mele
511. Melodic black metal
512. Melodic death metal
513. Melodic rock
514. Melodic trance
515. Mento
516. Merengue
517. Metal
518. Metalcore
519. Metalstep
520. Mexican rock
521. Miami bass
522. Microhouse
523. Microsound
524. Microtonal
525. Middle Eastern
526. Military
527. Mincecore
528. Minimal techno
529. Minimalist
530. Minsogak
531. Modal jazz
532. Modern classical
533. Moombahton
534. Mor lam
535. Motet
536. Motown sound
537. MPB
538. Murder metal
539. Music-core
540. Música Popular Brasileira
541. Musical
542. Musique concrète
543. Muzak
544. N.S.B.M.
545. Nashville sound
546. National folk
547. Native American
548. Native American metal
549. Nederhop
550. Neo progressive
551. Neo soul
552. Neo-medieval folk
553. Neoclassical metal
554. Neoclassicist
555. Neofolk
556. Neotraditional
557. Nerdcore hip-hop
558. Neue Deutsche Härte
559. Neue Deutsche Welle
560. Neurofunk
561. New Age
562. New beat
563. New jack swing
564. New metal
565. New romantic
566. New school breaks
567. New Wave
568. New Wave Of British Heavy Metal
569. New Wave Of Swedish Death Metal
570. New-school metallic hardcore
571. Newgrass
572. Nightcore
573. Nightstep
574. Nintendocore
575. Niyabinghi
576. No depression
577. No wave
578. Nocturne
579. Noise
580. Noise pop
581. Noise rock
582. Noisecore
583. Norteño
584. Northern soul
585. Novelty
586. Nu funk
587. Nu gabber
588. Nu Italo
589. Nu jazz
590. Nu punk
591. Nu school breaks
592. Nu soul
593. Nu tango
594. Nu-metal
595. Nunstep
596. Octet
597. Oi
598. Old school hip hop
599. Old school progressive electronic
600. Oldies
601. Oldskool
602. Old-time
603. Onkyokei
604. Opera
605. Operetta
606. Oratorio
607. Orchestral
608. Oriental metal
609. Pagan
610. Pagan metal
611. Piedmont blues
612. Pingju
613. Pipe & drum
614. Pirate metal
615. Pirate rock
616. Pleng phua cheewit
617. Plutonium rock
618. Political
619. Polka
620. Polsk Punk
621. Pop
622. Pop punk
623. Pop/funk
624. Pop-folk
625. Porn groove
626. Porngrind
627. Porno gore
628. Post-black metal
629. Post-emo indie rock
630. Post-emo style rock
631. Post-grunge
632. Post-hardcore
633. Post-industrial semi-punk nekronoise ambient happy hardcore triphop shoegaze
634. Post-minimalism
635. Post modern bovine smut funk
636. Post-punk
637. Post-rock
638. Postromantic
639. Post-thrash metal
640. Power ballad
641. Power electronics
642. Power metal
643. Power noise
644. Power pop
645. Powergrind
646. Pranks
647. Prelude
648. Primus
649. Progressive
650. Progressive country
651. Progressive death metal
652. Progressive folk
653. Progressive house
654. Progressive metal
655. Progressive rock
656. Progressive sludge
657. Progressive trance
658. Psybient
659. Psychedelic
660. Psychedelic folk
661. Psychedelic noise
662. Psychedelic rock
663. Psychobilly
664. Psycore
665. Psytekk
666. Psy-trance
667. Pubrock
668. Punk
669. Punk cabaret
670. Punk country
671. Punk hardcore
672. Punk oi
673. Punk pop
674. Punk rock
675. Punkgrass
676. Purple sound
677. Pyjama funk
678. Qawwali
679. Quan họ
680. Quartet
681. Queercore
682. Quickstep
683. Quintet
684. R.A.C.
685. Ragga
686. RaggaJungle
687. Ragtime
688. Raï
689. Ranchera
690. Rap
691. Rap opera
692. Rave
693. Recitative
694. Red dirt
695. Reductionism
696. Reggae
697. Reggaeton
698. Regressive country
699. Religious
700. Rembetiko
701. Renaissance
702. Retro
703. Retrowave
704. Revival
705. Rhapsody
706. Rhythm
707. Rhythm and bass
708. Rhythm and blues
709. Rhythmic noise
710. Rhythmic soul
711. Riot grrrl
712. Robot hip hop
713. Rock
714. Rock and roll
715. Rock in Opposition
716. Rockabilly
717. Rocksteady
718. Rococo
719. Romantic
720. Romantic doom metal
721. Roots country
722. Roots rock
723. Rumba
724. Rural contemporary
725. Sacred steel
726. Sadcore
727. Salsa
728. Samba
729. Satire
730. Scat
731. Schlager
732. Schrammelmusik
733. Schranz
734. Screamo
735. Seasonal
736. Serial
737. Serialism
738. Sextet
739. Scenecore
740. Shibuya-kei
741. Shoegaze
742. Shomyo
743. Shona
744. Showtunes
745. Sichuan
746. Sickcore
747. Ska
748. Ska noise
749. Ska punk
750. Skacore
751. Skiffle
752. Slack-key
753. Slamgrass
754. Slamming Gore Groove
755. Slow jam
756. Slow rock
757. Slowcore
758. Sludge metal
759. Smooth jazz
760. Soca
761. Sogak
762. Son
763. Sonata
764. Soul
765. Soul jazz
766. Sound clip
767. Soundtrack
768. Southern gospel
769. Southern rock
770. Southern soul
771. Space
772. Space rock
773. Speech
774. Speed garage
775. Speed metal
776. Speedbass
777. Speedcore
778. Speedwood
779. Spiritual
780. Spiritual jazz
781. Square dance
782. Stadium rock
783. Stoner doom
784. Stoner metal
785. Stoner rock
786. Straight Edge
787. Street bass
788. Street punk
789. String pop
790. SubIndie
791. Sublow
792. Suicide metal
793. Suicide rock
794. Surf rock
795. Swamp rock
796. Swing
797. Symphonic
798. Symphonic black metal
799. Symphonic poem
800. Symphonic rock
801. Symphony
802. Synthpop
803. Synthtron
804. Synthwave
805. Taiko
806. Tango
807. Tartan techno
808. Tech
809. Tech hardcore
810. Tech-house
811. Techmospheric
812. Technical death
813. Techno
814. Techno rock
815. Techno-industrial
816. Techstep
817. Tejano
818. Terror
819. Terror EBM
820. Terrorcore
821. Tex-Mex
822. Theatrical
823. Theme
824. Theme and variations
825. Third Stream
826. Thrang
827. Thrash metal
828. Threnody
829. Throat singing
830. Toccata
831. Tone poem
832. Totalism
833. Traditional
834. Traditional Chinese
835. Trailer
836. Trance
837. Trancecore
838. Trancestep
839. Trap
840. Trashcan Americana
841. Tribal
842. Trio
843. Trip-hop
844. Troll metal
845. Tropicália
846. Tropicalismo
847. True Scottish Pirate Metal
848. Turbo-folk
849. Turntablism
850. Tuvan
851. Twang core
852. Twee
853. Twee pop
854. Twelve-tone
855. Two step
856. UK garage
857. Unblack metal
858. Uplifting trance
859. Uptempo
860. Urban
861. Vallenato
862. Vaporwave
863. Vedic metal
864. Victoriandustrial
865. Viking metal
866. Visual kei
867. Vocal
868. Vocal house
869. Vocal jazz
870. Vocal-trance
871. Vomitcore
872. Waltz
873. Wedding
874. Weirdo
875. West coast
876. Western
877. Western swing
878. White metal
879. Witch house
880. Wizard rock
881. Wobble
882. Wong shadow
883. Wonky
884. World fusion
885. World music
886. Worldbeat
887. Wrock
888. Wyrd folk
889. Y'allternative
890. Yang
891. Yayue
892. Yellow cocktail
893. Yodel
894. Yoik
895. Zeuhl
896. Zouk
897. Zydeco

Fake genres

Given how large the above list has grown beyond my expectations, it seems that coming up with fake genres might be a greater challenge. Here's your starter pack (and no obvious hybrids like "Ambient classical death", please, unless they're really funny):

1. Raggagoth
2. Plickplock
3. Cakecore
4. Fliprock
5. Slip-hop
6. Slap-pop
7. Disco polo - UPDATE: apparently this genre, which I made up, is actually real
8. Demoncore

And as a last resort, my good friend P gives us a way to generate your own: