Mac Wiseman

Bluegrass is an outgrowth of country music. Originally conceived as a way to keep country pure as the genre's popularity continued to grow, it has developed into a style of its own, with its own traditions and quirks. If there is anyone responsible for bluegrass, it's Bill Monroe; the genre itself was named after his band. Monroe developed the genre's signature style -- hard, fast tempos; high, close harmonies; and a pronounced emphasis on instrumental technique -- in the mid-'40s, and he... [+] Read More

Bluegrass is an outgrowth of country music. Originally conceived as a way to keep country pure as the genre's popularity continued to grow, it has developed into a style of its own, with its own traditions and quirks. If there is anyone responsible for bluegrass, it's Bill Monroe; the genre itself was named after his band. Monroe developed the genre's signature style -- hard, fast tempos; high, close harmonies; and a pronounced emphasis on instrumental technique -- in the mid-'40s, and he popularized it during the '50s. By the end of that decade, their sound had become part of country music, and there were legions of bands that followed in their footsteps. During the '60s, such groups as the Dillards took bluegrass further, adding rock and jazz influences to the music and creating the progressive bluegrass subgenre. Progressive bluegrass continued to grow over the next three decades, as traditional bluegrass adhered to the original ideals of bluegrass. [-] Hide

Blind Lemon Jefferson

Blues is about tradition and personal expression. At its core, the blues has remained the same since its inception. Most blues feature simple, usually three-chord, progressions and have simple structures that are open to endless improvisations, both lyrical and musical. The blues grew out of African spirituals and worksongs. In the late 1800s, southern African-Americans passed the songs down orally, and they collided with American folk and country from the Appalachians. New hybrids appeared... [+] Read More

Blues is about tradition and personal expression. At its core, the blues has remained the same since its inception. Most blues feature simple, usually three-chord, progressions and have simple structures that are open to endless improvisations, both lyrical and musical. The blues grew out of African spirituals and worksongs. In the late 1800s, southern African-Americans passed the songs down orally, and they collided with American folk and country from the Appalachians. New hybrids appeared by each region, but all of the recorded blues from the early 1900s are distinguished by simple, rural acoustic guitars and pianos. After World War II, the blues began to fragment, with some musicians holding on to acoustic traditions and others taking it to jazzier territory. However, most bluesmen followed Muddy Waters' lead and played the blues on electric instruments. From that point on, the blues continued to develop in new directions -- particularly on electric instruments -- or it has been preserved as an acoustic tradition. [-] Hide

Tom Chapin

Children's music is designed to both educate and entertain children, hopefully at the same time. Most children's records are made for children that have yet to attend school, or are in pre-school. They are either filled with catchy, simple songs that are easy to sing along with, or they have engaging stories that are often presented with a read-along book. At its best, children's music is witty, enaging and memorable, and it never condescends to children.

Children's music is designed to both educate and entertain children, hopefully at the same time. Most children's records are made for children that have yet to attend school, or are in pre-school. They are either filled with catchy, simple songs that are easy to sing along with, or they have engaging stories that are often presented with a read-along book. At its best, children's music is witty, enaging and memorable, and it never condescends to children. [-] Hide

Classical music is probably the most misunderstood of all musical categories, a result of its seeming remoteness -- it is, after all, far older than any of the other major musical fields, dating back to the fifth and sixth centuries. But it is also easy to understand -- even for the listener utterly unschooled in its forms -- on its own terms, because it is the most formalistic of music. It is a music of precision and allows the listener a very clear look at both the intent and design of the... [+] Read More

Classical music is probably the most misunderstood of all musical categories, a result of its seeming remoteness -- it is, after all, far older than any of the other major musical fields, dating back to the fifth and sixth centuries. But it is also easy to understand -- even for the listener utterly unschooled in its forms -- on its own terms, because it is the most formalistic of music. It is a music of precision and allows the listener a very clear look at both the intent and design of the composer.



Classical music is built upon a shared repertory of established works and their different interpretations. As opposed to most pop listeners, for whom the overall sound of a recording is usually more important than details, classical listeners normally dwell on details of interpretation and the nuances of playing. Those details are everything -- the differences in interpretation, and those nuances of instrument or voice, drive the whole field of classical music. Of course, there are exceptions to these generalizations -- classical listeners, to some degree, are buying the overall sound of a piece, regardless of the way it is performed. But even many casual classical listeners tend to be more analytical than all but the most serious rock listeners. [-] Hide

Charlie Rich

Country music is about tradition, yet its simple form lends itself to endless variations on similar themes. Like blues -- the two genres often shared themes, melodies and songs -- country is a simple music at its core. Most of its songs are built around three chords and a plain melody, but these forms are so basic, they allow for many different styles, from the gritty sounds of honky tonk to the jazzy improvisations of Western Swing. Country music grew out of American Southern folk music,... [+] Read More

Country music is about tradition, yet its simple form lends itself to endless variations on similar themes. Like blues -- the two genres often shared themes, melodies and songs -- country is a simple music at its core. Most of its songs are built around three chords and a plain melody, but these forms are so basic, they allow for many different styles, from the gritty sounds of honky tonk to the jazzy improvisations of Western Swing. Country music grew out of American Southern folk music, both Appalachian and blues, and old-time country was simple and folky, with just guitars and fiddles. As the genre progressed, old time music evolved into the rhythmic guitar-and-fiddle driven traditional country that became the foundation of modern country music, from honky tonk and Western Swing to the pop-oriented Countrypolitan and rock-inflected Bakersfield Sound. [-] Hide

Paul Oakenfold

Reaching back to grab the grooves of '70s disco/funk and the gadgets of electronic composition, Electronica soon became a whole new entity in and of itself, spinning off new sounds and subgenres with no end in sight two decades down the pike. Its beginnings came in the post-disco environment of Chicago/New York and Detroit, the cities who spawned house and techno (respectively) during the 1980s. Later that decade, club-goers in Britain latched onto the fusion of mechanical and sensual, and... [+] Read More

Reaching back to grab the grooves of '70s disco/funk and the gadgets of electronic composition, Electronica soon became a whole new entity in and of itself, spinning off new sounds and subgenres with no end in sight two decades down the pike. Its beginnings came in the post-disco environment of Chicago/New York and Detroit, the cities who spawned house and techno (respectively) during the 1980s. Later that decade, club-goers in Britain latched onto the fusion of mechanical and sensual, and returned the favor to hungry Americans with new styles like jungle/drum'n'bass and trip-hop. Though most all early electronica was danceable, by the beginning of the '90s, producers were also making music for the headphones and chill-out areas as well, resulting in dozens of stylistic fusions like ambient-house, experimental techno, tech-house, electro-techno, etc. Typical for the many styles gathered under the umbrella was a focus on danceable grooves, very loose song structure (if any), and, in many producers, a relentless desire to find a new sound no matter how tepid the results. [-] Hide

The Kingston Trio

Each country has their own folk music, but the genre usually refers to American and British music that has been passed through the generations by oral tradition. It's simple, acoustic-based music that spins everyday events and common people into mythic status. Many traditional folksongs have no known author, they have simply evolved over the years. Most of the earliest recorded folk music was of this nature, but with Woody Guthrie, topical folk began making its way to record. Still, many... [+] Read More

Each country has their own folk music, but the genre usually refers to American and British music that has been passed through the generations by oral tradition. It's simple, acoustic-based music that spins everyday events and common people into mythic status. Many traditional folksongs have no known author, they have simply evolved over the years. Most of the earliest recorded folk music was of this nature, but with Woody Guthrie, topical folk began making its way to record. Still, many artists, including the Weavers and Pete Seeger, chose to mix traditional songs with newer material, either written by the artists themselves or other contemporary musicians. Initially, Bob Dylan functioned in that style, but by his second album, =The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan,= he began relying entirely on original material, thereby ushering the modern era of folk, where most performers sang their own (usually personally and introspective) material, and only occasionally throwing in covers. [-] Hide

Michael W. Smith

Gospel essentially breaks down into three separate categories. For many listeners, the word "gospel" conjures the sound of large African-American Southern gospel choirs, singing joyous songs of celebration. These grew out of traditional spirituals and would later evolve into close-knit, small combos that were the blueprint for doo-wop groups. Another style of gospel was country gospel, which sounded like traditional country with lyrics about God. These two forms -- along with blues gospel,... [+] Read More

Gospel essentially breaks down into three separate categories. For many listeners, the word "gospel" conjures the sound of large African-American Southern gospel choirs, singing joyous songs of celebration. These grew out of traditional spirituals and would later evolve into close-knit, small combos that were the blueprint for doo-wop groups. Another style of gospel was country gospel, which sounded like traditional country with lyrics about God. These two forms -- along with blues gospel, which was never quite as widespread as country gospel -- provided part of the foundation of contemporary gospel and CCM (Contemporary Christian Music), which came into existence in the late '70s. The other part of CCM was soft rock and mainstream pop, which provided the sound of the genre. Throughout the '80s and '90s, CCM was the most popular style of gospel, since it sounded like mainstream pop, only with religious lyrics. [-] Hide

Big Daddy Kane

To the untrained ear, all rap and hip-hop may sound the same, but there's a number of different levels in even the simplest rap song. At its core, hip-hop is a post-modern musical genre that deconstructs familiar sounds and songs, rebuilding them as entirely new, unpredictable songs. Early rap records, commonly called "old school," were made by DJs scratching records and playing drum loops, with MCs rapping over the resulting rhythms. As the genre progressed, hard-rock guitars and... [+] Read More

To the untrained ear, all rap and hip-hop may sound the same, but there's a number of different levels in even the simplest rap song. At its core, hip-hop is a post-modern musical genre that deconstructs familiar sounds and songs, rebuilding them as entirely new, unpredictable songs. Early rap records, commonly called "old school," were made by DJs scratching records and playing drum loops, with MCs rapping over the resulting rhythms. As the genre progressed, hard-rock guitars and hard-hitting beats were introduced by Run-D.M.C., the first hardcore rap group, and the scratching techniques were replaced by sampling. With their dense collages of samples, beats and white noise, Public Enemy took sampling to the extreme, and they helped introduce a social and political conscience to hip-hop. That faded in the '90s, as gangsta rap -- originally introduced by NWA, who used Public Enemy's sound as a template -- became the dominant form. By the '90s, gangsta rap, which originally was in direct opposition to such pop-oriented rappers as MC Hammer, had become smoothed over and stylish, and consequently was more popular than ever, as evidenced by the success of pop-gangsta Puff Daddy. [-] Hide

Rahsaan Roland Kirk

Jazz has been called America's classical music, and for good reason. Along with the blues, its forefather, it is one of the first truly indigenous musics to develop in America, yet its unpredictable, risky ventures into improvisation gave it critical cache with scholars that the blues lacked. At the outset, jazz was dance music, performed by swinging big bands. Soon, the dance elements faded into the background and improvisation became the key element of the music. As the genre evolved, the... [+] Read More

Jazz has been called America's classical music, and for good reason. Along with the blues, its forefather, it is one of the first truly indigenous musics to develop in America, yet its unpredictable, risky ventures into improvisation gave it critical cache with scholars that the blues lacked. At the outset, jazz was dance music, performed by swinging big bands. Soon, the dance elements faded into the background and improvisation became the key element of the music. As the genre evolved, the music split into a number of different styles, from the speedy, hard-hitting rhythms of be-bop and the laid-back, mellow harmonies of cool jazz to the jittery, atonal forays of free jazz and the earthy grooves of soul jazz. What tied it all together was a foundation in the blues, a reliance on group interplay and unpredictable improvisation. Throughout the years, and in all the different styles, those are the qualities that defined jazz. [-] Hide

Chucho Valdés

Latin music is a catch-all term for a number of diverse styles from different regions and countries in Latin America. Often, the term refers to Latin pop -- either dance-based or pop oriented-music sung in Spanish or Tejano. Tejano has a number of different styles, from romantic ballads to the narrative nortenos, and they're usually performed by large groups with acoustic instruments and horns. In the '80s and '90s, Tejano has also adopted smooth production techniques from American pop-rock... [+] Read More

Latin music is a catch-all term for a number of diverse styles from different regions and countries in Latin America. Often, the term refers to Latin pop -- either dance-based or pop oriented-music sung in Spanish or Tejano. Tejano has a number of different styles, from romantic ballads to the narrative nortenos, and they're usually performed by large groups with acoustic instruments and horns. In the '80s and '90s, Tejano has also adopted smooth production techniques from American pop-rock and soft rock. Latin America is also known for such dance music as salsas and sambas, which have layers of percussion, blaring horns and an infectious sense of style. A related style to salsa is the bossa nova, a cool, laid-back style that crossed dance music with jazz. With the exception of tejano and mariachi, which is folk and pop based, most Latin music is defined by its strong rhythms. [-] Hide

Ray Lynch

Born from an aesthetic that aims to induce a sense of inner calm, new age music emerged from the meditational and holistic fields. Generally, these are harmonious and nonthreatening albums that are allied with new age philosophies encouraging spiritual transcendence and physical healing. Some of these albums are artistically satisfying as well as therapeutic. Lesser musicians, however, often make ridiculous claims in the liner notes as to their ability to catapult listeners into advanced... [+] Read More

Born from an aesthetic that aims to induce a sense of inner calm, new age music emerged from the meditational and holistic fields. Generally, these are harmonious and nonthreatening albums that are allied with new age philosophies encouraging spiritual transcendence and physical healing. Some of these albums are artistically satisfying as well as therapeutic. Lesser musicians, however, often make ridiculous claims in the liner notes as to their ability to catapult listeners into advanced spiritual states through specially designed sonic vibrations and "immaculately conceived" musical ideas. ~ Linda Kohanov [-] Hide

Johnnie Taylor

Evolving out of jump blues in the late '40s, R&B laid the groundwork for rock & roll. R&B kept the tempo and the drive of jump blues, but its instrumentation was sparer and the emphasis was on the song, not improvisation. It was blues chord changes played with an insistent backbeat. During the '50s, R&B was dominated by vocalists like Ray Charles and Ruth Brown, as well as vocal groups like the Drifters and the Coasters. Eventually, R&B metamorphosed into soul, which was funkier and looser... [+] Read More

Evolving out of jump blues in the late '40s, R&B laid the groundwork for rock & roll. R&B kept the tempo and the drive of jump blues, but its instrumentation was sparer and the emphasis was on the song, not improvisation. It was blues chord changes played with an insistent backbeat. During the '50s, R&B was dominated by vocalists like Ray Charles and Ruth Brown, as well as vocal groups like the Drifters and the Coasters. Eventually, R&B metamorphosed into soul, which was funkier and looser than the pile-driving rhythms of R&B. Soul came to describe a number of R&B-based music styles. From the bouncy, catchy acts at Motown to the horn-driven, gritty soul of Stax/Volt, there was an immense amount of diversity within soul. During the first part of the '60s, soul music remained close to its R&B roots. However, musicians pushed the music in different directions; usually, different regions of America produced different kinds of soul. In urban centers like New York, Philadelphia, and Chicago, the music concentrated on vocal interplay and smooth productions. In Detroit, Motown concentrated on creating a pop-oriented sound that was informed equally by gospel, R&B, and rock & roll. In the South, the music became harder and tougher, relying on syncopated rhythms, raw vocals, and blaring horns. All of these styles formed soul, which ruled the black music charts throughout the '60s and also frequently crossed over into the pop charts. At the end of the '60s, soul began to splinter apart, as artists like James Brown and Sly Stone developed funk, and other artists developed slicker forms of soul. Although soul music evolved, it never went away -- not only did the music inform all of the R&B of the '70s, '80s, and '90s, there were always pockets of musicians around the world that kept performing traditional soul. [-] Hide

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Spoken Word records contain poems, stories and sketches as recited by authors and actors, or they're documents of interviews and speeches with historical figures. Frequently, they're enhanced with musical backdrops, but throughout it all, the emphasis remains on the spoken word.

Spoken Word records contain poems, stories and sketches as recited by authors and actors, or they're documents of interviews and speeches with historical figures. Frequently, they're enhanced with musical backdrops, but throughout it all, the emphasis remains on the spoken word. [-] Hide

Marvin Gaye

Rock & Roll is often used as a generic term, but its sound is rarely predictable. From the outset, when the early rockers merged country and blues, rock has been defined by its energy, rebellion and catchy hooks, but as the genre aged, it began to shed those very characteristics, placing equal emphasis on craftmanship and pushing the boundaries of the music. As a result, everything from Chuck Berry's pounding, three-chord rockers and the sweet harmonies of the Beatles to the soulful pleas of... [+] Read More

Rock & Roll is often used as a generic term, but its sound is rarely predictable. From the outset, when the early rockers merged country and blues, rock has been defined by its energy, rebellion and catchy hooks, but as the genre aged, it began to shed those very characteristics, placing equal emphasis on craftmanship and pushing the boundaries of the music. As a result, everything from Chuck Berry's pounding, three-chord rockers and the sweet harmonies of the Beatles to the soulful pleas of Otis Redding and the jarring, atonal white noise of Sonic Youth has been categorized as "rock." That's accurate -- rock & roll had a specific sound and image for only a handful of years. For most of its life, rock has been fragmented, spinning off new styles and variations every few years, from Brill Building Pop and heavy metal to dance-pop and grunge. And that's only natural for a genre that began its life as a fusion of styles. [-] Hide

The Mills Brothers

Vocal music is a term describing classic mainstream American pop performed either by individual singers or vocal groups. Before rock & roll, pop vocalists didn't write their own material, they interpreted songs written by such professional songwriters as Irving Berlin, George Gershwin and Cole Porter. Often, they would sing these songs supported by an orchestra or a swinging big band. During the '30s and '40s, vocalists were the centerpiece of these big bands and such singers as Bing Crosby... [+] Read More

Vocal music is a term describing classic mainstream American pop performed either by individual singers or vocal groups. Before rock & roll, pop vocalists didn't write their own material, they interpreted songs written by such professional songwriters as Irving Berlin, George Gershwin and Cole Porter. Often, they would sing these songs supported by an orchestra or a swinging big band. During the '30s and '40s, vocalists were the centerpiece of these big bands and such singers as Bing Crosby and Frank Sinatra became huge stars, as did such groups as the Andrews Sisters. These vocal groups paved the way for the vocal groups of the '40s and '50s, who sang similar songs in similar styles, but tended toward lighter material. For the remainder of the century, vocalists continued to return to the traditional pop and showtunes for inspiration, and they often built upon the vocal innovations of such singers as Crosby, Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Ella Fitzgerald and Mel Torme. [-] Hide

Wailing Souls

Reggae is a music unique to Jamiaca, but it ironically has its roots in New Orleans R&B. Reggae's direct forefather is ska, an uptempo, rhythmic variation based on the New Orleans R&B Jamaican musicians heard broadcast from the US on their transistor radios. Relying on skittering guitar and syncopated rhythms, ska was their interpretation of R&B and it was quite popular in the early '60s. However, during one very hot summer, it was too hot to either play or dance to ska, so the beat was... [+] Read More

Reggae is a music unique to Jamiaca, but it ironically has its roots in New Orleans R&B. Reggae's direct forefather is ska, an uptempo, rhythmic variation based on the New Orleans R&B Jamaican musicians heard broadcast from the US on their transistor radios. Relying on skittering guitar and syncopated rhythms, ska was their interpretation of R&B and it was quite popular in the early '60s. However, during one very hot summer, it was too hot to either play or dance to ska, so the beat was slowed down and reggae was born. Since then, reggae has proven to be as versatile as the blues, as it lends itself to a number of interpretations, from the melodic rock steady of Alton Ellis and the rock and folk-influenced songwriting of Bob Marley to the trippy, near-psychedelic soundscapes of dub artists like Lee "Scratch" Perry. It has crossed into the mainstream through the bright, bouncy "reggae sunsplash" festivals and pop-oriented bands like UB40, but more adventurous reggae artists, such as Marley and Perry, have influenced countless reggae, folk, rock and dance artists. Their contributions resonate throughout popular music. [-] Hide