How do you tell the difference between music genres?

Question

Edit: Totally redone since people seem to think I’m completely stupid or something.

How do you tell the difference between closely related genres? For example, I saw an artist listed as “pop, bubblegum pop, indie pop, pop punk, electropop” and I don’t understand how those are all different genres. Or you have rock, punk rock, grunge rock, and alternative rock. Like what themes or instruments or whatever defines these genres and makes them not the same as all the others?

In: Other

Answer 1

First of all, the most fundamental classification – and in fact the only distinction that matters – is between (a) music you like, and (b) music you don’t like. All the rest is just details.

Secondly, you will notice that there are pieces of music which have something in common – like it’s all played by a big orchestra with violins and cellos versus the other one has heavily distorted electric guitars and a drummer on steroids… it makes sense to put them into different categories and give those categories names (in that case, “classical music” and “heavy metal”).

But sometimes the differences are a lot more subtle: there are bands (and fans) who like to combine their guitars and drums with a rather operatic singing style, and others who think growling is the only way to go. Some like straight 4/4 beats, others think their message comes across best in 17/20 time, etc.

This led to a helluva lot of different, often very specific style names. But tell you what: if you don’t recognise them immediately, it doesn’t really matter. What matters is: do you like the song or not.