There is an unlimited amount of music genres in today’s world. But we can pin down the top 10. These are the top 10 music genres by music album consumption in the United States.
1. Hip hop/Rap – 12.01%
Rap has dominated the last decade of music and seems an unstoppable force with the influence of hip hop becoming worldwide. Hip Hop is a musical style using rhythmic and rhyming speech. If you’re looking for more information on Hip Hop, learn more in our in-depth History of Hip-Hop Article!
2. Techno – 10.38%
Techno has also been a dominant genre of music in the last decade. Techno is form of electronic dance music that was created in Detroit in the late 1980s, and ever since has captured the eyes of music listeners around the world.
3. R&B – 10.00%
R & B stands for rhythm & blues and has been vital in shaping today’s culture and combines elements of pop, soul and hip hop to create its own distinct style. R&B has created some of the world’s biggest artists and hits and will continue to be a popular genre of music.
4. Punk – 8.82%
Many people have forgotten about punk, but there is a silent majority of people that are still enjoying the genre. Emerging in the mid-1970s, it was seen as a rebellion to the classic music of the time and spread a cultural teen rebellion feeling.
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Alternative Rock – 7.82%
Built on distorted guitars, alternative rock is a pop style of rock that burst into the mainstream when Nirvana released a single named ‘Nevermind’ which explored the genre. It’s a genre that many people are still indulging in today. The rivarly between Fender Jaguar vs Jazzmaster allows this genre to rage on!
6.House – 7.45%
House Music is a genre of electronic dance music, but with a twist. It has a repetitive, 4/4 beat and usually has 120-130 beats per minute. It was created from music producers in Chicago in the mid-1980s. Since it’s humble beginning in Chicago’s clubs, it has become one of the biggest music genres in the world.
7. Country – 6.54%
Country music has been around for nearly a century, it originated in the Southern United States and takes inspiration from American folk music and blues. It’s a mixture of ballads and dance tunes, using mainly string instruments. If you’re interested in learning more about country music, indulge in our History of Country Music article!
8. Indie Rock – 5.19%
Indie rock is a genre of rock music that was created in the US and the UK in the 1970s. It comes from independent record labels and takes heavy inspiration from Jazz and Punk rock. Indie Rock has made some of the most well-known songs of the 2000’s such as ‘Seven Nation Army’ and still continues to have many talented artists in the genre.
9. Electro – 4.72%
Electro Music is also known these days as ‘EDM’ is an up and coming genre that uses heavy drum machines and funk. It’s a hard-hitting genre made for the clubs, and the culture is eating it up.
10. Latin – 3.77%
Latin Music continues to be a popular genre of music, and Latin music is a term used for Spanish and Portugues speaking music. It is more popular than ever before and will continue to grow with hits such as ‘Despacito’ bringing it to the mainstream media.