Rock music, a genre that has soundtracked generations and continuously reinvents itself, holds a special place in the hearts of music lovers globally. From its rebellious roots to its contemporary evolutions, rock’s enduring appeal lies in its dynamism and vast spectrum of subgenres. But what exactly is rock music in this sprawling landscape of sound? While pinpointing a singular definition can be challenging, especially when comparing it to more rigidly defined genres, the beauty of rock lies in its subgenres. As fans, we naturally gravitate towards deeper dives, moving beyond the broad label to explore the nuanced flavors within. It’s not enough to simply say “I love rock”; we seek specificity – “I’m a punk rock devotee,” or “goth rock resonates with me,” and so on.
These sub-classifications can become incredibly granular, yet today, our aim is to chart a comprehensive course through the major rock subgenres, staying within the generally accepted boundaries of “rock.” We won’t be venturing into metal’s labyrinthine sub-categories—that’s a journey for another time (and you can explore our dedicated Metal Subgenres blog for that!). Here, we’ll navigate from the foundational sounds of Indie rock to the atmospheric expanses of post-rock, offering a detailed guide to the rich tapestry of rock music.
How intensely do you rock? Let’s find out as we delve into the fascinating Types Of Rock Music.
A guitarist playing a semi-hollow electric guitar, embodying the versatility found across rock subgenres
Contents
Rock Music: The Blurring Genre Lines
Classic Rock
Classic Rock is essentially what was simply known as “rock music” in its earlier days. A time when music felt perhaps less compartmentalized, it was an era where salutations were given to those about to rock, and levees were metaphorically broken by sound. This is the realm of powerful riffs, soaring guitar solos, and unforgettable melodies. Classic rock embodies bravado, swagger, and often, a healthy dose of stage theatrics. Think of it as loud, driving rhythms meeting heroic guitar work, fronted by singers with voices as impactful as precious metals.
Bands that immediately spring to mind are the titans of the genre: Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, Queen, Aerosmith, and Deep Purple. These are acts synonymous with the very definition of rock for many.
It’s interesting to note how perceptions of “heavy” have shifted over time. What was once considered intensely heavy is now often categorized as classic rock. Led Zeppelin and AC/DC, for instance, were at points described as heavy metal—a label that feels somewhat misapplied today. They undoubtedly rock hard, but perhaps not with the sonic weight now associated with metal. It’s a subtle but significant distinction.
Consider Black Sabbath, for example. While undeniably influential, many would argue they reside firmly within the metal camp, rather than classic rock. Do you agree? This illustrates the evolving and often debated boundaries even within foundational rock genres.
Pop Rock
Pop Rock is where the infectiousness of pop melody meets the energy of rock instrumentation. Imagine pop songwriting sensibilities infused with crunching guitars and, depending on the era, perhaps even a guitar solo. Bon Jovi stands as a quintessential example of pop rock, along with many artists who followed in their stadium-filling footsteps. These songs often morph into anthems, characterized by sky-reaching choruses, hooks that burrow deep into your consciousness, and an immediate accessibility.
Avril Lavigne, despite sometimes flirting with punk aesthetics, is another prime example of pop-rock. Her undeniably catchy tunes and broad appeal firmly place her within this genre, echoing the late 90s and early 2000s pop-rock sound, just as Bon Jovi defined it in the mid-80s with hits like Livin’ on a Prayer.
Looking back to the golden age of the 70s, Boston’s More Than A Feeling emerges as a landmark pop rock track. It rocks with conviction, yet its universally singable melody and pervasive radio presence cement its pop appeal. These are massive tunes designed for mass consumption and enjoyment.
Soft Rock
Think Heart, Fleetwood Mac, Squeeze, and bands who project a rock star image on stage but wouldn’t cause parental anxieties – you’ve entered the realm of Soft Rock. These artists aim for the rock band aesthetic but perhaps with a more polite, less confrontational approach.
Soft rock, while sharing some DNA with pop rock, carves out its own distinct space. Pop rock can indeed rock quite intensely (think Foo Fighters), but its “pop” element stems from its easily digestible melodies and tempo. Soft rock often operates at a slightly lower intensity, prioritizing smooth arrangements and melodic sophistication over immediate impact, though this is artist-dependent (consider the more guitar-driven Wishbone Ash as a counterpoint). “AOR,” standing for Album-Oriented Rock, is often considered a sub-category of soft rock. This is where you’d categorize bands like Toto: polished, pleasant, and lacking any sharp edges.
The “soft” element can permeate other genres too. Travis and Coldplay, for example, while rooted in indie rock, lean heavily into soft rock territory with their gentle soundscapes. “Soft” isn’t inherently negative, but it does represent a move away from the more aggressive core tenets of rock.
Interestingly, you could easily categorize The Eagles as soft rock, despite their “rock star” lifestyles. But were they also pioneers of folk rock? Let’s explore that next.
Folk Rock
Did Bob Dylan invent folk rock the moment he plugged in his electric guitar, or was the genre already gestating? Dylan’s rebellious spirit, regardless of his instrumentation, arguably made him a folk rock icon. Folk rock emerged as a vibrant scene with multiple epicenters in the US. While Greenwich Village in New York remained the bastion of acoustic, unplugged folk, Laurel Canyon in Los Angeles became the crucible where folk songwriting met the electric palette of blues and psychedelic rock. This fusion resulted in a distinct “folky” shade of classic rock, exemplified by Joni Mitchell, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (CSN&Y), Jackson Browne, and numerous other singer-songwriters armed with Martin acoustics. This scene, initially defined by raw authenticity, gradually evolved into a more polished and commercial sound, but the early period remains a landmark of musical innovation.
The Eagles emerged from this fertile scene, but arguably, The Band, composed primarily of Canadian musicians, were the true architects of the folk rock sound. They were genuine innovators, and famously, it was The Band who backed Dylan onstage when he was infamously labeled “Judas” for daring to play a Stratocaster!
The UK also cultivated a significant folk rock scene, particularly influential in its own right. Fairport Convention and Pentangle were among the pioneers of the “Canterbury Scene,” which progressively branched out into more progressive and psychedelic directions, demonstrating folk rock’s inherent capacity for evolution.
Psychedelic Rock
Emerging from the folk rock movement, psychedelic rock, and later progressive rock, became the havens for musicians with more esoteric leanings. From the Canterbury folk scene in England to the Haight-Ashbury hippie scene in San Francisco and even the bohemian enclave of Deia in Majorca, musicians seeking less conventional paths blended folk influences with the electric experimentation of Jimi Hendrix and the mind-expanding explorations of psychedelics, embarking on sonic journeys through inner and outer space.
Psychedelic rock boasts a strong lineage in the UK, distinctly separate from the celebrated Californian scene. Musicians who gravitated towards “free festivals” in places like Stonehenge fostered a unique musical heritage, giving rise to bands like Hawkwind, Crass, Gong, and Ozric Tentacles. This UK psychedelic scene often leaned into space rock and experimental territories.
In America, the psychedelic landscape included bands like Love, The Doors, and Jefferson Airplane. This initial wave of psychedelia, navigating cultural shifts and societal changes, eventually paved the way for a resurgence decades later with bands like The Mars Volta, demonstrating the genre’s enduring capacity for reinvention and its ongoing appeal to artists pushing sonic boundaries.
Glam Rock
Glam Rock is as much a visual spectacle as it is a sonic genre. Simply say “glam rock,” and try to resist conjuring images of Ziggy Stardust, Marc Bolan draped in satin and glitter, or Brian Ferry adorned with a feather boa! It’s a flamboyant, subversive commentary on the macho posturing of 70s “rock gods,” while simultaneously celebrating and exaggerating those very clichés.
Glam rock also possesses a distinctive sound. It’s a sound as readily found in the Rocky Horror Picture Show soundtrack as it is on David Bowie’s Aladdin Sane album. The guitars are often deliberately scuzzy, pianos are prominent, and the overall sonic aesthetic is liberally sprinkled with glitter – both literally and figuratively. Decadent, ornamental, and reveling in melodrama, glam rock intentionally challenged cultural norms around gender and sexuality. It’s a sound and a vibe that resists easy categorization within time, never quite sounding “current” yet never truly aging, existing perpetually in a realm of fabulous “otherness.”
Hard Rock
When does rock become too intense for “classic rock” but not quite reach the threshold of metal? It’s a pertinent question, and a good example to consider might be Guns N’ Roses—at least in their initial explosion onto the scene. Because rock music, in general, owes a massive debt to the blues (more on that shortly), it’s valid to categorize bands like Gn’R as both “blues rock” and “classic rock.” However, they undeniably amplify the intensity beyond bands like Aerosmith, hence the “Hard Rock” designation.
Context is paramount. Grunge, discussed further below, is essentially hard rock confined to a specific geographic location and timeframe. Stone Temple Pilots, hailing from San Diego, could be considered a definitive hard rock band, even if their location might exclude them from true “grunge” status in the eyes of genre purists. They undeniably rock harder than bands like Boston, solidifying the “hard rock” label.
Hard rock can be elusive to definitively isolate from other genres. Led Zeppelin are hard rock, but also undeniably classic rock. The same applies to Van Halen. A useful rule of thumb is that if it’s pushing the boundaries of heaviness without quite crossing into “metal territory,” much of the music within this broader list of subgenres could comfortably be labeled “hard rock.” So, for now, let’s stick with Slash and Axl as prime examples!
Blues Rock
Blues Rock emerged when electrified blues music gained widespread popularity and began to be emulated by musicians across the globe. While the blues is fundamentally an American tradition (with roots in African musical forms), blues rock arguably found its earliest masters in the British “Invasion” of the 1960s before being re-adopted and further developed by American musicians.
An archetypal blues rock band is undoubtedly The Rolling Stones. They were instrumental in developing this hybrid genre alongside figures like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Paul Kossoff. However, The Stones’ enduring longevity and consistent output solidified blues rock as a universally understood musical language.
Today, there’s a seemingly endless procession of blues rock artists, predominantly white males who sing and play guitar. Many revered guitarists fall squarely within this idiom, from Eric Clapton and Gary Moore to Joe Bonamassa and Stevie Ray Vaughan. The relatively accessible musical structure of the blues form makes it a popular foundation for guitarists to personalize and build upon, contributing to its enduring popularity as a style.
Southern Rock
Southern Rock, in contemporary terms, describes a flavor of classic rock profoundly inspired by Lynyrd Skynyrd and The Allman Brothers Band. It evokes a specific regional and cultural identity.
You can often visually identify a Southern rock band instantly, so ingrained is the associated image: long hair, beards, cowboy hats, and cowboy boots. Essentially, these bands often adopt the full “cowboy” aesthetic, but more in the style of cowboys who frequent biker bars and play pool rather than herd cattle on horseback.
Musically, Southern rock is deeply rooted in the blues and often features extended instrumental sections, showcasing guitar and frequently keyboard/organ solos. It’s rock music emanating from the Southern states of the USA, and regional accents in vocals are almost essential for perceived authenticity. An unspoken rule often dictates that the musical influences should predate the 1980s, favoring guitars reminiscent of the British Invasion and keyboards limited to organs. Any hint of modern computer-based instrumentation is generally eschewed.
The rhythms are typically straightforward but designed for dancing, and while country music influences are sometimes present, they are often more implied through vocal delivery (and stage attire) than overt instrumentation. You could say that Southern Rock exists adjacent to Americana, a genre that itself bridges country, bluegrass, and folk influences.
Prog Rock
Prog Rock, short for “Progressive” rock, is a label that accurately describes the genre’s ambition, yet paradoxically, many artists historically associated with it have shied away from the term. In the 1970s, bands like Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Genesis, and Yes defined prog with their expansive, often conceptual works that fused rock instrumentation with elements of jazz and classical music, creating sonic landscapes that evoked fantastical worlds and cosmic voyages.
Prog albums frequently featured only a handful of tracks, sometimes as few as three for an entire album, with songs often structured into “movements,” each possessing its distinct sound and thematic development. Eventually, this grandiosity was perceived by some as excessive, and the arrival of punk rock dramatically and decisively curtailed the era of extended Moog solos and elaborate stage costumes.
Since then, bands like Marillion and Porcupine Tree have revitalized and reimagined the genre, inspiring new generations of prog artists who incorporate diverse influences. However, the core tenet of prog remains: the creation of large-scale, extended musical suites that “progress” through varied sonic territories and thematic ideas.
Punk Rock
Punk was a seismic event in modern music history. In a burst of raw energy and defiant intent, punk swept away the perceived gatekeepers of technically complex and elaborate music (from Led Zeppelin to Yes, and all bands in between). It democratized music creation, demonstrating that anyone could form a rock band—especially if you were under 23, angry, and ideally possessed a London accent.
Punk was undeniably a pivotal and galvanizing force. While the British punk scene, spearheaded by the Sex Pistols and The Clash, often dominates the narrative, it’s important to acknowledge that bands like the Ramones and the New York Dolls in the US were not only precursors but arguably more subversive in their message and delivery.
Punk’s core ethos was a declaration of independence: “We’re doing things our way, and if you don’t like it, tough!” Like all cultural movements, punk inevitably became commodified, attracting imitators and those who missed the original point. However, the initial spark remains eternally inspiring, and the artists who truly grasped punk’s revolutionary spirit went on to shape the New Wave scene that immediately followed in London, New York, and beyond.
Post-Punk/New Wave
Punk was a transformative moment, but Post-punk and New Wave were the periods that followed, arguably leaving an even more profound and lasting musical legacy.
Again, we see a transatlantic dialogue, with every Talking Heads or Devo in the US mirrored by a Killing Joke or Joy Division in the UK. The early 1980s proved to be an incredibly fertile period for bands emerging from punk’s ashes, and wonderfully, they diverged into a multitude of unique directions.
Post-Punk, similar to the closely related Goth rock subgenre, often embraced a danceable element, characterized by angular rhythms and “motorik” beats. Gone were the prominent guitar riffs and solos of earlier rock; instead, the focus shifted to prominent basslines, atmospheric textures, and sonic collages—both inspired by and reacting against punk’s raw simplicity. Bridging the gap between punk and early indie, post-punk/New Wave was a movement shaped by artists and fashion innovators as much as by musicians. Think Blondie, New Order, The Chameleons, and countless others – it’s punk’s spirit channeled with greater ambition and the occasional synthesizer flourish.
Goth Rock
Goth Rock is intriguing because while the stereotypical “goth” image is instantly recognizable—black clothing, dramatic makeup, dyed black hair, and an aura of melancholic romanticism—pinpointing a definitive “goth rock sound” is surprisingly elusive. While numerous bands are beloved within the goth scene, they don’t necessarily share a uniform sonic identity. It could be argued that “goth music” is essentially “alternative rock” from the immediate post-punk era. Consider this list:
- The Cure
- Bauhaus
- Joy Division
- Siouxsie and the Banshees
- Dead Can Dance
- Sisters of Mercy
As you can see, there’s no singular sonic thread connecting them, beyond perhaps a shared embrace of darker visual aesthetics and lyrical themes. One might argue for a more dance-oriented rhythmic sensibility compared to 70s rock, and a diminished emphasis on overt machismo. Ultimately, goth rock seems to be more defined by a subculture and a scene than by a rigidly defined sound. Nevertheless, each band on that list is undeniably brilliant. So, perhaps it’s time to reapply your eyeliner and return to the dance floor?
Indie Rock
Indie Rock carries different connotations depending on geographical location and the specific era in question.
Indie rock, as a recognizable genre, largely solidified in the 1980s. In the US, bands like R.E.M. and Sonic Youth gained traction through the burgeoning college radio scene. These were literally radio stations based at colleges and universities, catering to a younger, more discerning audience with music that was often local and unsigned. This is where “Indie” derived its name – Independent, signifying independence from major record labels.
In the UK, the independent music press championed bands like The Smiths, who shared R.E.M.’s retro-jangly guitar sound and a similar rejection of the “rock dinosaur” clichés of the 1970s.
Indie has since branched into countless permutations, but a unifying factor remains: a more self-consciously “literate” lyrical perspective, often focusing on personal relationships and emotional complexities rather than the more overtly physical themes sometimes found in classic rock.
Britpop
Britpop was a phenomenon that dominated UK music headlines for about half a decade in the mid-1990s, fueled by largely manufactured rivalries between Blur, Oasis, Suede, Elastica, and other media-savvy indie bands.
The Britpop scene was a nostalgic reimagining of a semi-mythical “Swinging London” of the 1960s, updated for a 90s generation already familiar with The Smiths and The Stone Roses.
Bands sported Monkees-esque hairstyles, professed adoration for The Kinks, and dressed as if they were time-traveling shoppers from Carnaby Street. Numerous genuinely talented bands were swept up in this cultural whirlwind simply by existing at the right time (Pulp, Suede, Longpigs, Super Furry Animals, etc.). Some bands arguably benefited more from embodying the “look” than possessing standout songs (Menswear, Heavy Stereo). Regardless, Britpop undeniably left a significant mark, not just in the UK but globally.
Math Rock
Math Rock, a term that can be off-putting to some, is essentially an indie-influenced take on the more intricate aspects of progressive rock, recontextualized for a post-Nirvana musical landscape.
Math rock is characterized by its focus on polyrhythms, unusual time signatures, and complex musical patterns. These elements are not merely ornamental but become central to the music’s identity. The genre’s indie sensibility tends to steer math rock away from traditional rock posturing, often replacing it with a more self-aware, almost ironic sense of musical ego. It’s generally less sprawling than prog and often more concise. Vocals may or may not be present, but virtuosic displays of intentionally complex technique are always a key ingredient. Slint, Don Caballero, and Fall of Troy are major touchstones within the math rock genre.
Grunge
If punk dramatically dismantled the excesses of 70s rock and prog, grunge performed a similar demolition on hair metal and the perceived blandness of AOR soft rock. Emerging from Seattle in the late 1980s, grunge injected angst and darkness into a brand of rock that fused 70s hard rock riffing with 80s DIY indie sensibilities, dominating guitar music for a substantial half-decade.
Themes of heroin addiction, the ever-present Seattle rain, and a general sense of hopelessness were deeply embedded in the so-called “Seattle sound.” This raw, authentic aesthetic made bands like Skid Row and Poison appear instantly outdated and almost comical in their artifice.
Nirvana is often cited as the grunge band, primarily due to their massive mainstream success. However, they arguably aren’t the most representative example of the “Seattle sound.” Their sound was actually quite streamlined and direct, lacking some of the more distinctive grunge hallmarks found in other titans of the genre.
So, who are the definitive grunge bands? Consider these:
- Alice in Chains
- Pearl Jam
- Soundgarden
- Mother Love Bone
- Mudhoney
In the wake of grunge’s explosion, a wave of less distinguished “post-grunge” bands emerged (Bush, Candlebox, etc.) before a general return to more palatable sounds with bands like Counting Crows and Dave Matthews Band. These, in turn, were eventually displaced by the rise of nu-metal—but that’s a story for another exploration!
Shoegaze
Shoegaze is an offshoot of indie rock that places an even greater emphasis on effects-laden guitars, often creating washes of sound and texture. The genre’s name originates from the performers’ tendency to spend gigs focused on their pedalboards, “gazing at their shoes” rather than engaging with the audience. Shoegaze can be seen as existing at the intersection of indie and post-rock. My Bloody Valentine’s Loveless is widely considered the quintessential shoegaze album. It’s a landmark of sonic texture, demonstrating how a fuzzed-out, out-of-tune Fender guitar can sound surprisingly ethereal and graceful.
Industrial
Industrial music is a broad and often contested term. It’s used to describe everything from ultra-avant-garde experimental soundscapes to any rock music incorporating samples or drum machines. There’s industrial metal, exemplified by bands like Ministry and artists on the Wax Trax! record label, and then there’s “Industrial” (capital “I”), often denoting the groundbreaking and often unsettling music pioneered by Throbbing Gristle and further developed by acts like Coil.
Industrial rock, therefore, can be seen as the intersection of these worlds. It’s music that retains elements recognizably “rock” – guitars, bass, drums – but also incorporates “other” sonic elements. The use of samplers, sequencers, “found sounds,” and drum machines creates an entirely new and often unsettling context for traditional rock instrumentation.
While debates about what truly constitutes “industrial” will likely continue endlessly, Nine Inch Nails is an obvious and widely accepted example of “industrial rock.” They are commercially successful, but that’s almost secondary to their sonic impact. NIN effectively blends synth music, industrial, rock, and sometimes metal elements, creating a powerfully influential and undeniably popular sound.
But are they also goth? (The genre lines continue to blur…)
Post Rock
Post Rock is, admittedly, a somewhat misleading name, as it’s clearly not “post” rock in the sense of being beyond rock music altogether. The term is meant to convey a rejection of the perceived clichés and posturing of classic rock, as well as a similar avoidance of the tropes associated with metal.
Post rock achieves this while still utilizing heavily distorted electric guitars, basses, and drum kits—it is still definitively “rock” music. However, the song structures often lean towards symphonic forms, with repetitive layers building to intense, often cathartic crescendos. Songs can reach prog-like lengths, but the emphasis is on ensemble playing and a collective pursuit of focused yet relatively simple musical ideas.
Post rock may be experiencing a period of relative quiet in the mainstream, but there will always be musicians and listeners drawn to largely instrumental music played with the intensity of rock instrumentation but with the dynamics and scope of orchestral arrangements. For prime examples of post rock, explore Explosions in the Sky and Godspeed You! Black Emperor.
Emo
What distinguishes Emo music from punk rock or pop-rock with a different fashion sensibility?
Well, that depends on where you trace its origins. “Emo” has long been associated with a somewhat reductive stereotype: the eyeliner-wearing, dyed-black-haired teenager publicly lamenting their privileged middle-class existence. However, this image obscures emo’s original roots.
Emo initially emerged as an offshoot of the mid-1980s Washington DC hardcore punk scene. Bands like Rites of Spring and Embrace (not the later Britpop band) labeled their music “emotional hardcore” or “emocore.” This early emo focused more directly on themes of social alienation, disillusionment with societal structures, and a general sense of misanthropy. In its early form, it was genuinely raw and emotionally charged, before the mainstream popularity of bands like Jimmy Eat World and Jawbreaker led to the “emo” label becoming associated with perceived whininess and self-indulgence.
The emo scene reached its commercial peak with massive bands like Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance, who both defined and significantly diversified the “emo sound.” Sonically, emo retains strong ties to punk and hardcore, but it’s the thematic focus on intensely personal and often melancholic emotions that primarily defines emo’s core identity, both in its origins and its later, more commercially successful forms. The fashion and broader public perception came somewhat later in its evolution.
Rock Music: The Blurring Genre Lines
So, that concludes a survey of many rock subgenres, without delving into metal or fusion, and avoiding overly granular sub-sub-genre classifications.
Have we missed any significant categories? Perhaps “pub rock” deserved a mention? (Though, arguably not). And “baggy” music? (Perhaps a bit too niche).
Hopefully, this journey through the rock-opera (and yes, “Rock Musical” could be another category entirely!) has been informative and enjoyable. If you disagree with certain definitions, hopefully, the reasoning behind them is understandable. The boundaries between these classifications are undeniably fluid, and many bands, as we’ve seen, comfortably exist within multiple genres.
Remember to explore the Metal Subgenres blog for a deeper dive into heavier sounds. Ultimately, don’t get too preoccupied with rigid genre labels. In the end, there are really only two genres that truly matter: good music and bad music.
