The Best Reggae, Rock, Jazz, Pop, Classical, and Country

Find the best music for any mood or moment with our comprehensive list of the top reggae, rock, jazz, pop, classical, and country songs.

Reggae

Reggae is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, “Do the Reggay” was the first popular song to use the word “reggae”, effectively naming the genre and introducing it to a global audience. While sometimes used in a broad sense to refer to most types of popular Jamaican music, the term reggae more properly denotes a particular music style that originated following on the development of ska and rocksteady. Reggae is based on a rhythmic style characterized by regular chops on the off-beat, sometimes referred to as the skank.

Rock

Rock is a genre of popular music that originated in the United States, England, and Australia in the 1950s. The terms “popular music” and “rock music” are often used interchangeably, although rock covers a wider range of styles than popular music. Rock is a form of popular music that developed from various genres, including blues, country, gospel, and rhythm and blues.

Rock began to emerge as a distinct genre of popular music in the 1950s, with artists such as Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, and Little Richard. In the 1960s, British bands such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones became internationally successful. In the 1970s, punk rock developed in response to the perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock. In the 1980s, alternative rock became popular with audiences fed up with the restrictions of mainstream pop and rock radio formats.

In the 1990s and 2000s, rock music continued to evolve with bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam leading the way in grunge rock; Radiohead and Muse innovating within alternative rock; and Foo Fighters and Queens of Stone Age experimenting with post-grunge and stoner rock respectively.

Jazz

Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, United States. It developed from roots in blues and ragtime. Jazz is seen by many as “America’s classical music”. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, jazz has become recognized as a major form of musical expression. It then emerged in the form of independent traditional and popular musical styles, all linked by the common bonds of African-American and European-American musical parentage with a performance orientation. Jazz is characterized by swing and blue notes, call and response vocals, polyrhythms and improvisation. Jazz has roots in West African cultural and musical expression, and in African-American music traditions including blues and ragtime, as well as European military band music. Intellectuals around the world have hailed jazz as “one of America’s original art forms”.

Jazz is a difficult genre to define because it encompasses such a wide range of music from so many different cultures and influences. In its simplest form, jazz is improvised music based on the blues. But even this basic definition leaves out many important elements that make jazz what it is. syncopation, improvisation, swing,call-and-response are just a few of the elements that make jazz unique.

Pop

Pop music is a genre of popular music that originated in its modern form in the United States and United Kingdom during the mid-1950s. The terms “popular music” and “pop music” are often used interchangeably, although the former describes all music that is popular and includes many diverse styles. “Pop” and “rock” were synonymous terms until the late 1960s, when they became increasingly differentiated from each other.

Typically, pop music is catchy and easy to remember, due to its heavy repetition of hooks and melodies. It is usually produced for mass consumption and appeal to a wide range of listeners. Pop music often contains elements of other genres, such as rock, hip-hop, dance, or country.

There have been a number of pop stars who have achieved worldwide fame, such as Michael Jackson, Madonna, Prince, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, and Justin Bieber.

Classical

Classical music is often considered to be one of the most refined and sophisticated genres of music. It covers a wide range of styles, from the early Baroque period to the modern Classical period. Classical music is characterized by its complex harmonies, intricate melodies, and counterpoint. It is often compared to other genres such as jazz and pop because of its similar use of instrumentalists and vocalists.

Country

Whether you’re a fan of old-school country or contemporary hits, there’s no denying that country music is one of the most popular genres in the world. While the sound of country has evolved over the years, the core elements remain the same: guitars, banjos, fiddles, and heart-wrenching lyrics about love, loss, and life in the American heartland.

Some of the most famous country artists include Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, George Strait, and Garth Brooks. But there are dozens of talented country artists making great music today, including Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, Florida Georgia Line, and Little Big Town. Whether you prefer your country twangy or smooth, there’s a artist out there making music you’ll love.