List of American Music Genres

America's musical genres reflect its melting pot of diverse ethnic and cultural traditions. The musical genres that have risen to the top of the American scene differ from that of other countries by being an amalgamation of different influences, rather than having a single nationalist identity. Many of these genres have even bled over to create distinctive sub-genres.

Jazz

Jazz is very often referred to America's single greatest contribution to the musical world, but it is also a perfect example of the mingling of musical influences from outside borders. New Orleans jazz began as a combination of traditions learned by slaves from Africa and the Caribbean with French influences from the Cajuns and Creoles from French Canada. The leading instruments are brass horns, drums and bass. Jazz has produced many sub-genres that include swing, Big Band, be-bop and jazz fusion.

Country music is America's other great contribution to the world's music scene. Country music is also a good example of how American musical genres span a dizzying array of influences. The music that can be rightfully described as country has been influenced by African-American spirituals, Appalachian folk and even Hawaiian music in the form of its early dependence on the steel guitar and ukulele. As with jazz, country music also encompasses many different sub-genres that range from country and western to bluegrass to psychobilly.

Rhythm and Blues is more commonly referred to as R&B and it is a particularly slippery genre to describe. R&B can be used to describe music made by everyone from Aretha Franklin to ZZ Top. Pure R&B was notable in the 1930s and 1940s as music with a very loud and tight drum and bass section over which jazz-influenced singers had to practically yell to be heard. This music eventually transformed into soul music in the 1960s as exemplified by Franklin as well as Marvin Gaye and the Supremes. Rhythm and Blues in 2009 is often punctuated with hip-hop influences like rapping and beat-box accompaniment.

Rock music was the predominant American music genre from the 1960s through the 1990s. Rock music is still a vital part of the music scene in the country, but no longer dominates the airwaves or the record charts in the face of rap, country music and tamer pop music. Perhaps no musical genre in American history produced as many different sub-genres and it can even be argued that hip-hop is really just a cross-genre that links rock to R&B. Among the many sub-genres that unquestionably fall under rock--but that also may be subject to other outside influences--are folk rock, punk rock, heavy metal and country rock.