I am fine with the basics (e.g. classical vs rock/punk vs pop based on instruments) but there’s loads of other terms that aren’t very intuitive.
What is the difference between “alternate” rock and I guess “regular” rock? What is the difference between rock and punk? What is post-(insert subgenre here, like punk)? What is pop rock (the music subgenre, not the fizzy candy rocks), and how is it different from rock pop? What makes music “progressive”? What on earth are the “blues”? What is the difference between rock, metal, hard metal, heavy metal, etc. aside from an increasing level of angriness and decreasing level of clarity? etc etc
Some people really love labels and defining things clearly can be helpful in certain conversations. Personally I mainly listen to K-Pop which incorporates a bunch of genres and influences, so I think some genres are more like umbrella terms than anything.
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I mean the examples you’ve given all have a bunch of sub genres. K-Pop can sound like common pop, rap, indie, R&B, etc. In my mind that makes them umbrella terms.
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Umbrella term is by definition something that acts as a general category, allowing for broader discussion before diving into the unique specifics of each sub-category - which is essentially what a “genre” is. The question was what do all the sub genres of music mean. My answer was that they’re specific labels which are useful in certain discussions/contexts (music criticism, academia, technical enthusiasts), but they don’t necessarily matter in day to day ordinary life, since the umbrella terms are more than enough.
Don’t feed the trolls. Zelifcam heavily edited their original comment which made your reply look like it was stoking a nonexistent fire.
They also edited the only non-scrubbed comment to add “OP is asking WHY there are genres and sub genres. Not your feelings.” - “why” is literally what my answer + further explanation was all about. Makes no sense. Edit they apparently also already modified that one, lol. It’s wild seeing a troll live in action.
You are answering a question no one is asking. OP specifically talking about what makes genres and sub-genres different. No one is confusing Muddy Waters with Britney Spears. Which is why they are labeled differently.