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
Does it play on the oldies station? Then it’s an oldie.
Does it play on the rock station? Then it’s rock.
Does it play on the pop station, and sound like the most manufactured, fake, and passionless bullshit you ever heard? Then it is most definitely pop music.
My local rock station started playing what is clearly pop music a couple of years ago. I think they still call themselves a rock station.
Pop Rock is a thing. Or was a thing, once. 🤷♂️
I can tune to the oldies station these days and hear Linkin Park. 😭
Trust me, I’m not talking about tracks that could reasonably be called “pop rock”. They were already playing pop rock all the time anyway, there’s a local group in that style that is (or was) so popular nationally that rappers from other cities were making fun of them.
I don’t think we have those kinds of oldie stations yet, oldies are for the 70+ generations here and they don’t want to listen to any rock music that’s fresher than Elvis Ü