Everything Viyolens publishes on Music Genres — reviews, buying guides and how-tos written for players and producers in the UK.
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Inside Music Genres
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Articles on Music Genres
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A Beginner's Guide to Progressive Rock
Long songs and odd time signatures don't have to be intimidating. Here's the honest, no-nonsense way in.
Classic Rock Subgenres, Explained
One umbrella, several very different sounds: the strands that make up classic rock, why they blur into each other, and where to start with each.
The Best Classical Music Songs Right Now
No charts, no release dates: a mood-based guide to the essential classical pieces that keep turning up in films, adverts and concert halls.
A Beginner's Guide to Pop Music
Pop gets dismissed as "just catchy songs" more than any other genre. Here's how it actually works, and why that's not an insult at all.
The Best Glam Rock Artists to Know
The real glam rock artists who built the genre — and why lumping them all together as 'glitter and platforms' does them a disservice.
The History of Prog Rock
From Pet Sounds to progressive metal: how prog rock actually developed, and why the genre never really had just one sound.
The Best Soul Music Songs Right Now
Older than most people streaming them, and still defining the sound today — these are the soul songs that never really left.
The Best Grunge Artists to Know
Grunge was never one band or one sound. Here's the honest rundown of who actually shaped it, from the household names to the ones history nearly skipped.
A Beginner's Guide to Trance Music
If trance music has ever left you somewhere between dancing and daydreaming, that's the point. Here's what you're actually hearing, explained simply.
Glitch for Newcomers: Where to Start
A patient, in-order listening path for anyone new to glitch — five records, why each one comes where it does, and what to do if a step doesn't click straight away.
Essential Classic Rock Albums Explained
The albums, not just the singles: six essentials, one pick from every subgenre, and honest advice on how to actually listen to them.
The Best Prog Rock Songs Right Now
Timeless, not just of-the-moment: the prog rock songs that still show new listeners exactly why this genre has such staying power.
The Best Classic Rock Artists to Know
No fifty-deep countdown — just the classic rock artists worth your time, grouped by strand, with one record apiece to start with.
The Best Drum and Bass Artists to Know
From Goldie to Andy C, here's a practical map of the drum and bass artists behind every corner of the genre, grouped by what they actually do.
The Best Gregorian Chant Songs Right Now
No weekly chart, no streaming numbers, and honestly that feels right. Here are the essential Gregorian chant pieces genuinely worth knowing.
Afrobeats for Newcomers: Where to Start
A short, deliberately gentle playlist and a proper listening order. No homework, no lyric sheet, just five tracks worth hearing properly.
The Best Bluegrass Artists to Know
Every name here earned its place through decades of playing, not a single hit. Take your time getting to know the essential bluegrass artists properly.
Amapiano Subgenres, Explained
Stop treating this genre as one interchangeable sound. It isn't. Here's the honest map of the different camps sitting underneath the log drum and piano loops.
Blues Music Subgenres, Explained
Call something "blues" and you've told me almost nothing. Here's each subgenre explained straight, no padding.
Essential Highlife Albums Explained
Highlife's golden age ran on singles, not albums. Here's how to build an essential highlife albums collection that's actually honest about that.
A Beginner's Guide to Amapiano
A warm, jazzy piano loop over a deep, breathing bass note that seems to wobble rather than just thump — here's a gentle introduction to amapiano.
The Best Progressive Rock Songs Right Now
A lot of what still matters was recorded fifty years ago, and it's still what a new listener hears first. Here's why that's not a bad thing.
A Beginner's Guide to Afrobeats
Afrobeats and Afrobeat aren't the same thing. Here's the fast, no-nonsense guide to what the genre actually is, how it sounds, and where to go next.
The Best House Music Songs Right Now
Forget rankings. These are the house music tracks that genuinely defined a moment, from Chicago's earliest 12-inches to Disclosure's modern crossover.
