Everything Viyolens publishes on Music Genres — reviews, buying guides and how-tos written for players and producers in the UK.
- 64 topics
- 124 articles
Inside Music Genres
All 64 topicsThe 12 most-searched of 64 topics. The full index is at the foot of the page.
Articles on Music Genres
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The Best Bachata Artists to Know
No hype, just the honest rundown of which bachata artists built the genre, which ones roughed it up, and which ones took it global.
Classical Music Subgenres, Explained
From Baroque to minimalism: a map of the main classical styles, sorted by era, by performing forces, and by twentieth-century departures.
A Beginner's Guide to Flamenco
Cante, toque, baile, compás and palos, explained simply: everything a newcomer needs to make sense of flamenco before diving deeper.
Essential Glitch Albums Explained
Ranked on substance, not novelty: the glitch albums that actually changed what the genre could sound like, from the contested "first" record to the coldest, most precise extreme.
Sea Shanty Subgenres, Explained
Every split in this family exists because a different job on deck needed a different rhythm — here's the real breakdown of sea shanty subgenres.
Essential Reggaeton Albums Explained
The full-length reggaeton albums that go beyond a hit single, from Daddy Yankee's genre-breaking Barrio Fino to Karol G's very current Mañana Será Bonito.
Reggaeton for Newcomers: Where to Start
A low-pressure starting guide for anyone new to reggaeton — no Spanish, no history and no prior knowledge required, just a sensible listening order.
Essential Punk Rock Albums Explained
The records that built punk rock's reputation, explained one album at a time.
A Beginner's Guide to Classical Music
Classical music explained from the ground up: what the term really means, the periods and forms worth knowing, and six things to listen for in any piece.
A Beginner's Guide to Rocksteady
Slow bass, offbeat chords and close harmony singing: here's what rocksteady actually is, broken down step by step for anyone hearing the word for the first time.
Erhu Explained: Features, Types and Tips
The erhu is China's best-known bowed instrument — a two-stringed, fingerboard-free fiddle with a voice closer to singing than playing. Here's how it's built and why it sounds the way it does.
Essential Americana Albums Explained
Not a chart, just the records that keep getting handed down between fans and musicians because they still hold up on a tenth listen.
The Best Punk Rock Songs Right Now
The songs that mattered at the time and the ones that still stop you in your tracks today — the essential punk rock tracks, explained.
The Best Glitch Artists to Know
No padding, no filler names. Here's the honest rundown of who actually built glitch, from the pioneer nobody credits enough to the ones still pushing it forward.
The Best Classical Music Artists to Know
A working shortlist of essential classical composers, from Baroque trailblazers to modern figures and names standard lists too often leave out.
The Best Americana Artists to Know
The fastest way into Americana is through the people who write and sing it. Here are the essential names, grouped by era, with where to start listening.
The Best Soundtrack Songs Right Now
A shark fin, a rainy Manchester street, a boxer on the steps — the soundtrack tracks so fused to their scenes they never really left.
The Best Flamenco Artists to Know
The guitarists, singers and dancers most flamenco fans agree matter most, with a quick-reference table and where to hear each one.
Flamenco Subgenres, Explained
A plain-English map of flamenco's subgenres, or palos, from the gentle entry points to the ones worth saving for later.
The Best Americana Songs Right Now
Forget the news cycle - these are the Americana songs that keep turning up on other people's playlists and still land on the first listen.
The Best Bachata Songs Right Now
Not a chart snapshot: the bachata songs that marked real turning points and still matter, wedding after wedding, DJ set after DJ set.
The Best Soundtrack Artists to Know
No padding, no guesswork — just the composers who genuinely built this genre, from the old Hollywood guard to today's hybrid hitmakers.
The Ultimate Guide to Banjo
The banjo's true history, the difference between five-string and tenor, open-back and resonator, and how to choose your first instrument by the music you want to play.
A Beginner's Guide to Grunge
What the sound actually is, where it came from, and why it mattered — the fast, no-nonsense version for anyone starting from zero.
