The 100 Most Popular Rock Music Genres, Ranked
1Alternative Rock
Popular artists: Beck, Weezer, R.E.M., Foo Fighters, The Cure, Muse, The Smashing Pumpkins, Oasis, Pixies, The Smiths
2Heavy Metal
Popular artists: Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, Iron Maiden, Pantera, Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Led Zeppelin, Slipknot, Deep Purple
3Grunge
Popular artists: Nirvana, Hole, Stone Temple Pilots, The Smashing Pumpkins, Alice in Chains, Everclear, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Melvins, L7
4Progressive Rock
Popular artists: Rush, Dream Theater, Soft Machine, Porcupine Tree, Kansas, Gong, Supertramp, Spock's Beard, Roger Waters, The Nice
5Blues Rock
Popular aritsts: Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Rolling Stones, ZZ Top, The Allman Brothers Band, The Black Keys, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Muddy Waters, Gary Clark Jr.
6Punk Rock
Popular artists: Dead Kennedys, The Clash, Ramones, Misfits, Black Flag, The Stooges, Bad Religion, Bad Brains, Rancid, NOFX
7Glam Rock
Popular artists: David Bowie, Alice Cooper, Queen, Slade, Sweet, Motley Crue, Poison, The Darkness, Quiet Riot, Def Leppard
8Psychedelic Rock
Popular artists: Tame Impala, The Doors, Grateful Dead, The 13th Floor Elevators, The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Cream, Love, The Byrds, Iron Butterfly, Captain Beefheart & His Magic Band
9Arena Rock
Popular artists: Journey, Queen, Styx, Europe, Boston, Foreigner, Bon Jovi, Kansas, Night Ranger, Survivor
10Acid Rock
Popular artists: Grateful Dead, The Doors, Pink Floyd, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, Iron Butterfly, Blue Cheer, Steppenwolf, The Seeds, Grace Slick
11Alternative Metal
Popular artists: Tool, Korn, Alice in Chains, System of a Down, Deftones, A Perfect Circle, Disturbed, Avenged Sevenfold, Stone Sour, Three Days Grace
12New Wave
Popular artists: The B-52's, The Human League, Blondie, The Police, Elvis Costello, The Cars, INXS, Culture Club, The Pretenders, Simple Minds
13Garage Rock
Popular artists: The White Stripes, The Sonics, MC5, Black Lips, The Kingsmen, The Raconteurs, The Kinks, The Kills, Kings of Leon, FIDLAR
14Art Rock
Popular artists: Genesis, Kate Bush, Yes, The Moody Blues, Brian Eno, Electric Light Orchestra, Greg Lake, The Who, Talking Heads, Lou Reed
15Folk Rock
Popular artists: Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Simon & Garfunkel, The Byrds, The Lumineers, Mumford & Sons, Paul Simon, James Taylor, Cat Stevens, Jethro Tull
16Soft Rock
Popular artists: Billy Joel, Air Supply, Hall & Oates, Chicago, Elton John, Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, Phil Collins, Rod Stewart, Carpenters
17Hair Metal
Popular artists: Whitesnake, Poison, Guns N' Roses, Mötley Crüe, Ratt, Quiet Riot, Warrant, Dokken, Skid Row, Van Halen
18Indie Rock
Popular artists: Arcade Fire, Arctic Monkeys, Vampire Weekend, Modest Mouse, The Strokes, Death Cab for Cutie, The Shins, Sonic Youth, The National, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
19Pop Punk
Popular artists: Green Day, blink-182, Sum 41, Paramore, New Found Glory, Jimmy Eat World, Yellowcard, All Time Low, Taking Back Sunday, The Offspring
20Roots Rock
Popular artists: John Fogerty, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Ry Cooder, Los Lobos, Dire Straits, Tom Petty, Wilco, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Chris Isaak, The Doobie Brothers
21Funk Rock
Popular artists: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Living Colour, George Clinton, Faith No More, Primus, Lenny Kravitz, Wild Cherry, Bootsy Collins, Dan Reed Network, Grand Funk Railroad
22Gothic Rock
Popular artists: The Cure, The Sisters of Mercy, Christian Death, Bauhaus, Joy Division, The Cult, The Mission, London After Midnight, Play Dead, The Damned
23New Wave of British Heavy Metal
Popular artists: Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Saxon, Satan, Angel Witch, Witchfinder General, Savage, Cloven Hoof, Blitzkrieg, Raven
24Nu Metal
Popular artists: Disturbed, System of a Down, Mudvayne, Static-X, Sevendust, Staind, Godsmack, Marilyn Manson, Evanescence, Taproot
25Electronic Rock
Popular artists: Depeche Mode, Nine Inch Nails, Kraftwerk, Devo, Garbage, Starset, Pendulum, The Prodigy, Ratatat, The Killers
26Surf Rock
Popular artists: The Beach Boys, The Ventures, Dick Dale, The Surfaris, The Bel-Airs, The Lively Ones, Brian Wilson, The Challengers, The Atlantics, The Trashmen
27Experimental Rock
Popular artists: David Bowie, Death Grips, Tom Waits, Björk, Frank Zappa, Throbbing Gristle, Swans, Portishead, The Residents, Nurse with Wound
28Britpop
Popular artists: Oasis, Pulp, Blur, Radiohead, Suede, The Stone Roses, Supergrass, Coldplay, Placebo, Cast
29Synthpop
Popular artists: Pet Shop Boys, New Order, A-ha, Duran Duran, Gary Numan, Eurythmics, CHVRCHES, Soft Cell, Tears for Fears, A Flock of Seagulls
30Industrial Rock
Popular artists: Nine Inch Nails, Ministry, Skinny Puppy, KMFDM, Rammstein, Swans, Die Krupps, Rob Zombie, White Zombie, Gravity Kills
31Shock Rock
Popular artists: Gwar, Alice Cooper, GG Allin, Kiss, W.A.S.P., Twisted Sister, Plasmatics, Dwarves, Beefcake the Mighty, Murderdolls
32College Rock
Popular artists: R.E.M., Pixies, The Smiths, The Replacements, Sonic Youth, Violent Femmes, 10,000 Maniacs, Superchunk, Dinosaur Jr, The Lemonheads
33Post-Grunge
Popular artists: Creed, Nickleback, Breaking Benjamin, Seether, Puddle of Mudd, Candlebox, 3 Doors Down, Collective Soul, Theory of a Deadman, Live
34Rap Rock
Popular artists: Linkin Park, twenty one pilots, Limp Bizkit, Kid Rock, Rage Against the Machine, Beastie Boys, Hollywood Undead, Korn, P.O.D., Papa Roach
35Jazz Rock
Popular artists: Steely Dan, Frank Zappa, Soft Machine, Miles Davis, Nucleus, Weather Report, Return to Forever, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Chicago, Mahavishnu Orchestra
36Post-Punk Revival
Popular artists: Interpol, Arctic Monkeys, The Killers, Bloc Party, Editors, The Rapture, The National, Kaiser Chiefs, She Wants Revenge, The Hives
37Americana
Popular artists: Johnny Cash, Brandi Carlile, Emmylou Harris, The Milk Carton Kids, The Band, Alison Krauss, Alabama Shakes, Van Morrison, John Mellencamp, Guy Clark
38Sleaze Rock
Popular artists: L.A. Guns, Guns N' Roses, Faster Pussycat, Skid Row, Mötley Crüe, Cinderella, Hanoi Rocks, Kix, Dangerous Toys, Hardcore Superstar
39Glam Punk
Popular artists: Iggy Pop, New York Dolls, Johnny Thunders, Backyard Babies, Dregen, Turbonegro, Adam and the Ants, The Runaways, Nasty Suicide, The Lords of the New Church
40Instrumental Rock
Popular artists: Explosions in the Sky, Joe Satriani, The Shadows, Mogwai, Steve Vai, Jeff Beck, Buckethead, Link Wray, John Lowery, Yngwie Malmsteen
41Baroque Pop
Popular artists: Lana del Rey, Panic! at the Disco, Fleet Foxes, Arcade Fire, Florence + the Machine, The Zombies, The Beach Boys, Belle and Sebastian, Kate Bush, The Association
42Groove Metal
Popular artists: Pantera, Lamb of God, Gojira, Five Finger Death Punch, Soulfly, Machine Head, Exhorder, Chimaira, Prong, DevilDriver
43Stoner Rock
Popular artists: Queens of the Stone Age, Clutch, Fu Manchu, Orange Goblin, Monster Magnet, Kyuss, Red Fang, Unida, Stoned Jesus, Slo Burn
44Space Rock
Popular artists: Pink Floyd, Hawkwind, Eloy, Ozric Tentacles, Gong, Failure, Porcupine Tree, Farflung, Nektar, Spiritualized
45Comedy Rock
Popular artists: "Weird" Al Yankovich, Tenacious D, Gwar, Spinal Tap, Frank Zappa, The Dead Milkmen, Flight of the Conchords, Steel Panther, Ween, Bloodhound Gang
46Emo
Popular artists: My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco, The Get Up Kids, Rites of Spring, Dashboard Confessional, The Used, Hawthorne Heights, AFI, Mineral
47Ska Punk
Popular artists: Sublime, Reel Big Fish, The Interrupters, Streetlight Manifesto, No Doubt, The Specials, Goldfinger, Fishbone, The Aquabats, Mustard Plug
48Proto-Punk
Popular artists: The Stooges, Death, Iggy Pop, Patti Smith, The Dictators, The Modern Lovers, Richard Hell, John Cale, Roxy Music, Television
49Alternative Country
Popular artists: Johnny Cash, Steve Earle, Wilco, Son Volt, Ryan Adams, Drive-By Truckers, Gillian Welch, Old 97's, Sturgill Simpson, Emmylou Harris
50Jam Rock
Popular artists: The Allman Brothers Band, Phish, Grateful Dead, Widespread Panic, The String Cheese Incident, Santana, Umphrey’s McGee, Dave Matthews Band, Phil Lesh and Friends, Little Feat
51Alternative Dance
Popular artists: New Order, Gorillaz, Pet Shop Boys, M83, MGMT, Björk, Hot Chip, Passion Pit, The Chemical Brothers, Electronic
52Shoegaze
Popular artists: My Bloody Valentine, Ride, Slowdive, Swervedrive, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Lush, Chapterhouse, The Boo Radleys, Catherine Wheel, Kevin Shields
53Doom Metal
Popular artists: Ghost, Electric Wizard, Candlemass, My Dying Bride, Sleep, Paradise Lost, Saint Vitus, Sun O))), Anathema, Yob
54Noise Rock
Popular artists: Butthole Surfers, The Velvet Underground, The Jesus Lizard, Flipper, Dinosaur Jr., Helmet, No Age, Melvins, Daughters, Health
55Skate Punk
Popular artists: Suicidal Tendencies, Pennywise, JFA, Lagwagon, Face to Face, Descendants, Guttermouth, Strung Out, The Vandals, Fat Mike
56Yacht Rock
Popular artists: Michael McDonald, Christopher Cross, Kenny Loggins, The Doobie Brothers, Pablo Cruise, Toto, Dan Fogelberg, Jim Messina, David Paich, Steve Lukather
57Geek Rock
Popular artists: They Might Be Giants, Devo, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Oingo Bongo, Thomas Dolby, Cake, Barenaked Ladies, Ween, OK Go, Ben Folds Five
58Melodic Hardcore
Popular artists: Bad Religion, Rise Against, Counterparts, Comeback Kid, The Ghost Inside, Hundredth, Descendents, Pennywise, Title Fight, Have Heart
59Post-Hardcore
Popular artists: A Day to Remember, Escape the Fate, At the Drive-In, Glassjaw, The Fall of Troy, Circa Survive, Chiodos, Falling in Reverse, Blessthefall, Funeral for a Friend
60Jersey Shore Sound
Popular artists: Bruce Springsteen, The Gaslight Anthem, Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes, Little Steven and the Disciples of Soul, Looking Glass, Mink DeVille, Bon Jovi, John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Gary U.S. Bonds
