Popular Music Genres, ROS-THO
Hey, what's that sound? Music pervades many aspects of contemporary everyday life; it appears in commercials, blares from speakers in stores and restaurants, accompanies commuters on the way to work, and energizes gym-goers when their motivation is flagging. Music festivals such as Lollapalooza (in Chicago) and the Sziget Festival (in Budapest) attract enormous crowds by featuring an extensive lineup of musicians over several days. Today's music can be divided into any number of categories and subcategories, encompassing genres such as pop, jazz, rock, alternative, country, electronic, rap, and much more.
Popular Music Genres Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Rostropovich, Mstislav
Mstislav Rostropovich was a Russian conductor and pianist and one of the best-known cellists of the 20th century.......
Rota, Nino
Nino Rota was an Italian composer of film scores. Rota had composed an oratorio and an opera by age 13. After studies......
Rouget de Lisle, Claude-Joseph
Claude-Joseph Rouget de Lisle was the author of “La Marseillaise,” the French national anthem. A lowly army officer......
Rubinstein, Anton
Anton Rubinstein was a Russian composer and one of the greatest pianists of the 19th century. In 1835 Rubinstein’s......
Rubinstein, Artur
Artur Rubinstein was a Polish American virtuoso pianist regarded by many as the 20th century’s foremost interpreter......
Runeberg, Johan Ludvig
Johan Ludvig Runeberg was a Finno-Swedish poet who is generally considered to be the national poet of Finland.......
Russell, Pee Wee
Pee Wee Russell was an American jazz clarinetist who, with his unpredictable style, was the first post-swing-era......
Samaroff, Olga
Olga Samaroff was an American pianist who also found a successful and varied career as a music educator. At age......
Sarasate, Pablo de
Pablo de Sarasate was a celebrated Spanish violin virtuoso and composer. Beginning his violin studies at the age......
Satie, Erik
Erik Satie was a French composer whose spare, unconventional, often witty style exerted a major influence on 20th-century......
Sauer, Emil von
Emil von Sauer was a German pianist in the style of Liszt, teacher, and composer noted especially for his long......
Savile, Jimmy
Jimmy Savile was a British entertainer who was a flamboyant radio and television personality known as much for......
Scarlatti, Domenico
Domenico Scarlatti was an Italian composer noted particularly for his 555 keyboard sonatas, which substantially......
Schaeffer, Pierre
Pierre Schaeffer was a French composer, acoustician, and electronics engineer who in 1948, with his staff at Radio-diffusion......
Scheidt, Samuel
Samuel Scheidt was an organist and composer who, with Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, influenced the Baroque organ style......
Schnabel, Artur
Artur Schnabel was an Austrian pianist and teacher whose performances and recordings made him a legend in his own......
Schnittke, Alfred
Alfred Schnittke was a postmodernist Russian composer who created serious, dark-toned musical works characterized......
Schoenberg, Arnold
Arnold Schoenberg was an Austrian-American composer who created new methods of musical composition involving atonality,......
Schuller, Gunther
Gunther Schuller was an American composer, performer, conductor, teacher, and writer noted for his wide range of......
Schumann, Clara
Clara Schumann was a German pianist, composer, and wife of composer Robert Schumann. Encouraged by her father,......
Schweitzer, Albert
Albert Schweitzer was an Alsatian-German theologian, philosopher, organist, and mission doctor in equatorial Africa,......
Scott Shannon
An avid fan and student of Top 40 radio since childhood, Michael Moore fashioned his on-air name, Scott Shannon,......
Scott, Ronnie
Ronnie Scott was a British jazz entrepreneur and musician whose London nightclub, Ronnie Scott’s, became one of......
Scruggs, Earl
Earl Scruggs was an American bluegrass banjoist who is celebrated as the developer of a unique instrumental style......
Seger, Bob
Bob Seger is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist who achieved great popularity in the 1970s and ’80s......
Segovia, Andrés
Andrés Segovia was a Spanish musician acclaimed as the foremost guitarist of his time. He was the most important......
Serkin, Peter
Peter Serkin was an American pianist noted for his performances of classical and contemporary works. A son of pianist......
Serkin, Rudolf
Rudolf Serkin was an Austrian-born American pianist and teacher who concentrated on the music of J.S. Bach, W.A.......
Serocki, Kazimierz
Kazimierz Serocki was a Polish composer who was a founding member, with Jan Krenz and Tadeusz Baird, of the Group......
Sessions, Roger
Roger Sessions was an American composer of symphonic and instrumental music who played a leading part in educating......
Sgambati, Giovanni
Giovanni Sgambati was a pianist, conductor, and composer who promoted a revival of instrumental and symphonic music......
Shankar, Ravi
Ravi Shankar was an Indian musician, sitar virtuoso, and composer, who was influential in stimulating Western appreciation......
Shannon, Del
Del Shannon was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist who was one of the first white rock and rollers to......
Sharma, Shiv Kumar
Shiv Kumar Sharma was an Indian sanṭūr (hammered dulcimer) virtuoso who is credited with shifting the instrument......
Shaw, Artie
Artie Shaw was an American clarinetist and popular bandleader of the 1930s and ’40s. He was one of the few outstanding......
Shepp, Archie
Archie Shepp is an American tenor saxophonist, composer, dramatist, teacher, and pioneer of the free jazz movement,......
Shorter, Wayne
Wayne Shorter was an American musician and composer, a major jazz saxophonist, among the most influential hard-bop......
Shostakovich, Dmitri
Dmitri Shostakovich was a Russian composer, renowned particularly for his 15 symphonies, numerous chamber works,......
Silver, Horace
Horace Silver was an American jazz pianist, composer, and bandleader, exemplary performer of what came to be called......
Simon, Paul
Paul Simon is an American singer-songwriter who brought a highbrow sensibility to rock music. One of the most paradoxical......
Simpson, Christopher
Christopher Simpson was an English composer, teacher, theorist, and one of the great virtuoso players in the history......
Sims, Zoot
Zoot Sims was an American jazz tenor saxophonist known for his exuberance, mellow tone, and sense of swing. Born......
Skaggs, Ricky
Ricky Skaggs is an American mandolin and fiddle virtuoso, singer, and music producer who played a leading role......
slam poetry
slam poetry, a form of performance poetry that combines the elements of performance, writing, competition, and......
Slash
Slash is a British-American guitarist whose emotional playing, whether in melodic solos or bluesy yet heavy riffs,......
Smetana, Bedřich
Bedřich Smetana was a Bohemian composer of operas and symphonic poems, founder of the Czech national school of......
Smith, Huey
Huey Smith was an American pianist, bandleader, songwriter, and vocalist, a principal figure in the 1950s rock......
Smith, Jimmy
Jimmy Smith was an American musician who integrated the electric organ into jazz, thereby inventing the soul-jazz......
Smith, Will
Will Smith is an American actor and musician whose charisma and quick wit helped him transition from rap music......
Soler, Antonio
Antonio Soler was the most important composer of instrumental and church music in Spain in the late 18th century.......
Solomon
Solomon was a British pianist who was admired for his technical skill, his poetic interpretations, and his meticulous......
Solti, Georg
Georg Solti was a Hungarian-born British conductor and pianist, one of the most highly regarded conductors of the......
Sor, Fernando
Fernando Sor was a Catalan Romantic performer, composer, and teacher of guitar known for being among the first......
Sorabji, Kaikhosru Shapurji
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji was an eccentric English composer known for his complex musical works combining free......
Sowerby, Leo
Leo Sowerby was a composer, organist, and teacher, whose organ and choral works provide a transition between 19th-......
Spalding, Albert
Albert Spalding was an American composer and one of the leading violinists of his day. The son of a partner in......
Spalding, Esperanza
Esperanza Spalding is an American bassist, singer, and composer whose precocious talent and musical adventurousness......
Spohr, Louis
Louis Spohr was a German violinist, composer, and conductor whose compositions illustrate an early aspect of the......
Springsteen, Bruce
Bruce Springsteen is an American singer, songwriter, and bandleader who became the archetypal rock performer of......
Stainer, Sir John
Sir John Stainer was an English organist and church composer and a leading early musicologist. As a boy Stainer......
stand-up comedy
stand-up comedy, comedy that generally is delivered by a solo performer speaking directly to the audience in some......
Star Wars
Star Wars, film score by American composer John Williams for George Lucas’s Star Wars (1977), which launched the......
Star-Spangled Banner, The
The Star-Spangled Banner, national anthem of the United States, with music adapted from the anthem of a singing......
Starr, Ringo
Ringo Starr is a British musician, singer, songwriter, and actor who was the drummer for the Beatles, one of the......
Stavenhagen, Bernhard
Bernhard Stavenhagen was a German pianist and conductor who played in the virtuoso style of Franz Liszt. Stavenhagen......
Steiner, Max
Max Steiner was an Austrian-born U.S. composer and conductor. A prodigy, he wrote an operetta at age 14 that ran......
Stern, Isaac
Isaac Stern was a Russian-born American musician who was considered one of the premier violinists of the 20th century.......
Stewart, Rex
Rex Stewart was an American jazz musician who was unique for playing the cornet, rather than the trumpet, in big......
Stitt, Sonny
Sonny Stitt was an American jazz musician, one of the first and most fluent bebop saxophonists. One of a musical......
Stockhausen, Karlheinz
Karlheinz Stockhausen was a German composer, an important creator and theoretician of electronic and serial music......
strada, La
La strada, film score by Italian composer Nino Rota for the 1954 film of the same name by Federico Fellini. Rota’s......
Strait, George
George Strait is an American country music singer, guitarist, and “new traditionalist” known for reviving interest......
Stravinsky, Igor
Igor Stravinsky was a Russian-born composer whose work had a revolutionary impact on musical thought and sensibility......
Strayhorn, Billy
Billy Strayhorn was an American pianist and composer who spent his entire career in collaboration with and as amanuensis......
Stubblefield, Clyde
Clyde Stubblefield was an American drummer who was renowned for a 20-second hard-driving embellished drum solo......
Sun Ra
Sun Ra was an American jazz composer and keyboard player who led a free jazz big band known for its innovative......
Sweelinck, Jan Pieterszoon
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck was a Dutch organist and composer, one of the principal figures in the development of......
Szell, George
George Szell was a Hungarian-born American conductor, pianist, and composer who built the Cleveland Orchestra into......
Szeryng, Henryk
Henryk Szeryng was a Polish-born Mexican violinist noted for his performances of the major repertory. Szeryng studied......
Tagore, Rabindranath
Rabindranath Tagore was a Bengali poet, short-story writer, song composer, playwright, essayist, and painter who......
Taneyev, Sergey
Sergey Taneyev was a Russian pianist, theorist, and composer, whose works are known for their finely wrought contrapuntal......
Tartini, Giuseppe
Giuseppe Tartini was an Italian violinist, composer, and theorist who helped establish the modern style of violin......
Tatum, Art
Art Tatum was an American pianist, considered one of the greatest technical virtuosos in jazz. Tatum, who was visually......
Tausig, Karl
Karl Tausig was a Polish pianist and composer, probably Liszt’s greatest pupil. After four years of study with......
Taylor, Cecil
Cecil Taylor was an American jazz musician and composer, among the leading free-jazz pianists. Taylor attended......
Taylor, James
James Taylor is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist who defined the singer-songwriter movement of the......
Tcherepnin, Alexander (Nikolayevich)
Alexander Tcherepnin was a Russian-born American pianist and composer, known for his stylistic mixture of Romanticism......
Teagarden, Jack
Jack Teagarden was an American jazz trombonist, unique because he developed a widely imitated style that appeared......
Techno
Techno, electronic dance music that began in the United States in the 1980s and became globally popular in the......
Terpander
Terpander was a Greek poet and musician of the Aegean island of Lesbos. Terpander was proverbially famous as a......
Terry, Sonny
Sonny Terry was an American blues singer and harmonica player who became the touring and recording partner of guitarist......
Thalberg, Sigismond
Sigismond Thalberg was the leading rival of Franz Liszt as a virtuoso pianist. Thalberg began performing at the......
Tharpe, Sister Rosetta
Sister Rosetta Tharpe was an American guitar player and gospel and blues singer who was popular in the 1930s and......
The Almighty (And Sometimes Awkward) Kiss Cam
Kiss cam is an audience-participation game involving a camera that aims to catch couples and encourage them to......
Thibaud, Jacques
Jacques Thibaud was a French violinist known for his performances of Mozart, Beethoven, and 19th-century French......
Thompson, Kay
Kay Thompson was an American entertainer and writer who was best known as the author of the highly popular Eloise......
Thompson, Lucky
Lucky Thompson was an American jazz musician, one of the most distinctive and creative bop-era tenor saxophonists,......
Thompson, Richard
Richard Thompson is an English guitarist, singer, and songwriter who earned critical acclaim with his masterful......
Thomson, Virgil
Virgil Thomson was an American composer, conductor, and music critic whose forward-looking ideas stimulated new......