* Baroque music (1600-1750)
* Composers: Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, Antonio Vivaldi
* Characteristics: complex melodies, rich harmonies, use of counterpoint
* Classical music (1750-1820)
* Composers: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Joseph Haydn
* Characteristics: simpler melodies, clearer textures, use of sonata form
* Romantic music (1820-1910)
* Composers: Frédéric Chopin, Franz Schubert, Johannes Brahms
* Characteristics: emotional expression, use of chromaticism, larger orchestral forces
* 20th-century classical music (1910-present)
* Composers: Igor Stravinsky, Béla Bartók, Dmitri Shostakovich
* Characteristics: experimentation with new sounds, forms, and techniques
Popular music
* Pop music
* Subgenres: rock, pop rock, country, R&B, hip hop, electronic, dance, etc.
* Characteristics: simple melodies, catchy hooks, repetitive rhythms
* Folk music
* Subgenres: traditional folk, contemporary folk, Americana, Celtic music, etc.
* Characteristics: simple melodies, acoustic instruments, often based on traditional songs
* Jazz music
* Subgenres: traditional jazz, swing, bebop, hard bop, modal jazz, fusion, etc.
* Characteristics: improvisation, syncopated rhythms, use of jazz standards
* Blues music
* Subgenres: country blues, delta blues, Chicago blues, electric blues, etc.
* Characteristics: call-and-response vocals, use of the blues scale, often about personal hardship
World music
* African music
* Subgenres: Afrobeat, highlife, soukous, mbalax, etc.
* Characteristics: polyrhythms, call-and-response vocals, use of traditional instruments
* Asian music
* Subgenres: Chinese music, Indian music, Japanese music, Korean music, etc.
* Characteristics: pentatonic scales, use of traditional instruments, often based on religious or folk traditions
* Latin American music
* Subgenres: salsa, bachata, merengue, cumbia, reggaeton, etc.
* Characteristics: syncopated rhythms, use of traditional instruments, often about love, loss, or social issues
Other music
* Film music
* Music composed specifically for films
* Television music
* Music composed specifically for television shows
* Video game music
* Music composed specifically for video games
* Commercial music
* Music composed specifically for commercials