The most comprehensive list of Dance Music genres available on the Internet
The Music Genres List site covers many of the most popular styles of dance music, we hope this becomes the definitive list of dance music genres on the Internet, send an email to add @ musicgenreslist dot com if you feel any dance music genres are missing and we’ll add to complete the music list.
(also: EMD – Electronic Dance Music – with thx to Eric Shaffer-Whiting)Complete list of EDM music genres and sub-genres at the bottom of the page!!
- Breakbeat
- Dubstep
- Exercise
- Garage
- Hardcore
- Hard Dance
- Hi-NRG / Eurodance
- House
- Jackin House (with thx to Jermaine Benjamin Dale Bruce)
- Jungle/Drum’n’bass
- Techno
- Trance
| Dance Music Genre | Example Artists | Example Songs |
|---|---|---|
| Club / Club Dance | David Guetta, Calvin Harris | “Titanium” by David Guetta, “Summer” by Calvin Harris |
| Breakcore | Venetian Snares, Igorrr | “Szamar Madar” by Venetian Snares, “Very Noise” by Igorrr |
| Breakbeat / Breakstep | The Chemical Brothers, Freestylers | “Galvanize” by The Chemical Brothers, “Push Up” by Freestylers |
| 4-Beat | Scott Brown, Hixxy | “Elysium” by Scott Brown, “More & More” by Hixxy |
| Acid Breaks | Plump DJs, Elite Force | “Electric Disco” by Plump DJs, “You” by Elite Force |
| Baltimore Club | DJ Technics, Blaqstarr | “Mr. Postman” by DJ Technics, “Hands Up Thumbs Down” by Blaqstarr |
| Big Beat | The Prodigy, Fatboy Slim | “Firestarter” by The Prodigy, “Praise You” by Fatboy Slim |
| Breakbeat Hardcore | Altern-8, SL2 | “E-Vapor-8” by Altern-8, “On A Ragga Tip” by SL2 |
| Broken Beat | Bugz in the Attic, 4hero | “Booty La La” by Bugz in the Attic, “Morning Child” by 4hero |
| Florida Breaks | DJ Icey, Baby Anne | “The One” by DJ Icey, “Bass Queen” by Baby Anne |
| Nu Skool Breaks | Stanton Warriors, Plump DJs | “Get Up” by Stanton Warriors, “Electric Disco” by Plump DJs |
| Brostep | Skrillex, Zomboy | “Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites” by Skrillex, “Like A Bitch” by Zomboy |
| Chillstep | Blackmill, CMA | “Let It Be” by Blackmill, “You’re Not Alone” by CMA |
| Deep House | Kerri Chandler, Larry Heard | “Rain” by Kerri Chandler, “Can You Feel It” by Larry Heard |
| Dubstep | Burial, Benga | “Archangel” by Burial, “Night” by Benga |
| Electro House | Deadmau5, Steve Aoki | “Ghosts ‘n’ Stuff” by Deadmau5, “Boneless” by Steve Aoki |
| Electroswing | Parov Stelar, Caravan Palace | “Booty Swing” by Parov Stelar, “Lone Digger” by Caravan Palace |
| Exercise | Vengaboys, Cascada | “We Like to Party” by Vengaboys, “Everytime We Touch” by Cascada |
| Future Garage | Burial, Jamie xx | “Untrue” by Burial, “Gosh” by Jamie xx |
| Garage | Todd Edwards, MJ Cole | “Saved My Life” by Todd Edwards, “Sincere” by MJ Cole |
| Glitch Hop | KOAN Sound, Pretty Lights | “Meanwhile, In The Future” by KOAN Sound, “Finally Moving” by Pretty Lights |
| Glitch Pop | Grimes, Purity Ring | “Oblivion” by Grimes, “Begin Again” by Purity Ring |
| Grime | Skepta, Stormzy | “Shutdown” by Skepta, “Big For Your Boots” by Stormzy |
House Sub-Genres Broken Down
Additional Techno sub-genres
Techno-dance music, a pulsating symphony of beats and rhythms, stands as a cornerstone of the global electronic music scene. Originating from Detroit in the mid-1980s, techno emerged as a voice of innovation and artistic expression, blending the raw energy of electronic sounds with the soulful depth of its urban roots. This genre, characterized by its repetitive beats and futuristic aura, has evolved into a diverse and rich tapestry of styles, each echoing the unique cultural and musical influences of its creators. As we delve into the world of techno, we embark on an auditory journey through its various genres and sub-genres, exploring the intricate layers and textures that define this dynamic musical landscape.
Each sub-genre of techno, from the minimalistic charm of Dub Techno to the high-energy rush of Hardcore Techno, offers a unique auditory experience. Ambient Techno transports listeners to a dreamlike state with its ethereal soundscapes, while Acid Techno captivates with its hypnotic use of the Roland TB-303 synthesizer, creating squelchy, acid-like sounds. Detroit Techno, the genesis of it all, remains true to its roots with a soulful, yet futuristic sound. On this section of the website, we celebrate the diversity and creativity of techno dance music, providing insights, histories, and notable tracks that paint a vivid picture of each sub-genre. Join us in this exploration, and immerse yourself in the pulsating world of techno, where every beat tells a story and every rhythm sparks imagination.
Trance Music Sub-Genres
Trance made a very promising start in the early nineties (1990’s) in Europe, and is currently one of the most promising and influential music genres on the music scene. Trance itself is very wide-scoped, it occupies wide territory with a lot of space and brings its influence deeply outside and well beyond its bounds, which seems to be quite obscure.
Trance has become more popularized, thanks to talented trance music DJs and producers, trance music labels, and even large recording companies. Pop and rock stars are starting to collaborate with or even outsource their recordings to trance music composers and producers.
| Trance Music Genre | Example Artists | Example Songs |
|---|---|---|
| Trance | Armin van Buuren, Tiësto | “Blah Blah Blah” by Armin van Buuren, “Adagio for Strings” by Tiësto |
| Acid Trance | Hardfloor, Union Jack | “Acperience 1” by Hardfloor, “Two Full Moons & A Trout” by Union Jack |
| Acid-House | Phuture, 808 State | “Acid Tracks” by Phuture, “Pacific State” by 808 State |
| Classic Trance | Paul van Dyk, Sasha | “For An Angel” by Paul van Dyk, “Xpander” by Sasha |
| Dark Psy | Kindzadza, Osom | “KinDzaDza” by Kindzadza, “Osom” by Osom |
| Deep House | Kerri Chandler, Larry Heard | “Rain” by Kerri Chandler, “Can You Feel It” by Larry Heard |
| Dream Trance | Robert Miles, DJ Quicksilver | “Children” by Robert Miles, “Bellissima” by DJ Quicksilver |
| Goa Trance | Astral Projection, Man With No Name | “Mahadeva” by Astral Projection, “Teleport” by Man With No Name |
| Dark Psytrance | Infected Mushroom, GMS | “Becoming Insane” by Infected Mushroom, “Juice” by GMS |
| Full on | Vibe Tribe, Sesto Sento | “Melodrama” by Vibe Tribe, “Lift Me Up” by Sesto Sento |
| Psybreaks | Hedflux, Blazer | “Mindcell” by Hedflux, “Toxic Girl” by Blazer |
| Psyprog | Ace Ventura, Liquid Soul | “The Light” by Ace Ventura, “Revolution” by Liquid Soul |
| Suomisaundi | Texas Faggott, Peyote People | “Back to Mad” by Texas Faggott, “Peyote People” by Peyote People |
| Hard Trance | Scot Project, Kai Tracid | “U (I Got A Feeling)” by Scot Project, “Trance & Acid” by Kai Tracid |
| Prog. Trance | Above & Beyond, Ilan Bluestone | “Sun & Moon” by Above & Beyond, “Spheres” by Ilan Bluestone |
| Psy-Trance | Vini Vici, Astrix | “Great Spirit” by Vini Vici, “Deep Jungle Walk” by Astrix |
| Minimal Techno | Ricardo Villalobos, Richie Hawtin | “Dexter” by Ricardo Villalobos, “Minus Orange” by Richie Hawtin |
| Tech House | Carl Cox, Green Velvet | “I Want You (Forever)” by Carl Cox, “La La Land” by Green Velvet |
| Tech Trance | Simon Patterson, Mark Sherry | “Bulldozer” by Simon Patterson, “Gravitational Waves” by Mark Sherry |
| Uplifting Trance | Aly & Fila, Ferry Tayle | “Unbreakable” by Aly & Fila, “Trapeze” by Ferry Tayle |
| Orchestral Uplifting | SoundLift, Andy Blueman | “Nostalgia” by SoundLift, “Sea Tides” by Andy Blueman |
| Vocal Trance | Dash Berlin, Emma Hewitt | “Waiting” by Dash Berlin, “Rewind” by Emma Hewitt |
Named for what is arguably the birthplace of house music — the Paradise Garage in New York — Garage is the dance style closest in spirit and execution to the original disco music of the ’70s. Favoring synthesizer runs and gospel vocals similar to house music but with even more polished and shimmering production values than house, garage has more of a soulful, organic feel.
During the early ’70s, Hip-Hop started to incorporate breaks into their music. A break is a part of a track in which the beats stop allowing you to hear only the rhythmic patterns.
‘Kool DJ Herc’, the originator of breakbeat DJing, adapted this style and took it to another level by playing the same record on two record decks. The break would constantly be playing on one deck, with the beat on the other. He’d then interchange the break from one deck to the other. Other Hip-Hop DJs quickly began to copy and build upon this technique.
Dubstep (thanks to Erik Kirsten) is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London, England. The music has been described as “tightly coiled productions with overwhelming bass lines and reverberant drum patterns, clipped samples, and occasional vocals”.
The earliest dubstep releases date back to 1998 and were darker, more experimental, instrumental dub remixes of 2-step garage tracks attempting to incorporate the funky elements of breakbeat, or the dark elements of drum and bass into 2-step, which featured as B-sides of single releases.
In 2001, this and other strains of dark garage music began to be showcased and promoted at London’s night club Plastic People, at the “Forward” night (sometimes stylized as FWD>>), which went on to be considerably influential to the development of dubstep.
The term “dubstep” about a genre of music began to be used around 2002 by labels such as Big Apple, Ammunition, and Tempa, by which time stylistic trends used in creating these remixes started to become more noticeable and distinct from 2-step and grime.
Complete List of EDM (Electronic Dance Music) Genres and Sub-genres
- Club / Club Dance
- Breakcore
- Breakbeat / Breakstep
- 4-Beat
- Acid Breaks
- Baltimore Club
- Big Beat
- Breakbeat Hardcore
- Broken Beat
- Florida Breaks
- Nu Skool Breaks
- Brostep
- Chillstep
- Deep House
- Dubstep
- Electro House
- Electroswing
- Exercise
- Future Garage
- Garage
- Glitch Hop
- Glitch Pop
- Grime
- Hard Core
- Bouncy House
- Bouncy Techno
- Breakcore
- Digital Hardcore
- Doomcore
- Dubstyle
- Gabber
- Happy Hardcore
- Hardstyle
- Jumpstyle
- Makina
- Speedcore
- Terrorcore
- Uk HardcoreHardcore
- Hard Dance
- Hi-NRG / Eurodance
- Horrorcore (thx Matt)
- House
- Acid House
- Chicago House
- Deep House
- Diva House
- Dutch House
- Electro House
- Freestyle House
- French House
- Funky House
- Ghetto House
- Hardbag
- Hip House
- Italo House
- Latin House
- Minimal House
- Progressive House
- Rave Music
- Swing House
- Tech House
- Tribal House
- Tropical House
- UK Hard House
- US Garage
- Vocal House
- Jackin House
- Jungle / Drum’n’bass
- Liquid Dub
- Regstep
- Speedcore
- Techno
- Acid Techno
- Detroit Techno
- Free Tekno
- Ghettotech
- Minimal
- Nortec
- Schranz
- Techno-Dnb
- Technopop
- Tecno Brega
- Toytown Techno
- Trance
- Acid Trance
- Acid-House
- Classic Trance
- Dark Psy
- Deep House
- Dream Trance
- Goa Trance
- Dark Psytrance
- Full on
- Psybreaks
- Psyprog
- Suomisaundi
- Hard Trance
- Prog. Trance
- Psy-Trance
- Minimal Techno
- Tech House
- Tech Trance
- Uplifting Trance
- Orchestral Uplifting
- Vocal Trance
- Trap
What do you think?