Last Updated on January 10, 2026 by Christian Adams
The ecosystem of rock music is a tangled family tree of electrified offshoots, regional mutations, decade-specific experiments, political movements, and outlier subcultures that found their tribes. For every rock genre household name like punk, metal, or grunge, dozens of subgenres shaped the landscape, even if they never cracked the mainstream.
Rock Genres Explained is designed to make sense of the history, the sounds, the artists who mattered, and the albums that defined each corner of the rock universe.
How Does the Explainer Work?
I’m a curious person, and I love most types of rock music, so whenever I came across a new genre or subgenre, I thought, “Hmm, what’s that all about?”
Based on a master index (List of Rock Genres), I wanted a full collection of genre explainers here on Black Sunshine Media. Each letter of the alphabet gets its own deep-dive page—from the obvious (alternative rock, blues rock, hard rock) to the niche but culturally essential (chamber pop, Krautrock, neo-psychedelia, and queercore).
Get a quick reference of where it came from, when it peaked, the musicians who pushed it forward, and the records that show the style at its best. Think of it as a field guide for anyone who’s ever wondered how goth rock split from post-punk, why shoegaze didn’t really die in the ‘90s, or what separates doom metal from stoner rock besides tempo and THC levels? Or why isn’t Bad Brains considered reggae punk?
Every explainer breaks the genre down into its core elements (prompted by an easy-to-read quick reference table like this one):
Organized Alphabetically, For Now
Whether you’re a casual listener trying to connect the dots or a lifelong music obsessive filling in the gaps, the goal is clarity without dumbing things down. Rock has a long memory, and every modern sound is rooted in something older: a scene, a moment, a technological shift, or a band that accidentally rewired the entire genre. By organizing these types of rock music alphabetically and giving each one room to breathe, you can explore the evolution of rock the same way it actually happened: through influence, cross-pollination, risk-taking, and noise.
Start anywhere. Follow the links. Let the rabbit holes pull you in whatever direction feels right.