In the digital age, a lot of the younger generation have had less boundaries set in terms of genre definitions when it comes to music. We're seeing a rise of music fans that don't necessarily see genre, and engage with artwork of all forms. Nothing out there is purely original, and nothing ever has been, but things can become unique through how they use ideas of the past to create something new and innovative, and there's so much new music with so many new styles, it can be hard to keep up.

That's why I've prepared a list of my own favorite musicians from each genre that I care about at the moment in hopes of inspiring others to share their favorite or give my picks a try. I may come back to it in the future with more genres added, but I think this is a fun idea that'll get people thinking about the variety of music they listen to and how it relates back to them.

Rock - The Beatles - This is one of my favorite bands growing up. Playing their Rock Band game made me well acquainted to their music inside and out. Best album - Abbey Road / Best song - Norwegian Wood
Punk - Dead Kennedys - Jello Biafra's voice sounds awesome. It's very groovy stuff. Best album - Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables / Best song - California Uber Alles
Metal - Mr Bungle - Such a weird band. They made an album that was carnival music and metal together. Best album - California
Jazz - Shabaka Hutchings - One of the most talented and versatile saxophonists. He has worked with just about every genre at this point with just a saxophone in several bands, and he's innovated in several ways from the simplicity to the background instrumentation. Also check out Moon Hooch. Best album - Hyperdimensional Expansion Beam / Best song - CODE
Rap - Kendrick Lamar - An album about growing up, where you see yourself as a consequence of others actions. An album about being a teenager, where peer pressure takes hold and gets you in trouble. An album where each song ends with a poem that gets added to each song with the new line poem telling you what the next song is about. An album about facing the duality of ones actions, whether you can consider it wickedness for being in the wrong, or weakness because they could do better. An album about facing yourself and your position in the world, breaking generational trauma by going over trauma faced by family members and current young musicians, vowing not to repeat the same mistakes by working through it therapeutically in real life and in the lyrics. Best album - To Pimp a Butterfly / Best song - How Much A Dollar Cost
Electronic - Daft Punk - The best rhythms, the best vocoded vocals interweaving with the instrumentals in a hypnotic fashion. super catchy lyrics and fun passages / sounds that make a very unique experience. Best album - Discovery / Best song - Something About Us
Pop - Michael Jackson - His passing happened when I was young and I decided to listen to everything he made. Say what you will about his character but the music is undeniable. Best album - Dangerous / Best song - Scream

I don't really follow genres at all because many of the people that I love are kind of a cross between multiple ones at times but the only two that I really care about are pop and rock. The four people and groups that I like the most are Big Time Rush, Imagine Dragons, Amanda Lee, and Twenty One Pilots. 2022 was great for them because I was able to go to concerts for Imagine Dragons and Big Time Rush and I got a signed copy of Amanda's first original album. I also really love Myth & Roid and OxT for anime music.

My favorite bands from my favorite types of music

1950's Rock- I would have to say Roy Orbinson, Elvis, Bill Haley,and Buddy Holly.

Do Wop- Flamingos, Fats Domino, Platters, and Coasters

Rock- Dave Clark 5, Rolling Stones, and The Animals

Motown and Soul- Four Tops, Temptations, Spinners, Vandellas, Supremes.

Soft Rock- Chicago, Johnny Rivers, and Putula Clark.

80's Rock- Journey and Deaf Leopard

New Wave- Wham, Pointer Sisters, Pet Shop Boys, and of course Hall and Oates.

tornadocam : I'm a big fan of Pet Shop Boys. I think their album Introspective is top tier. If you enjoy their early work definitely give New Order a shot!

Rap: Either Kanye West or Kendrick Lamar. Kanye West is probably my favorite musical artist of all-time, but leaving Kendrick Lamar out of this list is just preposterous. Kanye's biggest appeal to me is his production and creativity. His rapping and lyrics are good, but the approaches he takes to his music is what really makes him stand out. The College Dropout and Late Registration sound somewhat similar, but beyond that, every other album he has dropped has a completely different sound, and somehow every single one of them (except for Jesus is King, maybe) is fantastic. Kendrick, of course, is a masterful songwriter and lyricist. Honorable mention: J. Cole.

Pop: Melanie Martinez. I don't really know why to be honest. I think I just like that she has a unique aesthetic that she sticks to, and that her albums revolve around a concept, rather than just being a collection of songs. I don't really like pop music, but I like Melanie Martinez. Honorable mention: Olivia O'Brien.

Hyperpop: Charli XCX. Her early work isn't great, but Number 1 Angel, Pop 2, Charli, how i'm feeling now, and CRASH are all great. Nothing too deep, just fun to listen to, and I enjoy the risks she takes with the unusual production and sound. I don't know if she aligns with what the hyperpop genre has become, but the genre was heavily influenced by her, so I'm going with it.

Pop rap / melodic rap: Juice WRLD or Kid Cudi. Man on the Moon 1 is one of my favorite albums of all-time, and KIDS SEE GHOSTS is great, but beyond that, the rest of Cudi's music is either just ok, or bad. Juice WRLD's discography is more consistent (albeit smaller because of his untimely death), but his peak is not as high as Cudi's. I love them both, and I can't decide between them.

Rock: Arctic Monkeys. I really only listen to Favorite Worst Nightmare and AM if I'm being honest, but both of those albums rock (pun intended).

Pop rock: The 1975. They're pretty cool.

Pop punk: Paramore. But like, old Paramore. New Paramore is just ok.

R&B: Frank Ocean.

I don't listen to all that many different genres, but I do have a lot of favorite musicians.

Pop-Punk - Neck Deep. I have loved their music ever since I first heard Gold Steps from their album Life's Not Out to Get You in a CSGO Lobby. Since then I have fallen in love with many of their songs, and their new album All Distortions are Intentional has some of their best songs (fall and pushing daisies)

Indie Rock - Death Cab For Cutie. Probably my favorite band of all time, their 2003 album Transatlanticism has a special place in my heart, and the titular song is probably my favorite song of all time (aside from your hand in mine, which I'll discuss below) I also love their albums Plans, Narrow Stairs, and Asphalt Meadows, along with many of their songs from their albums (but the albums as a whole just aren't on the same level as the others.

Post-Rock - Explosions in the Sky. Your Hand in Mine. Just listen to that song. It is long, about 8 minutes, but the way the guitars mesh with the percussion is simply magical. Absolutely my favorite song ever.

I can't think of any other genres right now that I can consider myself a fan of, maybe rock and my favorite rock band is and probably always will be Muse.