Top 10 Most Popular Music Genres

There is an unlimited amount of music genres in today’s world. But we can pin down the top ten genres by music album consumption in the United States in 2020.

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November 4th, 2021

1. Hip Hop/Rap 

Rap has ruled the last 10 years of music. It seems an unstoppable force, with hip hop becoming the most popular genre in the country with 12.01% of album consumption. 

2. Techno 

Techno has also been a dominant genre of music in the last decade. It accounted for 10.38% of album consumption in the United States last year.

3. R&B 

R & B stands for rhythm & blues and has been vital in shaping today’s culture and combines elements of pop, soul, and hip hop to create its own distinct style. R&B has created some of the world’s most prominent artists and hits and will continue to be a popular genre of music. It accounts for – 10% of the total album listening. 

4. Punk 

Many people have forgotten about punk! But there is a silent majority of people that are still enjoying the genre (8.82%.) 

5. Alternative Rock 

Born from distorted guitars, Alternative Rock is a pop style of rock that burst into the mainstream when Nirvana released a single named ‘Nevermind,’ which explored the genre. It’s a genre that many people are still indulging in today (7.82%.)

6. House 

House Music is a genre of electronic dance music, but with a twist. It has a repetitive, 4/4 beat and usually has 120-130 beats per minute. Today, it has become one of the biggest music genres globally and in the U.S. (7.45%.)

7. Country 

Country music has been around for nearly a century. It originated in the Southern United States and took inspiration from American folk music and blues. Even though it has lost some popularity, it still accounts for 6.54% of the total music album consumption.

8. Indie Rock 

Indie rock is a genre of rock music created in the U.S. and the U.K. in the 1970s. It comes from independent record labels and takes heavy inspiration from Jazz and Punk rock. It still continues to have many talented artists in the genre. It includes a listening group of roughly 5.19%.

9. Electro 

Electro Music, also known as ‘EDM,’ is an up-and-coming genre that uses heavy drum machines and funk. It’s a hard-hitting genre made for the clubs, and the culture is eating it up. Today, 4.72% of album consumption in the United States includes Electro music tracks. 

10. Latin 

Latin music continues to be a popular genre of music, and Latin music is a term used for Spanish and Portuguese-speaking music. . It accounts for 3.77%, but it is becoming more popular by the minute, with hits such as ‘Despacito’ bringing it to the mainstream media.