Last year, we wrote about the most popular music genre’s, along with the least popular. This year, we’re back to see if anything has changed. What are your guesses? Will Pop come out on top again, or will another genre take the spot?
We’ve hunted high and low for the latest music genre updates, so you don’t have to. It seems many of our readers appreciated last year’s most and least popular music genre article. So, we’ve done it again this year with the help of Spotify’s statistics. Where does your favourite genre appear? Are others vibing to it, or is it a little too niche?
1. Pop
Starting out in top position for a second year running, we have Pop. It’s hardly surprising. It stands for Popular Music and is, quite literally, everywhere. On adverts, films, in shops, radio stations, you name it! Whether you’re a Pop lover, or a Pop hater, everyone has at least one song within this category they like. That’s why these songs become so big.
2. Electronic dance (EDM)
On Spotify alone, EDM makes up 24% of all tracks streamed. Add that to all other streaming store statistics, and it’s no surprise it’s so popular. According to the popular music platform, 23% of listeners between 16 and 19 listen to EDM and the music genre has become more popular in Southeast Asia with streams increasing by 24% compared with 2020.
3. Rap
No longer tied with Hip-Hop, Rap has made its way to third place all on its own. However, it has been knocked down by EDM. There’s a huge variety in rap these days. Some will appreciate this, while others will wish the genre would return to what it was. But, nonetheless, it clearly has more lovers than haters because it has a 14% share in music streaming.
4. Rock
Another that’s almost held its position is Rock. So many songs from decades ago are still popular to this day within this genre. It’s one with so much variety, as there’s different sub-genres of Rock. There are so many songs within this genre that are so well known, everyone can sing along to it. It brings various generations together.
5. Urbano latino
This genre is most popular with Spanish-speaking countries, however it’s something enjoyed across the world. There are several diverse genres within Latino, from, reggae, to funk carioca and Latin hip-hop which is probably why it’s so popular. Spotify has said that as of 2018, Latin music increased by 176% in stream count.
Music sub-genres
These are the top five music genres currently in 2023. We’d predict that Pop music will be number one for many years to come. As we’ve mentioned, the clue is in the name. However, this doesn’t mean that smaller, less known genres aren’t on the rise because they definitely are. During COVID-19, Indie Dance saw a 77% increase in Spotify streams.
This is a genre that many might not know about. Perhaps they think of Indie music or Dance music, but not the two combined. More and more genres are crossing over to create something unique. Music artists, and listeners are all leaning towards specific genres, and sub-genres rather than the overall umbrella.
While tracks might still fall into the overall genre, when they’re then separated again into sub-genres, it makes it even easier for those with specific music tastes to find their preferred songs. Within lockdowns, Retro Pop also saw a 19% increase in streams. There again, another subsection was on the rise, one which some may not even realise tracks fall into.
Least popular music genres
Again, this information is purely based off statistics we’ve found. We’re not suggesting music within these genres are disappointing, or that they’re unpopular with everyone. They just aren’t as popular as the top performing genres. They wouldn’t be around without people streaming them, even if they aren’t streamed as often.
Unsurprising to some, and surprising to others, Classical, Jazz and Country music are the least popular music genres. It’s possible that due to Classical music being most popular with older generations, it simply isn’t being streamed. The genre is listened to most by those who possibly reach for the radio rather than streaming platforms.
Along with this, you have Jazz, which is fantastic when performed live. Perhaps again, it comes down to listening styles. Maybe Jazz fans would rather hear this type of music performed differently, they might not be as interested in heading to Spotify and streaming their top Jazz tracks. This isn’t to say Jazz isn’t a good genre.
Finally, you have Country. This might surprise American’s as the genre is extremely popular across the pond. They have a large amount of Country singers. However, across the rest of the world, it just isn’t something people want to stream. There isn’t much of a Country presence elsewhere, which likely leads to the positioning of this genre.
What are your opinions. Where do your favourite and least favourite genres fall? As mentioned, we haven’t delved deep into sub-genres, so perhaps your favourite music falls into one of these. As long as you enjoy it, who cares? But, we thought it was an interesting topic to investigate, especially with so many musicians using PUSH.
Please note: This information has been put together based upon multiple resources. Some offer different results than others. This genre list might differ to others you have seen, and the music scene is forever changing, so it could change again before the end of the year. We do everything we can to ensure our data is correct as of the time of sharing.
