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I don’t know if you have noticed or not, but there has been a recent tendency to show off how unusual, rare, or downright weird the music you listen to is. Spotify even has an entire service called Obscurify, a mainstream meter if you will, that determines the level of obscurity of your playlist. I personally think that whether you listen to the most mainstream music possible or to something that probably only you and the artist themselves know about, this says nothing about the quality of your music taste (tell me in the comments if you agree with this).

Moreover, my music taste has been developing throughout my life, expanding, adding new artists and genres, but also sometimes stopping listening to some music. I am sure everyone who has ever listened to music can relate to this. Besides, very often, what we label as weird music genres are just not well-known in our part of the world but pretty popular and common somewhere else. 

So, if you are looking for some new music genres to add to your playlist, check out the rare or even obscure music genres we collected for this article. Have you ever listened to any of these? I’d really recommend giving a try to all of them and seeing which ones happen to be to your liking. Of course, share this article with your music-loving friends, and if you know other lesser-known music genres, recommend them in the comments. 

#1

Tuvan Throat Singing

Saidash Begzy Oglu Mongush is throat singing on the grass

Called in its native language Khöömei, Tuvan throat singing is a traditional art form in the region of Tuva (located in Russia, just northwest of Mongolia). To be able to hold multiple notes for a prolonged period, singers use special circular breathing.

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#2

Medieval Folk Rock

Steeleye Span - Below The Salt album cover, people eating

Medieval folk rock had a huge following in the ’60s and ’70s. Rock bands would incorporate Renaissance sound by playing only acoustic instruments, adding woodwind and string instruments that are not very common in rock, and modifying their vocals to match the era. 

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Der Kommissar
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Fairport Convention. Strawbs. Fotheringay. I saw Steeleye Span in concert in support of their Parcel Of Rogues album.

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#3

Zydeco

Jeffery Broussard & the Creole Cowboys performing on stage

If you combine the music of the indigenous Louisiana tribes with the blues music the state is famous for, you will get zydeco. Even though you will find plenty of guitar in its sound, the most typical instruments are the fiddle, the accordion, the washboard, and the vest frottoir. 

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#4

Kawaii Metal

BABYMETAL performing Gimme chocolate!!

Japan is obsessed with all things cute (kawaii) but what happens when you combine cuteness with death metal? Kawaii metal, that’s what. The sound of this genre delivers on its name and has been steadily growing in popularity. Check out the all-female band Babymetal for a taste of kawaii metal.

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K- THULU
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Or just check out Hanabie.... The cutest, heaviest, most kickass metalcore band around!!!

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#5

Pirate Metal

Scene from ALESTORM - Drink (Official Video) - three persons performing in cave

It’s a pity metal didn’t exist back in the day when pirates roamed the seas; it would suit their overall aesthetic. Pirate metal mainly consists of typical sea shanties, though instead of rhythmic reading, performers shout-sing them, as is common for modern metal.  

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TS Rhodes
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Rock is a combination of African and Appalachian music. Much Appalachian music is decended from Celtic music. Pirates had both African and Celtic people on their shops, and they loved music. Who says they didn't have rock?

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#6

Math Rock

Scene from Covet - "shibuya" (ft.San Holo) official video

No, the lyrics in this one are not complicated math problems. Math rock got its name due to the unusual meters and complex time signatures it employs. First emerging on the scene in the 1980s, math rock reached its ultimate height in the mid-1990s, creating math pop, which uses the same compositional techniques.  

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James016
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The picture is from a video by the band Covet. They are really good.

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#7

Psychobilly

Scene from thebrainsmtl and Rene D La Muerte music video - band performing

Psychobilly might have elements of rockabilly in it, but if rockabilly is all about love, sentiments, and rockin’ around the clock, psychobilly’s lyrical component revolves around horror, violence, and science fiction. Back in 1970s New York where psychobilly takes its origin, this genre was considered taboo.

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Tim Nicebutdim
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The Meteors, Guanabatz, Klingonz and my personal favourites Demented Are Go.

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#8

Gothic Country

Scene from 16 Horsepower - Black Soul Choir video

While musically remaining mostly country, the lyrical content of gothic country is all about death, loss, and other horrible things that happen to humans in life. It emerged out of the alternative country scene in Denver in the ’90s and is also known as dark country, gothic America, and horror country.

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Cobra Promotions
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If it's anything like a cross between Nick Cave / The Cult / Sisters of Mercy and Tyler Childers, then I think a lot of broad genre listeners would love it!

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#9

Pansori, Traditional Korean Music

A girl singer in a green dress and a man drummer performing pansori on stage

This traditional Korean storytelling is performed by a vocalist accompanied by a drummer (gosu). To give the story depth, the singer uses various body movements and tones of voice that accentuate the dramatic moments. 

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#10

German Reggae

Scene from CURSE - Widerstand ft. Gentleman music video, five men walking in the street

When you think about reggae, the first things that come to mind are the Jamaican sun, ocean breeze, and rum. And yet, reggae became increasingly popular in Germany around the late 1970s, creating its own genre. Around the mid-1990s, German reggae suddenly grew in popularity, and it retains its popularity to this day.

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Lance-O
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

theres an artist called Gentleman who is legitimate and even accepted in Jamaica

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#11

Fado

Image from Madredeus - Haja O Que Houver music video, a man in a suit playing guitar

Coming from 1820s Portugal, lyrically, fado can be about anything, but it very often chose the lives of the poor as its subject. Musically, it has a very strict traditional culture. Its most prominent modern artists are Rodrigo Leao and the band Madredeus.

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#12

Gamelan

Scene from Sound Tracker - Gamelan (Indonesia) music video, Indonesian people playing music

This percussion music was born on the Indonesian islands of Bali and Java. Even though it is not as popular recently as it used to be, gamelan is still used for traditional ceremonies and formal occasions. 

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#13

Country-Hop

Image from Big Smo - Workin' feat Alexander King (Official Music Video), two man wearing black and singing

Country-hop, also referred to as country rap or kuntry, is a pretty modern genre that came to exist through viral videos and reality shows. Stylistically, it is a mix of country music and hip-hop. If you want to check it out, listen to Big Simo who is considered the best country rapper.

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scag$y
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jo-le-eene, touch my man and yo b!tch-a*s going down.

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#14

Splittercore

A cover of Splittercore music - black and white image with a hairless kid who is without eyes and screaming

Take speedcore and crank up the BPM to anything from 600 up to 1000. Now you know what splittercore sounds like. With almost indistinguishable beats, this genre is not for the faint of heart.

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#15

Vaporwave

MACINTOSH PLUS - FLORAL SHOPPE music cover, a digital collage with gypsum head, chess flooring, photo with cityscape and water in front of pink background

Once you listen to vaporwave, you either love it or hate it, there is no in-between. Artists who create in vaporwave are usually as particular about the visuals as the sound. This reflects in music videos and album sleeves that combine seemingly unmixable imagery. The music itself is also rather fragmented, incorporating anything from YouTube samples to other microgenres.

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Vintage Books
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Soma fm has a vapor wave channel if anyone is curious. They also have a lot more genre stations and it's simply a great online free radio station of obscure music.

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#16

Catstep

Daisuke Tanabe - cat step music cover - a white cat like a circus performer on a rope

Surprisingly, there are very few cats involved in the production of catstep. In fact, it is a subgenre of the widely popular filthstep. However, some artists couldn’t help but play with its name, and thus the biggest catstep record label is called Monstercat, while one of the most popular artists is TheFatRat.

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#17

Noh Theater

Four japanese persons in kimono performing Noh Theater on stage

Coming from Japan, Noh theater is the oldest theatrical form still being performed in the modern day. It is often called Japanese opera. Performances are often based on tales from traditional literature. The instrumental ensemble includes a hip drum, a shoulder drum, a stick drum, and a flute.

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#18

Enka

A Japanese girl in a kimono is singing

Enka developed in Japan in the post-WWII years as sentimental ballads about life during this period. The modern form of this genre is believed to be dated to 1969. Around that period, enka also became popular in other Asian countries.

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K- THULU
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If interested, try Japanese band Eleanor.... A blend of heavy, gothic rock crossed with Enka style vocals..... An awesome blend but an acquired taste...

#19

Simpsonwave

Homer on chess flooring with a dolphin in the digital wave

We can all agree that The Simpsons made a huge impact on popular culture. But did you know this cult TV show is responsible for the birth of an entire music genre? Lucien Hughes created some of the first Simpsonwave videos by combining sample audio and video from the show with another microgenre, vaporwave.  

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scag$y
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Watched a bit on YT. The videos are Simpsons clips, artfully sequenced to create a narrative, but the music is more, maybe, electronica, and doesn't have the Homer samples in that I was hoping for.

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#20

Witch House

Abstract dark blue and white image from HOLY OTHER - WE OVER music video

You will find neither witches nor typical house sound in this genre. Though this genre didn’t survive past a few years, it is still interesting to listen to, especially if you appreciate slow tempo, chopped songs, and wonder what a mixture of goth, noise, drone, shoegaze, industrial, and hip-hop would sound like. 

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#21

Zouk

Admiral T Ft. Jacob Desvarieux performing on the red car in Chat Ka Tété Rat music video

Born in the street carnivals of Guadeloupe and Martinique in the early 1980s, zouk is full of tropical vibes and upbeat tempo. The most prominent names of the genre include Pierre-Edouard Decimus, George Decimus, Jacob Desvarieux, and the band Kassav’.

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Lance-O
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is one of the Caribbeans most exuberant & lively musics good stuff

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#22

Soca

No Behavior Shell Down by Cloud 5 album cover - four black boys

Taking its influences from soul, cadence, and funk, soca became exceedingly popular in Trinidad and Tobago, Saint Lucia, Guyana, and Barbados in the 1970s. If you listen to it, it will become very clear why this genre is often referred to as “the soul of calypso.”

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Lance-O
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

this one is going more mainstream every year. You know ongs in this genre and just didnt know what it was another great genre of music out of the Caribbean

#23

Chap Hop

Scene from Fighting Trousers - Professor Elemental, a topless man boxing, and a group of people in the background

Chap Hop is a mixture of hip-hop, Chappism (a style established by the British humorous magazine The Chap), steampunk, and all things British (think tea, weather, and cricket). If this sounds like your cuppa, check out Professor Elemental and Mr. B The Gentleman Rhymer.

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#24

Freakbeat

The Snap Shots - Hip-Hip Hurray vinyl cover, red and black letters on a green background

A lot of new genres and elements emerged in the 1960s, and freakbeat was one of them. Combining British rhythm & blues, pop rock, beat music, and psychedelia, freakbeat is often considered the British version of American garage and psychedelic rock.

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#25

Lowercase

Cantor Quartets by Antoine Beuger album cover - abstract image

We’re not discussing typography here. In 2001, Steven Roden created a new style of ambient music that he called lowercase. One of the prominent examples is his album Forms of Paper, where he recorded various types of paper being handled, and then modified the sound in various ways. 

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#26

Folktronica

Image from Bibio Cherry Blossom Road music video - a road with tall trees

With electronic music being around since the late 1960s and folk music much longer, it was inevitable that one day someone would try to merge them. They may sound mutually exclusive, but folktronica often employs acoustic instruments.

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#27

Hypnagogic Pop

Image from Ducktails - Deck Observatory music video - water and clouds in dark atmosphere

In science, the term hypnagogic defines a state you are in just before you fall asleep. That said, hypnagogic pop doesn’t mean you have to listen to it before bed. This name was created by UK journalist David Keenan for bands who slowed down, looped and heavily affected sounds from the 1980s, creating a dreamlike psychedelia.

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#28

Skweee

Image from KODEK /// DSI TEMPEST SKWEEE DRIVE music video - hands playing Tempest electronic music instrument

Originating from Sweden and Finland, skweee is mostly instrumental and combines synth leads and funk and soul-sounding rhythms. The name implies that when you play skweee, you try to “squeeze out” the grooviest sound possible. It is also believed to have had a huge influence on the birth of dubstep.

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#29

Nintendocore

Digital image from HORSE the band "Bunnies" music video - cartoon face with speakers on blue background

If you have ever played Nintendo, you will recognize its very specific music and sound effects wherever you go. Yet, Nintendocore is more than that. Combining retro video game music with chiptune, adding hardcore punk and heavy metal, it first appeared in the early 2000s.

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#30

Gabber

Image from 3 Steps Ahead - It's Delicious [Gabber][NL][1997] music video - three young man dancing outside

If you thought hardcore techno was heavy, welcome to gabber. It was created in the Netherlands in the 1990s in protest against overly pop-based techno music. Starting out as an underground, anti-establishment genre, gabber continuously works to stay as non-mainstream as possible. 

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Tim Nicebutdim
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I've got a couple of Ultraviolence albums, first one is good, the second was so far up its own backside it could check for blockages.

#31

Straight Edge Punk

The Vibrators – Pure Mania album cover - big black rounded v letter and a man standing near

Hardcore punk was well known for its excesses back in the ’80s. Opposing this, straight edge punk, taking its name from a punk song, came to exist. Fans and followers would abstain from alcohol and recreational drugs, and some even would maintain a strict vegan diet and refrain from caffeine. However, they were often seen as pretentious by traditional punks.

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Mila Preradović
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I have met the Vibrators some 25 years ago, I assure you they have nothing to do with Straight Edge 😁

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#32

Solipsynthm

Image from Mystery Skulls "Be With You" & "Invincible" music video - a pink cyber woman with an open mouth and gun in her hands lying down

Even Spotify labels this genre as “solo laptop experimentalists,” and it doesn’t get more hipster than that. Those who have tried this genre single out an artist named Mystery Skulls.

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#33

Neurofunk

Image from The Last Ever Noisia Show in Lowlands 2022 - a DJ and people on stage

The easiest way to describe neurofunk is drum and bass. Emerging in London in the late ’90s, this genre is, in fact, much more than that. Breakbeats to backbeats, influences that include house, techno, and jazz, but also a hard funk foundation, it is a pretty complex and inexplicable genre.

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#34

Screamo

Image from SPACEMAK3R - Circus Spacemaker Metal Circus music video - a man with a black hat and face painted singing/screaming

Screamo, or skramz, might be a subgenre of emo, but unlike the former’s expressive lyrics, it goes deeper into emotional pain and human rights. Sound-wise, screamo is heavily inspired by hardcore punk.

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Ghx
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Metalcore is the new screamo now, try the band called Architects. It's getting pretty popular

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#35

Qawwali

Image from Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan - Dam Mast Qalandar concert, three man are performing

Qawwali is largely popular in India, Pakistan, and some other South Asian countries; however, not many have heard about it in the West. It has been around for over 700 years. With a complex lyrical component that often has layers of meaning, this devotional music is devoted to the mysticism of Islam.

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#36

Soukous

Image from Papa Wemba - Yolele, two man in classy wear performing in front of red curtains

Soukous emerged in the 1960s as dance music in the Congo Basin. Its high tempo, somewhat resembling rumba, helped it grow in popularity. During the 1980s, soukous reached France where it also became very popular.

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#37

Drone

Alone in the Night Town by Shadowsun album cover - the street with buildings and a man figure

No, not the filming device. Drone is best described as a harmonic or monophonic effect or accompaniment, with one note or chord sounding constantly. Drone also claims to let dopamine flow through you when you listen to it. This style comes with multiple subgenres such as drone ambient, drone techno, and drone metal. 

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#38

Impossible Music  —  black Midi

black midi - Sugar/Tzu (Live Fire) song cover - abstract image with red vertical and horizontal lines

When playing music with electronic instruments or recording it through computers and other devices, musicians use MIDI files. A group of musicians took these files to create compositions that are said to be impossible to play by humans. A similar type of music emerged in 1947 when composer Conlon Nancarrow would punch holes in player piano rolls, thus creating complex musical pieces. 

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#39

Glitch Hop

Tristam - Till it's over, black and green graphic image

A lot of music genres owe their existence to hip-hop, and glitch hop is one of them. It includes beat repeats, lo-fi sound, chopping, and other glitch techniques, as well as elements of hip-hop. 

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#40

Cloud Rap

Image from Yung Lean - Oreomilkshake music video - a boy with a black hoodie in a decorative frame

Rapper Lil B is often credited for the birth of this genre. Commonly, it includes atmospheric, ambient synthesizers with the lyrics rapped on top of it. Later, Yung Lean added a trap beat to the sound, giving it a whole new feel. 

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#41

Ectofolk

Ecto by Happy Rhodes music album cover - an alien person with long hair in a grayscale atmosphere

Back in 1991, Ecto was an album by Happy Rhodes, an American singer-songwriter. Since then the genre has expanded to include many other musicians who use a similar approach to produce music.

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Nice Beast Ludo
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Hmmm based on name and picture I thought this might have to do with the paranormal. Disappointed again.

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#42

Danger Music

Image from HANATARASH video clip - a person performing Danger music and a group of people are looking at him

The fact that music can affect not only your emotions but also your instincts has been well known and also well used for ages. One good example would be horror film scores. The danger music genre took the idea of giving you an adrenaline rush and making you feel in danger to a whole new level.  

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