What is your favorite music genre?

Most of the music I like is alternative music, but I wouldn't say I like alternative music.

What I mean is, there's a bunch of bands I like, for the same reason anyone likes any music I guess. And they just happen to be considered alternative.

If I was someone who claimed to simply "like alternative music" that would be rather contrived. I haven't made a choice to like it because it's alternative, I just like it because of the way it makes me feel and inspires me. And importantly - there's plenty of alternative music I can't stand.

Even being more specific, I can't just say I like -all- that music. I like some rock, I don't like some rock. I like some metal, I don't like some metal. I like some Metallica, I don't like some Metallica.

To maybe give you a bit more insight into what your question intended perhaps, however, I will tell you this. Most (modern) non-alternative music, aka mainstream music, I don't like. Not because it isn't -technically- good, but because I've heard it a million times before. The perfect pop song was mastered decades ago. By the 80's the formula was widely known, and with synthesisers being available to almost anyone - a perfect pop song could be written and performed by almost anyone, using an insane number of different sounds/instruments/styles.

Also, generally artists who create mainstream music entirely -intend- to create mainstream music. So they will (either intentionally or subconsciously) follow -the- formula to making a popular track. That doesn't interest me in the slightest, I want creativity, I want passion, I want honesty in my music - not some weak copycat act trying to make money.

While there's plenty of alternative acts that do exactly the same thing, those who do -not- follow the formula are generally found in the alternative category. Why? Because it's not made to appeal to the majority - and if it doesn't appeal to the majority, that's what makes it alternative by definition.

Now I'm not saying I dislike all mainstream music on principal, I don't dislike it all, it's just that if I turn my radio on I'm -much- more likely to hear a hook, a melody, a structure, a sound, a style or a line I have heard before in another (popular) song, than if I was to pick a random track in the bargain bin at my local record shop.

In short, I prefer the alternative not simply because it's branded "alternative" - but because it's more likely to actually BE an alternative to what I've already heard.

Bear in mind what I said about not liking ALL alternative music however. I still have taste. And I still hear alternative music that bores me as much as mainstream music, for exactly the same reasons. When it comes down to me loving something new I hear, it's not because it sounds -different- from the norm, but because it sounds original and honest - not like the artist was trying to write for a target audience, but like they were writing to express themselves.

I don't know enough about how to classify the different genres (little ignorant here!) but I like so many different types that I don't think I have a favourite to begin with!

I would say that I am the same though; the majority of my music collection falls under the vague umbrella "alternative." I guess anything that isn't popular [pop] music nowadays is deemed alternative?

Well, my favourite bands/music artists are:

16 Horsepower (Rock/Americana/Folk)
The Flaming Lips (Rock/Alternative)
Fleet Foxes (Indie/Alternative)
Aimee Mann (Rock/Alternative)

Those are the labels that my Windows Media Player have given those artists. ^^

I like what I like. :) I'm not ashamed of any of the music I listen too and not ashamed to let other people know what I listen to, unlike back when I was a teenager...

Rock, Indie, Alternative, classical, and jazz are my favorites.

anything with a good beat
i like listening to music my friends make
im really into dj hero
and all the just dance games

I've been really enjoying listening to synthpop and vaporwave. I don't really have a favorite genre as my interests wander and migrate around a lot. One month I'll look for new metal bands, next month hip-hop artists, blue grass the next, jazz fusion the next.

It's like potato chips. You can't have just one!

I was brought up on classic rock, so I still like me some classic rock. Oldschool East coast punk, black metal, Jpop, triphop, Goth, these are all types of music I listen to on a regular basis. Any kind of world music. If I haven't heard it before I'm going to be curious about it, so whenever I am browsing the grooveshark broadcasts and I see some title in a language I don't speak, I might toss that song in my playlist just to hear how this band sounds.

There are a lot of types of music I don;t like in general, but there will be a few songs, or a few bands in each genre I like anyway. For example? Not a big rap fan. And yet there are rap songs I like. Ditto country. For the most part I rarely get an urge to listen to a block of country music, but the country songs I do like I like quite a bit.

My 'rents brought me up trying to make sure I had a wee bit of class, so I listen to jazz and orchestral ('classical' music; although the term 'classical' actually only refers to a specific time period of symphonic music) occasionally. About the oddest thing I am fond of is novelty records, the kitschier the better. My music tastes are all over the board, but you could always ref my last.fm if you want a more specific idea.

Oldies~ :D
I love how that genre fits all music from the 1940s to like the 1990s

My main favourite is alternative, but I've kinda gotten into Dubstep as well, I actually started making my own songs (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...vp-AjVOUcRdjvU if you're interested in hearing) and I'm also a fan of certain country songs and classic, hardcore, and screamo rock music.

It is really hard for me to choose my absolute favourite though haha

I love hip hop music and loud and fun type musics! <3

I always go through moods of the week with my genres. One week I listened to nothing but 80's rock and showtunes. The next week I listened only to Ed Sheeran, Abba, and Jazz (stuff like Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Louie Armstrong). Right now I've been listening to a lot of indie and French music. I used to be one of those people who said they'd listen to anything but country and rap, but even those two genres have worked their way into my music library (a bit part of my recent French kick has been French rap) so I just say I don't discriminate when it comes to genre.

I'm kind of back and forth on my favourite genres. Buuuut....I think my all-time favourite music would be a tie between Classical, Opera and Metal. I listen to most anything, though. From Alice Cooper to Bloodhound Gang to even Gogol Bordello or Judas Priest, I love all the flavors.

I am also pretty back and forth with my genres. There isn't really just one genre I prefer over all others. I do tend to listen more to mainstream music, like Taylor Swift or Lady Gaga (has she been missing in action lately?), or whatever is on the radio.

But, sometimes I happen upon more obscure artists that really stand out to me :) For example, Dandelioness introduced me to Melanie Martinez and her intriguing song, "Dollhouse," which has been stuck in my head! Not sure what genre this would fall into, but definitely not pop music (or artpop, in the case of Lady Gaga).

In the car, I tend to listen to whatever is on the radio -or- whatever my family members are listening to. Sometimes, we will pop in a CD (yup, we still use those!) and reminisce about the music of the past...oldies, but goodies!

When I am out karaoke-ing with my friends, we also tend to mix oldies with more new songs. After all, we grew up together and have been singing all kinds of songs at karaoke. Common artists include Kelly Clarkson, Lady Gaga, and other pop music artists, but also K-pop, R&B, Rock, and a few Country that I can think of off the top of my head.

I have multiple genres of choice, including New Age, Celtic anything, Alternative (I'm with you on this genre; some I like, some I don't), space rock, prog rock, classical, neo-classical, ethereal wave, dark wave, trance, folk rock, some country, and ancient hymns. So, I have a somewhat wide variety of favorite genres. I think. I don't know. Some examples:

[New Age] Lisa Gerrard, Loreena McKennitt, Enya, Beats Antique (sort of counts as New Age)
[Space Rock] Muse. And that's it. lol
[Neo-Classical] Jon Schmidt, Paul Eastham
[Celtic] Runrig, Coast, Wolfstone, The Pogues, Iona, Flogging Molly, Gaelic Storm, Anuna, Celtic Woman (saw them once in concert. 'Twas magical.)
[Alternative] Alanis Morissette, Nirvana, The Cranberries
[Ethereal Wave] Dead Can Dance

.... Umm, Im all over the place, I will listen to just about anything with a beat. Mostly pop, rock and classical though, but I will listen to just about anything and everything under the sun.

I listen to a lot of K-pop, but when I do back to English music, I tend to listen to a lot of dubstep and trap music. I'm into a lot of Karmin, Coldplay and Daughtry if I'm feeling especially angsty. But I don't really have a 'favorite' genre of music. I tend to listen to anything and everything

I like most music genres. The only things I can't stand are current country (the old stuff is better, although I still don't 'like' most of it), and ragas. Lately, I tend to listen mostly to Jpop/Jrock/Kpop/Cpop, dance, techno, some classical (it can't be too quiet...I get bored of it that way), some metal, soundtracks, klezmer, jazz, other world music, and a lot more. I used to be very into American pop/rock/alt. music, but the current stuff doesn't sound nearly as good as other countries' versions of that. I also was into rap and hip-hop back in high school, but not really now.

I'm a huge fan of instrumental music of any genre. I'm not saying I hate vocal tracks but if I had to pick something I'll almost always go with tracks featuring no vocals what so ever any day of the week. My reasoning for that is I can get lost in the melody of the song without a singer possibly ruining it for me.

I like Metal, Symphonic Metal, Glam Metal, Hair Metal, Dark Metal, Epic Metal, Disco Metal, Classic Metal and heavy alternative rock.

I don't like Scream Metal or Thrash Metal. (I like hearing at least some of the lyrics)