Genres vs. Subgenres of Music (bands, heavy metal, contemporary, sounds)

[BajanYankee]

I often wonder what types of music to categorize as "genres" and which to categorize as "subgenres."

Is heavy metal, for example, a subgenre of rock music? Or is it now so completely distinct that it has to be considered a genre of its own?

Is Rhythm and Blues (R&B) a mere subgenre of blues? Many people would say that the sounds of Mary J. Blige and Ma Rainey have little in common just like the sounds of Chubby Checker and contemporary rock bands have little in common.

So what do you think? Would you consider heavy metal and R&B to be their own genres? Or are they subgenres of rock music and blues music, respectively?

[Gentoo]

I would say it more like this:

Super genre
Rock n Roll
Genre
Heavy Metal Sub genres: Speed metal, death metal
Genre
Punk Rock sub genres: Emo, Ska, Screamo, Hardcore

Just to name a few. Dance music too is like this and gets very complicated.

[David_J]

Originally Posted by BajanYankee

I often wonder what types of music to categorize as "genres" and which to categorize as "subgenres."

Is heavy metal, for example, a subgenre of rock music? Or is it now so completely distinct that it has to be considered a genre of its own?

Is Rhythm and Blues (R&B) a mere subgenre of blues? Many people would say that the sounds of Mary J. Blige and Ma Rainey have little in common just like the sounds of Chubby Checker and contemporary rock bands have little in common.

So what do you think? Would you consider heavy metal and R&B to be their own genres? Or are they subgenres of rock music and blues music, respectively?

Don't know anything of blues and very little of R&B music. As for rock and metal, I consider them two distinct genres, with some overlap (alt metal, nu metal, and metalcore are fusion genres of rock and metal imo, and bands such as Disturbed and Avenged Sevenfold straddle the boundary between hard rock and heavy metal in general).

Originally Posted by Gentoo

I would say it more like this:

Super genre
Rock n Roll
Genre
Heavy Metal Sub genres: Speed metal, death metal
Genre
Punk Rock sub genres: Emo, Ska, Screamo, Hardcore

Just to name a few. Dance music too is like this and gets very complicated.

Rock 'n' Roll is a subgenre of rock music in general, since the perception of mainstream rock has changed considerably within the last half century. I do see where you're coming from in separating heavy metal from punk rock, though - their fanbases hate each other.