In your opinion is there a musical hierarchy between different genres?

Question

Intelligence-wise...what do you believe to be the most difficult music and the dumbest?
ex. Pop, Classical, Jazz, Rap, etc etc

Answer 1

Jazz/Soul/Blues
Classical
Hard Rock
Soft Rock
Punk/Ska
Country
Hip Hop
Rap
Techno/House
Pop

Based on level of skill required to perform each

Answer 2

Im a musician and a sound engineer, i taught myself how to play and i have recorded and produced a clip for a band.

I started with rock n roll cause it was the easiest, then i progressed to Heavy metal as it was the most challenging, but metal used to reesemble Classical in its rules and execution, Jazz is the the hardest as it breaks the rules to creat more complex relationships between notes, but Rap/hip hop is the dumbest (easiest) as it is based on a primal rhythm an uses Pre made music to be reapropriated, and the vocalist doesnt have to sing, However the Linguistics and genius behind the Rimers is second to none, those guys masterd language so it depends on what level be it musical or meaningful, remember all music is a reflection on popular culture and artistic expression should never be gauged against other genres.

Answer 3

I'm not really that big of a fan, but Jazz has some of the closest harmonies, elaborate timing, etc, which I think puts it up with the top of the hierarchy, if there is one. Classical music is also more complex and unique. Popular music usually falls towards the bottom because it tends to follow standard chord progressions and is pretty simplistic.

Answer 4

Lol- funny question- but 'intelligence'-wise, what do you mean "difficult'? You mean which do we think is the most challenging?

Probably jazz or classical are the "most difficult".

then maybe prog rock,
then rock & rap on equal levels. Both genres comes easy to some.

Answer 5

This may be matter of perception and snobbery. Certainly a classical musician has studied and has talent, but so does a rapper - equal talent in their own way. The rapper can't pick up a cello and wail, and the cellist can't survive on a stage with a wicked rapper - he's gonna get killed and rap is its own sophistry.

I used to think rap was dumb until I watched 8 Mile and really paid attention to some of what these rappers are saying. They are connecting with something incredible. Just like not all classical is wonderful (some it so trite and boring it's be torture to listen to) neither is all rap. I like jazz and R&B best, but some think it's boring. It's all stuff requiring special talent that not everyone is going to appreciate. But I play music and I know what it takes to make really good music. I just may not care for the same things other people love, nor should I dis other people's likes and expect them to like mine.

Answer 6

Being a singer/guitar and bass player/ song writer.......and my father plays Classical guitar, Classical music is by far the hardest most complicated music to learn, Jass is also complicated as far as timeing because it uses different time signitures, pop music is usually very straight forward in the form of which it is written it's usually your straight forward verse/chorus/verse/chorus......listen to any song on the radio and you will understand, rap music well, for the most part not very complicated, but really that depends on the artist writing the song and what he puts into it.

Answer 7

No. I do think that many people perceive there to be one. Something like Clssical being no. 1, then Jazz, then Pop music, then country...

But art is art. Whether its Glenn Gould or Jimmi Hendrix, Lennon & McCartney or Bach, genius is genius.

So my answer is 'NO', I don't think there is any hierarchy among genres of music.

Answer 8

I'd put progressive rock, classical, jazz, and technical death metal at the top of the list.

Rap would be at the very bottom, right below Amish electronica.

Answer 9

I don't care about difficult, I just go by what I like.

Blues
Reggae
Bluegrass
Rock
Folk
Irish music
Various Other World Music

Answer 10

no. there are good and bad examples in all genres.

for instance (taking 2 at random) good rap is better than crappy jazz, and good jazz beats bad rap.

so it's not the genre. musical excellence is something much more difficult to define.