Music Genre Survey

[gingataff]

OK, imagine you have to make a mix-tape (CD, playlist, whatever) to play to someone who's never listened to music before.
It needs to contain one track* that best illustrates each of the following genres :

Classical:
Opera:
Heavy Metal:
Pop:
Reggae:
Hip-Hop:
Jazz:
Latin:

What would you choose and (if you feel like it) why?

(* Yeah, I know most of these is too broad for just one track, but that's part of the challenge)

[nfe]

Are we talking average pop/rock track length for the classical and opera pieces?

For the rest:

Heavy Metal - Metallica - Battery
Pop - The Beach Boys - God Only Knows
Reggae - Toots and the Maytals - Pressure Drop
Hip-Hop - Public Enemy - Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos
Jazz - Django - Minor Swing
Latin - Tito Puente - Oye Como Va (Santana can beat it!)

[gingataff]

Thanks for the quick reply and excellent choices.

Are we talking average pop/rock track length for the classical and opera pieces?

Fair point, I'd say yes-ish. Perhaps an aria or one movement of a symphony/concerto/sonata would be ok.

[Roobubba]

Presumably you forgot to include things like 'Rock' and 'Dance' for a reason? ;)

[bucketshred]

With my limited knowledge of most stuff...

Classical: Gustav Holst, Planets Suite, Mars.
Opera: Nessun Dorma.
Heavy Metal: Blood and Thunder - Mastodon.
Pop: Current: Anything by Lady Gaga. Quintessentially: Anything by ABBA.
Reggae: Land of Sensei - Macka B.
Hip-Hop: The Next Episode - Dr. Dre.
Jazz: I know nothing about Jazz.
Latin: Ricky Martin?

[gingataff]

Presumably you forgot to include things like 'Rock' and 'Dance' for a reason? ;)

No, I chose not to include them for a reason ;)

Actually this was a list given me for a seminar type affair, I was just interested to hear what songs other people would choose.

[ToneMonkey]

Classical: Cannon in D Minor - Pachabel
Opera: Ride of the Valkaries probably
Heavy Metal: Reign in Blood - Slayer
Pop: On a Ragga Tip (remix) - SL2
Reggae: Smoke Da Herb - Sizzla (or Mr Brown by Bob Marley)
Hip-Hop: Could be one of thousands, I'll have a think
Jazz: What's Jazz?
Latin: Anything by Rodrigo y Garbiela

[Philly Q]

Presumably you forgot to include things like 'Rock' and 'Dance' for a reason? ;)

No, I chose not to include them for a reason ;)

Actually this was a list given me for a seminar type affair, I was just interested to hear what songs other people would choose.

Most of us are going to have pretty limited knowledge of the genres we don't listen to - so our choices would probably be utterly laughable to fans of those genres. 

Or is that part of the master plan?

[gingataff]

Perhaps I should give more information about the purpose. I'm hosting some discussions about how music makes us feel and most of the participants probably don't have a broad knowledge of these genres. I've been provided with a CD to play during the discussion but I thought it would be fun to see which songs you guys would choose.

I might even decide to burn my own CD from your suggestions and use that instead of the one provided.

Most of us are going to have pretty limited knowledge of the genres we don't listen to - so our choices would probably be utterly laughable to fans of those genres. 

Or is that part of the master plan?

It's certainly not aimed at fans of the genres, in fact it may be all the better if you're not as fans tend to get more into the obscure areas that are less accessible to the first time listener. If I may quote myself:

OK, imagine you have to make a mix-tape (CD, playlist, whatever) to play to someone who's never listened to music before.

If you still feel insecure about your knowledge then wait until page 2 (if there is one) and pick something that has already been suggested ;)

[Philly Q]

If you still feel insecure about your knowledge then wait until page 2 (if there is one) and pick something that has already been suggested ;)

Not feeling insecure (well, not very  ).  But offhand I can't think of any reggae, hip-hop or jazz.  And I can think of a couple of bits of opera and classical, but can't remember the titles. 

In other words, too much thinking involved for work-hours.  I'll have a go when I get home.

[Plexi Ken]

Classical: 'Nocturne Op.9 No.2' (I think that's the correct name?!) by Chopin
Opera: 'Soave sia il vento' from 'Cosė fan tutte' by Mozart
Heavy Metal: 'Ace of Spades' by Motorhead (I know nothing about Metal post mid-80s)
Pop: 'Groove is in the Heart' by Deee-Lite
Reggae: 'Three Little Birds' by Bob Marley
Hip-Hop: 'The Magic Number' by De La Soul
Jazz: 'Take Five' by The Dave Brubeck Quartet
Latin: 'Don't You Worry bout A Thing' by Stevie Wonder

[FELINEGUITARS]

If you still feel insecure about your knowledge then wait until page 2 (if there is one) and pick something that has already been suggested ;)

Not feeling insecure (well, not very  ).  But offhand I can't think of any reggae, hip-hop or jazz.  And I can think of a couple of bits of opera and classical, but can't remember the titles. 

In other words, too much thinking involved for work-hours.  I'll have a go when I get home.

+1
Hip Hop, reggae and Latin are complete unknowns to me
For jazz I'm ok as liong as I can chose old jazz blues standards like Billty Holiday , Nina Simone etc

[gwEm]

this looks like fun - i will do the whole thing blind later, even if i have no knowledge of latin music ;)

[Philly Q]

OK, I'll have a go:

Classical: Ninth Symphony - Beethoven
Opera: The Pearl Fishers - Bizet
Heavy Metal: Battery - Metallica
Pop: Mr Blue Sky - ELO
Reggae: The Harder They Come - Jimmy Cliff
Hip-Hop: The Message - Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
Jazz: Take Five - Dave Brubeck
Latin: The Girl from Ipanema - Antonio Carlos Jobim

This is a mix of "first things that popped into my head" and things I actually like.  The Pearl Fishers is there because my stepmum used to pay it every Sunday lunchtime (and no way was I going to vote for $%&#ing Nessun Dorma)



Edit:  I see nfe already had "Battery" so for a second choice I'll go:

Heavy Metal: Skin O' My Teeth - Megadeth

[BigB]

Note sure if this will help but...

Classical: Coronation Mass - Mozart
Opera: I positively HATE opera, so nothing to reply here, sorry...
Heavy Metal: Dominance & Submission - Blue Oyster Cult
Pop: Help - The Beatles
Reggae: Slave driver - The Wailers
Hip-Hop:  Description of a fool - A Tribe Called Quest
Jazz: So What - Miles Davis
Latin: Guatacando - Fania All-Stars

Now I really do wonder why we don't have blues, rock, soul, folk, (western) trad, african musics (which would require quite a few entries), house, techno, spirituals, and, well, many other genres mentionned here.