The term musical style means "the way I like to play the instrument or sing." The modern age has produced literally thousands of genres, and each one draws on the work of other artists. Heavy metal, for example, has hundreds of offshoots, and country music has a unique voice that is reminiscent of blues. Regardless of what the original genre of a song may be, it is still considered a GENRE, even if it has been influenced by a variety of other styles.

In order to determine whether or not a piece of music is a "real" genre, one must look at the origin of its style. For example, American rock and roll is classified as country rock, while fusion is referred to as 'world music.' These categories are largely subjective and tend to include folk, classical, and popular. Various artists' styles can be compared to different genres, with the Beatles being a good example of an 'American' song. One of the recommended sites is Musicnstyle.com.

Another category is the musical style. A ballad, which is slow and romantic, is a ballad. A jazz song that is upbeat is called a rock ballad. A progressive rock band would use a brass section on their second album. And a country and western style would be considered "world music." Likewise, pop music is defined as rock or folk. Using the terms interchangeably will help you identify which genre you're listening to. 

In terms of music, a genre defines its own DNA. For example, Rock and roll is a sub-genre of blues music. And a country song is a style of country music. In other words, a genre is the DNA of a musical style. A style is a derivative of its parent genre, so it is impossible to be completely different from it. This means that the stylistic differences between genres are merely the product of a particular artist's style.

As a rule, there are many different genres of music. For example, jazz was created by African-American communities in New Orleans, and is similar to ragtime. In the United States, pop music originated in the mid-1950s. The genre encompasses disparate musical styles, but a commonality is that it focuses on a balance between grace and lightness. A classical piece of music often consists of two melodic lines.