Progressive Rock: It evolved during the late 1960s and early 1970s. It drew elements from classical, jazz, and world music. Instrumentals are common in progressive rock. Some artists that belong to the progressive rock genre are Pink Floyd, Yes, Genesis, King Crimson, and Jethro Tull.
Folk Rock: Folk rock was pioneered by The Byrds in the mid 1960s. It combines the simple and direct songwriting style of folk music with a rock and roll backbeat.
Heavy Metal: The first proper heavy metal band was Black Sabbath in the late 1960s. Heavy metal has aggressive sounds with heavy drums, bass, and distorted guitar sounds.
Punk: Punk rock started in the mid 70s in Seattle, Washington. Some punk artists were The Ramones, Wayne County, Johnny Thunders and the Heartbreakers, Blondie, and Talking Heads.
Alternative: The technical definition of alternative rock is rock that descends from punk. It started in the 1980s with artists like REM and became popular with college students. Nirvana brought the genre mainstream in the 1990s along with other artists like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.