world
what it is
"World" (or "World Music") is a meaningless classification often used to discriminate any music from mainstream pop and rock. Those who use of this classification display a breathtaking ignorance of the variety of music through history and around the world. The term can thus encompass all the music ever created, from traditional African drumming and the extended qawwali singing of Pakistan through to rock'n'roll from Italy or Brazil.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 2 · the door
big names with a sharper edge
level 3 · one step out
cult favorites and indie darlings
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make world a playlist
turn these 35 artists into something you can press play on.
✦ nearby genres
questions
What is world?
"World" (or "World Music") is a meaningless classification often used to discriminate any music from mainstream pop and rock. Those who use of this classification display a breathtaking ignorance of the variety of music through history and around the world. The term can thus encompass all the music ever created, from traditional African drumming and the extended qawwali singing of Pakistan through to rock'n'roll from Italy or Brazil.
What are good world albums to start with?
Try Aman Iman: Water Is Life by Tinariwen, Boheme by Deep Forest, Laughter Through Tears by Oi Va Voi, and Made in Dakar by Orchestra Baobab.
Who are some women making world?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/world/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making world, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20