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Music genre

Avant-garde music

Avant-garde music is a music genre in the 1940s. It is usually classed as a form of art music. Explore its 3 subgenres, key artists and related styles.

About Avant-garde music

Avant-garde music is a music genre in the 1940s. It is usually classed as a form of art music.

Artists closely associated with the genre include Frank Zappa, Björk, John Cale, John Cage, The Velvet Underground and Laibach.

Avant-garde music has given rise to 3 subgenres on this site, such as Avant-garde jazz, Sound sculpture and Avant-prog.

From Wikipedia

Avant-garde music is music that is considered to be at the forefront of innovation in its field, with the term avant-garde implying a critique of existing aesthetic conventions, rejection of the status quo in favor of unique or original elements, and the idea of deliberately challenging or alienating audiences. Avant-garde music may be distinguished from experimental music by the way it adopts an extreme position within a certain tradition, whereas experimental music lies outside tradition.

Genre family tree

Parent genres (↑) and subgenres (↓) of Avant-garde music.

Key artists

  • Frank Zappa
  • Björk
  • John Cale
  • John Cage
  • The Velvet Underground
  • Laibach
  • Sean Lennon
  • Thurston Moore
  • Joanna Newsom
  • Florian Schneider

Related genres

Questions people ask

Real questions from the Stack Exchange community – follow a link to read the discussion.

Frequently asked questions

What is Avant-garde music?

Avant-garde music is a music genre in the 1940s. It is usually classed as a form of art music.

Where and when did Avant-garde music originate?

Avant-garde music originated in the 1940s.

Who are famous Avant-garde music artists?

Frank Zappa, Björk, John Cale, John Cage, The Velvet Underground and Laibach.

Sources & credits