Types of House Music: 13 House Genres Explained
House music is one of the most versatile and enduring genres in electronic music.
It’s got deep roots—born in the sweaty clubs of Chicago in the ‘80s—but it didn’t stay underground for long.
From there, it spread fast, evolving into dozens of different types of house music.
Today, whether you’re relaxing to a lo-fi house mix, dancing all night to tech house, or zoning into a hypnotic deep house groove, you’re still riding the same four-on-the-floor pulse that started it all.
But what makes all these types of house music different? And how did this one genre split into so many directions?
In this guide, we’ll break down the many genres of house music, from the original Chicago house sound to weird and wild offshoots.
Whether you’re just learning the ropes or looking to deepen your knowledge, we’ve got you covered.
Table of Contents
- Chicago house (Chicago, 1983-84)
- Acid house (Chicago, 1985-86)
- French house/filter house (Paris, 1992-93)
- Italo house (Italy, late 80s)
- Balearic house (Ibiza, late 1980s)
- Deep house (Chicago, 1980s)
- Progressive house (UK/Europe, early 1990s)
- Tech house (UK/Spain, mid to late 90s)
- Slap house (Brazil, late 2010s)
- Lo-fi house (online underground, mid-2010s)
- Electro house/big room house (Europe/US, early 2000s)
- Afro house (South Africa, 1990s)
- Tropical house (Europe, 2010s)
What is House Music?
House music is a dance music genre that originated in Chicago in the late 1980s. It is well known for its four-on-the-floor kick pattern, pulsating synths, jazz-influenced chord progressions, and use of Roland TR-909 and TB-303 synthesizers.
In this video, Alex show the most common electronic drum patterns like four-on-the-floor and beyond!
The name “house” came from the legendary Chicago club the Warehouse, where underground dance parties were held.
Hearing this new, infectious, and dancey music, rave-goers would ask the DJ what was playing at the Warehouse.
Today, house music is the most popular and influential electronic music genre. It spawned dozens of subgenres, all influenced by various locales, instruments and arrangement styles.
What genres of house music are most popular?
With over three million samples on LANDR Samples, we have a huge selection of house-inspired samples for every subgenre.
To find the most popular subgenres, we dove into the download stats to see what subgenres are most in demand.
Here are the results.
The top three house music genres downloaded on LANDR Samples are tech house, deep house and afro house.
With tech house, deep house and afro house leading the pack, it’s clear that modern genres that pay homage to the past while bringing new cultural influences into the mix are the most popular types of house people are making today.
House vs. techno
Learn how to use vocal samples in house music.
Understandably, house and techno are often confused.
They’re fairly similar, considering that both feature a heavy four-on-the-floor kick drum pattern.
But the main difference is that techno focuses more on synthesizers over samples while featuring minimalist, often atonal arrangements.
Techno in general produces a futuristic, technology-driven, almost robotic sound and aesthetic, while house emphasizes a more organic, soulful and acoustic aesthetic and sound.
Explaining 13 types of house music
Now that we know a little bit about the history of house music, let’s explore its many subgenres.
1. Chicago house (Chicago, 1983-84)
House music’s inspiration is squarely attributed to 1970s disco music.
With the popularity of disco music rapidly declining in the 1980s, a small group of Chicago-based producers needed a way to refresh the tired genre.
With then new synths and drum machines, these producers and DJs discovered a new sound that took inspiration from disco music while creating something exciting, fresh and danceable.
Sampled drums synced to a synth bass and simple arpeggios, you can hear the beginnings of house in this 1987 Frankie Knuckles track "Your Love".
Using synths like the Roland TB-303 and the Roland TR-909 drum machine, which were initially designed to be cheap practice tools for live instrumentalists, these producers programmed semi-robotic but still bouncy electronic music that took the local party scene by storm.
The new genre of Chicago house produced a legendary rave scene that broke through to other parts of the USA and the European music scene.
Some notable originators include Frankie Knuckles, DJ Sneak, Felix Da Housecat, Mr. Fingers and Jesse Saunders.
2. Acid house (Chicago, 1985-86)
Acid house might be one of the first subgenres of house music to emerge after the explosion of Chicago house into the underground dance scenes of New York, London and Berlin.
Producers experimenting with the Roland TB-303 produced a squelching sound that squeezed out interesting frequencies with the help of its filter and resonance knobs.
The special synth sound created a unique building energy that was both groovy and psychedelic—it made for a wild sound that worked well over four-on-the-floor house kicks.
That melting, metallic, almost chemical sound of the 303 lent itself to its namesake “acid” and it paved the way for the now-popular genre of acid techno.
Some notable producers from the genre include Ceephax Acid Crew, Carl Cox, DJ Pierre and Giorgio Moroder.
3. French house/filter house (Paris, 1992-93)
French house producers put their unique spin on house music emphasizing funk and disco samples blended with broad filter knob sweeps that created a fading effect, which is why the genre got the nickname “filter house”.
Daftendirekt is a great example of French filter house with filter effects used throughout.
The unique production style is famously used throughout Daft Punk’s iconic record Homework, with filters sweeping to bring in the opener track “Daftendirekt” and throughout “Revolution 909”.
With all the filter knob twiddling, French house uses a lot of samples, with vocal chops, disco-inspired basslines and of course the punchy TR-909 drum samples permeating the genre.
Some well-known filter house artists include Cassius, Alan Braxe, Stardust and Air.
4. Italo house (Italy, late 80s)
Like its name suggests, Italo house is an early style of house that originated in Italy. It blends the rhythmic energy of Chicago house with melodic, uplifting piano chords, euphoric vocals, and the sleek, glossy production style reminiscent of Italo disco.
Despite its Italian roots, the genre often uses vocal samples from US-made disco tracks sung in English.
It’s not uncommon to hear a lot of soulful vocal samples repeated over the course of a given Italo house track.
Here's a groovy Italo house cut from Bass Bumpers.
The genre also features stripped-down but groovy bass lines, blocky jazz chords played in syncopated rhythms, stabby SH-101 synths and the signature TR-909 drum sounds.
Italo House also tends to come in at a slower BPM with funky, repeating, hypnotic rhythms.
Some legendary Italo house and disco producers include Giorgio Moroder, Eiffel 65, Capella and East Side Beat.
5. Balearic house (Ibiza, late 1980s)
The final strictly regional genre entry on this list is Balearic house, also known as Balearic beat.
Originating in Ibiza, Spain, Balearic house is comparable to Italo house’s vocal samples and BPM, but Balearic beat has a few distinctive characteristics.
This groovy yet simple cut from Dego embodies the original ideas used in Balearic house.
Balearic house blends house rhythms with a diverse mix of genres like Latin, soul, dub, funk, and world music, aiming for a warm, emotional, and sun-soaked vibe.
The drums in Balearic house tend to follow rock ‘n’ roll drum patterns and use LinnDrum drum machine sounds, instead of leaning on the classic TR-909 drum machine.
This lends itself to a rocking, ‘80s glam rock feel that’s infused with all the disco influences house music is known for.
Balearic house often samples buzzy electric guitars, overdriven Fender Rhodes licks and horn sections, distinguishing it from the smoother, more jazzy sound of Italian and French house.
Some notable producers include DJ Alfredo, Electra, Soul II Soul and Chris Rea.
6. Deep house (Chicago, 1980s)
Deep house emerged out of the Chicago house scene in the mid-1980s with DJs and producers doubling down on the soulful, smooth and rhythmically minimalistic sound of house music.
This introspective 90s cut from Philpot is pre-cursor to what would become modern day deep house.
Deep house became known for focusing on jazzier, harmonically complex chords woven between minimalist drum programming played over top of synth bass, dub reggae and funk samples.
But today, modern deep house has taken on a slightly different and much more commercial hi-fi sound that is clean and crisp.
The modern iteration relies heavily on chunky 808 kicks, a lot of sidechaining, atmospheric synth pads and a slower BPM intended to be relaxing and almost meditative.
It’s the kind of music played poolside at boutique resort hotels since it’s mellow enough to relax to with just the right amount of movement and groove.
7. Progressive house (UK/Europe, early 1990s)
Progressive house was originally used to describe a style of house music that drew influence from trance music, which was a popular European electronic genre in the 1990s.
You can hear the electro and techno influences in the old-school track from Kyo.
Progressive house initially drew inspiration from trance’s dense and layered melodic ideas, atmospheric sound and longer song length.
Compared to deep house, progressive house is the genre’s more aggressive, more danceable and high-energy cousin.
Today, modern progressive house embodies that festival “big room” sound.
Tiesto might be one of the biggest modern progressive house DJs in the world.
It’s defined by an evolving structure, melodic build-ups, and atmospheric textures, offering a more emotional, cinematic take on house that gradually intensifies over time.
The modern iteration uses a faster BPM, huge kicks and punchy synth lines. It draws from pop music influences using verses and choruses sung with top-40-style production values.
Some notable modern progressive house producers include Tiesto, Deadmau5 and Timmy Trumpet, to name a few.
8. Tech house (UK/Spain, mid to late 90s)
Tech house most directly draws inspiration from techno production styles, fusing the groove and soul of house with the minimalism and precision of techno.
Tiga is a good example of a mainstream tech house producer who still pays homage to the underground.
Typically played between 122–128 BPM, tech house blends the rhythmic grooves of house with the punch and minimalism of techno — characterized by tight drums, rolling basslines, and subtle effects
Tech house is a trendy genre that’s often more minimalist, using a limited number of instruments and simple vocal samples.
Some notable producers from the genre include Carl Cox, Swedish House Mafia, Eric Prydz, Peggy Gou and Tiga.
9. Slap house (Brazil, late 2010s)
Slap house is a modern subgenre of house music that blends deep house-style vocals, EDM-style energy, and a punchy slap bass sound. Evolving in the late 2010s, it draws direct influence from Brazilian bass, trap music and deep house as popularized by artists like Alok.
The genre gained global attention through Imanbek’s viral remix of “Roses” by SAINt JHN, which helped define its signature mix of minimalist drops, compressed low-end, and chopped vocal hooks.
Slap house producers like Imanbek emphasize claps and trap-inspired break downs.
Slap house is very similar to progressive house, with a specific focus on the 808 and 909 clap sound and an emphasis on trap-inspired breakdowns.
That slapping, clapping sound is where the genre gets its namesake “slap” house nickname from.
If you’re curious about making a slap house track of your own, we’ve covered the genre in past articles.
Some notable artists from the slap house genre include Alok, Tiesto, KSHMR, Imanbek and LUMIX.
10. Lo-fi house (online underground, mid-2010s)
Lo-fi house is a raw, nostalgic subgenre of house music that combines classic house and tech house influences with lofi hip-hop beat influences.
It first gained traction in the mid-2010s, primarily through YouTube channels, SoundCloud, and underground vinyl and cassette releases, where producers embraced a vintage, lo-fi sound palette.
Ross From Friends' low-key yet dancy tracks embody lo-fi house production trends.
It’s closely associated with a wave of internet-born artists who preferred VHS-inspired visuals, slow fade transitions, and a sense of lo-fi melancholy or blissed-out detachment.
The genre is defined by its intentionally degraded audio quality, often using crackling vinyl loops, fluttering samples, saturated drum machines, rain background noise and fuzzy tape distortion interwoven with vintage synths like the Casiotone, Juno-8 and SH-101.
Lo-fi house tracks usually process the mix through a tape emulator to make it sound more warbling and cassette-like.
In general, the genre’s production, mix and arrangement styles are similar to minimalist lo-fi beats and lo-fi hip, so learning how to produce this genre starts with studying the process of making lo-fi style beats.
Some notable lo-fi producers include DJ Boring, Ross From Friends, Fred Again… and Project Pablo, to name just a few.
11. Electro house/big room house (Europe/US, early 2000s)
Electro house is arguably the precursor to modern progressive house.
The genre exploded into the club and EDM festival scene with its intense samples, buzzing synth sounds, rock’n’roll influences and hard-hitting production values.
Where's Your Head At from Basement Jaxx is a classic example of the electro house genre.
Defined by its high-energy, bass-heavy tracks played at a faster BPM of 125-132 BPM. The genre combines the rhythmic structure of house with the distorted textures and buzzing leads inspired by electroclash and synth-pop.
Electro house stands out for its clean, digital production, and emphasis on dynamic drops and tension builds.
Electro house influenced the rise of EDM culture, helping define the mainstage sound of events like Tomorrowland and Ultra Music Festival.
Some notable artists from the genre include Steve Aoki, Basement Jaxx, Mr. Oizo, Benny Benassi and Porter Robinson.
12. Afro house (South Africa, 1990s)
Afro house combines aspects of modern house production with African-influenced rhythms and instrumentation.
Shimza is well known producer in the afro house world.
In Afro house music, you’ll hear hand drum samples and drum production, focusing on the djembe, doumbek, udu, cowbells, kalimba and berimbau.
Along with all the percussion, you’ll also hear African-inspired vocals and melodies, and synth sounds inspired by marimba and kalimba.
This high-energy, high-BPM subgenre has its origins in intense late-night dance parties, with DJs bringing a live hand drummer on djembe to play along to their bumping tracks.
Some popular artists from the genre include Black Coffee, Keinemusik, and Shimza.
13. Tropical house (Europe, 2010s)
Like afro house, tropical house mixes classic and modern house influences with Afro-Cuban rhythms and instrumentation.
Kygo's warm vocals and bright synths showcase tropical house stylings in this track.
You’ll hear tons of salsa and samba percussion instrument samples like clave, congas, timbales, cuica, agogo bell and surdo.
Again, this percussion is superimposed over bright, fast, high-energy house production that uses funky basslines and synth sounds that mimic marimba and guitar.
Some popular producers from the genre include Kygo, Felix Jaehn, Aziko and Sam Feldt.
Start a house party
House music has come a long way since its Warehouse days in Chicago.
What started as a local movement built on disco and drum machines turned into a global phenomenon—one that continues to evolve, inspire and keep people dancing across continents.
Each subgenre of house has its flavor, sound and cultural roots.
Whether you’re into jazzy deep house grooves, high-energy progressive anthems, or the raw, lo-fi textures of underground cuts, there’s a version of house music that speaks to you.
The best part? You don’t have to pick just one. House music is a playground for producers, DJs and fans alike.
So dive in, explore the different styles, and don’t be afraid to blend elements from all over the house spectrum in your own tracks.
And hey—if you’re looking for tools to help make your house productions shine, LANDR has everything you need.
From samples and instruments to mastering and distribution, we’re here to help you bring your sound to life.
Alex Lavoie is a drummer, music producer, songwriter and marketing professional living in Montreal, Quebec. He works as a staff writer at LANDR by day and writes indie post-punk tunes in his band UTILS while moonlighting as drummer for folk-rock outfit The Painters. Connect with Alex Lavoie on LANDR Network!
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