Celtic Frost: Swiss Pioneers of Extreme and Avant‑Garde Metal Celtic Frost Swiss extreme metal band formed in 1984, noted for blending thrash and black metal with experimental, gothic and classical elements. Key albums include To Mega Therion and Into the…
Celtic music: traditions, instruments, and modern revival Celtic music Folk-derived musical traditions from the Celtic peoples of western Europe, covering tunes, instruments, regional styles, history, revival movements, and cultural roles.
Celtic punk A musical fusion that blends punk rock energy with traditional Celtic folk instruments and themes, noted for its working‑class ethos, cultural identity, and bands like The Pogues a…
Celtic rock Celtic rock blends traditional Celtic music with rock instrumentation and rhythms. Emerging in the 1970s, it preserves regional identities while spawning related styles such as Cel…
Centipede (song) "Centipede" is the 1984 debut single by Rebbie Jackson, written and produced by Michael Jackson. A top-five R&B hit, it remains her best-known song and was released in multiple mix…
Cha-cha-cha — Cuban music genre and social dance Cha-cha-cha Cha-cha-cha is a Cuban music style and partner dance developed in the 1950s by Enrique Jorrín. Known for its syncopated 'cha-cha-cha' step, charanga sound and international ballroo…
Chained to the Rhythm — Katy Perry song (2017) Chained to the Rhythm A 2017 disco- and dancehall-influenced single by Katy Perry featuring Skip Marley; socially aware pop single from the album Witness that reached high international chart positions…
Chalumeau: early single-reed woodwind instrument Chalumeau A baroque-era, single-reed woodwind that preceded the modern clarinet; used in 17th–18th century music and revived by historical-performance specialists.
Chamber music: small ensembles, history, forms and significance Chamber music Chamber music is repertoire for small ensembles — typically one player per part — noted for intimacy, conversational textures, and genres like the string quartet, piano trio, and q…
Channel Zero (Belgian heavy metal band) Channel Zero (band) Channel Zero is a heavy metal band formed in Brussels in 1990. Known for powerful riff-driven songs and intense live shows, they rose to national prominence, split in 1997 and reun…
Chanson (French song tradition) Chanson Chanson: the French term for song and a musical tradition from medieval polyphony to modern French popular song, covering forms, history, notable composers and distinctions from re…
Chant: vocal repetition in ritual, music and public life Chant A chant is a repeated vocal utterance or melodic recitation used in religious rites, meditation, protest, sports and musical composition to focus attention, aid memory and unite gr…
Charles Mackerras: Australian conductor and advocate of Janáček and Mozart Charles Mackerras Sir Charles Mackerras (1925–2010), Australian-born conductor and oboist noted for championing Janáček, Mozart and Gilbert & Sullivan; international career, recordings, honours and…
Charles Wuorinen: American composer and educator Charles Wuorinen Charles Wuorinen (1938–2020) was a Pulitzer Prize–winning American composer known for modernist, serial and electronic works. Prolific across orchestra, chamber, opera and solo rep…
Charmbracelet — Mariah Carey album Charmbracelet Charmbracelet is the ninth studio album by Mariah Carey, released in December 2002. It marked a post-crisis return, blending R&B and balladry with personal themes and modest commer…
Chase & Status British electronic music production duo from London—Saul "Chase" Milton and Will "Status" Kennard—known for drum and bass roots, genre-blending productions, charting singles and dy…
Chayanne es Mi Nombre Debut solo album by Puerto Rican singer Chayanne, released in July 1984 after he left the boy band Los Chicos; an early Latin pop record issued by RCA Ariola marking his transition…
Cheap Thrills (Sia song) Cheap Thrills Pop single by Sia from the 2016 album This Is Acting; became a global hit after a Sean Paul remix, reaching number one in the US and several other countries and earning major certi…
Cheap Trick: American rock band known for power pop and the Budokan breakthrough Cheap Trick Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Illinois, celebrated for catchy power-pop hooks, the live Budokan breakthrough and enduring popularity in Japan and worldwide.
Check on It (song by Beyoncé) Check on It A mid-2000s R&B single by Beyoncé Knowles written and produced with collaborators for the film The Pink Panther; notable for its dance-oriented production, commercial success, and…
Chess Records Independent Chicago record label founded by Leonard and Phil Chess; key in electric blues, R&B, soul, gospel and early rock and roll and influential on modern popular music.
Chicago (band) Chicago is an American rock band formed in 1967, notable for its brass-driven sound, long career, and many hit singles spanning rock, jazz, and pop styles.
Chicago (That Toddlin' Town) A popular 1922 Tin Pan Alley song by Fred Fisher that praises the city's energy. Widely recorded, notably by Frank Sinatra, and used in films; the tune became part of Chicago's cul…
Chicago blues An urban, electrified form of blues music that emerged in Chicago from Delta roots, characterized by amplified instruments, ensemble bands, and major influence on rock and popular…
Chicago Symphony Orchestra One of the leading American orchestras based in Chicago, known for its long history, distinctive sound, Orchestra Hall residence and summer performances at the Ravinia Festival.
Chicano rap: origins, characteristics and cultural impact Chicano rap Chicano rap is a West Coast‑rooted style of hip hop by Mexican‑American artists that blends bilingual lyrics, barrio narratives and lowrider culture with wider hip hop and Latin mu…
Chicken Huntin' (Insane Clown Posse song) Chicken Huntin' 1995 horrorcore single by Insane Clown Posse from the album Riddle Box; a darkly comic, violent critique of racist 'rednecks' that became a fan favorite and a signature in ICP's li…
Children of Bodom — Finnish melodic death metal band Children of Bodom Children of Bodom, formed in Espoo, Finland, were a prominent melodic death metal band known for virtuosic guitar and keyboard work, a string of influential albums, and a career sp…
Chill-out music A relaxed, downtempo strand of electronic music from early-1990s Europe, combining ambient, trip-hop, nu jazz and related styles for listening, lounges, and club ‘chill rooms’.
Chim Chim Cher-ee An Oscar-winning song from Disney's Mary Poppins, written by the Sherman Brothers and associated with the chimney‑sweep character Bert, notable for its refrain and enduring cultura…
Ancient Chinese musical system: the lü, tuning ratios and pentatonic practice Chinese musical system Overview of the ancient Chinese tuning system based on simple numeric ratios (the lü), how it was built, its historical role, instrument practice, and differences from modern equal…
Chinrest (violin accessory) Chinrest A chinrest is a small support attached to a violin that helps the player hold the instrument securely; it varies in shape, materials, attachment and affects ergonomics and sometime…
Chips (band) — Swedish country and schlager group Chips (band) Swedish country and schlager group active 1979–1983, best known for the Eurovision 1982 entry “Dag efter dag”. Key members included Elisabeth Andreassen and Kikki Danielsson.
Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (Limp Bizkit album) Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water Third studio album by Limp Bizkit, released in October 2000. A commercially successful nu metal release notable for its chart-topping debut, major singles and influence on late‑90s…
Choir (choral singing): types, structure, history and function Choir (music) An overview of choirs: their organization, voice parts, historical development, rehearsal and performance practices, types (professional, amateur, church, community) and how they a…
Chord (music): definition, structure, and uses Chord A chord is a group of notes sounded together. This article explains types, construction, how chords are played on instruments, historical notes and common uses in harmony.
Chord progression (music): structure, common patterns, and uses Chord progression A chord progression is an ordered sequence of chords that defines harmony and movement in music. This article outlines its structure, common patterns, history, and practical uses i…
Chordophone (string-based musical instruments) Chordophone Chordophones are musical instruments that produce sound primarily by vibrating strings. This article explains their definition, structure, classification, history, playing methods,…
Chorus: ensemble, song refrain, theatrical group, and audio effect Chorus Overview of chorus as a singing ensemble, repeated song section (refrain), Greek theatrical device, and the electronic chorus audio effect; history, functions, and distinctions.
Christian Gottlob Neefe: German composer, organist and Beethoven's first teacher Christian Gottlob Neefe German composer and court musician (1748–1798) who served in Bonn, wrote keyboard and stage works, and gave Ludwig van Beethoven his first substantial training in composition and p…
Christian metal: origins, style, notable bands and cultural significance Christian metal Christian metal is a strand of heavy metal music defined by Christian-themed lyrics and performers who identify as Christians; it spans metal subgenres and has roots in late-20th-c…
Christian music Music that expresses, accompanies, or arises from the Christian faith, including hymns, liturgical chant, gospel, and contemporary styles used in worship, devotion, and wider cultu…
Christian rock: history, styles, bands, and cultural impact Christian rock An overview of Christian rock—its musical features, origins in the Jesus movement, notable bands, cultural role, and controversies within and beyond the church.
Christmas at Ground Zero An original darkly comic holiday song by "Weird Al" Yankovic that pairs carol-like music with satirical Cold War imagery and apocalyptic themes.
Christmas carol: history, characteristics, and cultural role Christmas carol A Christmas carol is a song or hymn with lyrics about Christmas, traditionally sung during the holiday season. This article covers origins, musical features, examples, and cultural…
Christmas music: traditions, history, and modern repertoire Christmas music An overview of Christmas music: its origins, musical forms and themes, notable traditional and modern songs, cultural role during the holiday season, and distinctions between carol…
Chromatic scale (music) Chromatic The chromatic scale uses all twelve semitones of the octave. Explains its structure, notation, history, musical uses, and how it differs from diatonic and other scales.
Chromatica (Lady Gaga album) Chromatica Chromatica is Lady Gaga's sixth studio album, released May 29, 2020. A return to dance-pop and electronic club music, it explores healing, trauma and resilience and features severa…
