Music

Come Out and Play (The Offspring song) Come Out and Play 1994 breakthrough single by The Offspring from the album Smash; a punk-rock anthem noted for its repeating guitar riff, chant “Keep ’Em Separated,” and No. 1 placement on Billboard…

Comedy hip hop: the humorous side of rap music Comedy hip hop Comedy hip hop fuses rap and hip hop production with overtly humorous lyrics, parody, satire and novelty performance. It spans novelty singles, sketch comedy, and character-driven…

Comfortably Numb (Pink Floyd song) Comfortably Numb A 1979 track from Pink Floyd's The Wall, written by Roger Waters with music by David Gilmour and Waters. Noted for its narrative role, emotional detachment theme and iconic guitar…

Commodores (American funk and soul band) Commodores American funk and soul band formed in Tuskegee, Alabama in 1968, known for 1970s–80s crossover hits like Brick House, Easy and Three Times a Lady and for launching Lionel Richie's…

Como Ama una Mujer Como Ama una Mujer is Jennifer Lopez's first full-length Spanish-language studio album (2007), featuring Latin pop ballads produced with prominent Colombian songwriters and marking…

Como La Flor (Selena song) Como La Flor (song) “Como La Flor” is a 1992 Spanish-language song recorded by Selena, written by A.B. Quintanilla III and Pete Astudillo. It became a breakthrough hit in Mexico and one of Selena’s en…

Compact Disc single (CD single) Compact Disc single A CD single is a music single released on Compact Disc — in 8 cm 'mini' or 12 cm formats — used for promotion, charts, remixes and B‑sides; largely replaced by digital downloads an…

Compilation (music) Compilation A compilation album collects tracks from multiple sources—studio albums, live recordings, singles, EPs—assembled by theme, era, hits, label or various artists for listening, market…

Compilation album: definition, types, history and production Compilation album A compilation album is a curated collection of recorded tracks assembled from multiple sources or times. This article explains types, history, production, uses, and how compilation…

Complicated (Avril Lavigne song) Complicated Debut single from Avril Lavigne's 2002 album Let Go; a pop‑rock/pop‑punk hit that launched her career and became an international radio staple and early‑2000s cultural touchstone.

Composer: roles, methods, history, and types of music creators Composer A composer creates music in many forms—from written scores for orchestras to improvised and popular songs. This article explains methods, history, collaboration, and how composers…

Concept album A concept album is a record whose tracks are united by a single theme, narrative, character or idea, creating a cohesive listening experience across the whole release.

Concert (live musical performance) Concert A concert is a live musical performance presented to an audience. This article explains forms, venues, production elements, history, types (recital, orchestra, festival), and econo…

Concert band A concert band is a large wind ensemble centered on woodwinds, brass and percussion, performing a wide repertoire from marches and transcriptions to contemporary works.

Concertina: bellows-driven free-reed instrument, types and uses Concertina A concise guide to the concertina — its construction, principal systems (English, Anglo, duet, Hayden), history, playing technique and common musical roles.

Concertmaster (Leader): role, duties, and traditions in the orchestra Concertmaster The concertmaster (called the leader in British usage) is the principal first violinist who leads the violin section, coordinates articulation and tuning, and serves as the conduct…

Concerto: definition, history, structure and performance Concerto A concerto is a musical work for one or more solo instruments accompanied by an orchestra. This article explains its form, history, performance practice, notable types, and distinc…

Concerto for Orchestra (Béla Bartók) Concerto for Orchestra (Bartók) Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra (1943–44) is a mid‑20th‑century orchestral showpiece that treats many instruments as soloists. Premiered by the Boston Symphony Orchestra under Kous…

Concerto grosso: Baroque ensemble form and its evolution Concerto grosso Concerto grosso is a Baroque-era form contrasting a small group of soloists (concertino) with the full ensemble (tutti or ripieno). It shaped instrumental music and inspired later…

Musical Conducting: Role, Technique, and History Conducting An encyclopedic overview of musical conducting: its purpose, common techniques (baton and gestures), historical development, rehearsal role, and contexts from orchestras to choirs…

Confessions (Usher album) Confessions is Usher's fourth studio album, released in 2004. A landmark R&B record with hip hop and crunk influences, it produced major hit singles, sold over 10 million U.S. copi…

Connected (Stereo MCs song) Connected 1992 electronic/pop single by Stereo MCs from the album Connected; notable for its sampled groove, international chart success and frequent use in film and television.

Consonance and Dissonance in Music: Meaning, Causes, and Uses Consonance and dissonance Consonance and dissonance describe how combinations of musical notes are perceived—stable or tense—based on acoustic ratios, cultural conventions, and their roles in harmony and co…

Conspiracy of One (The Offspring album) Conspiracy of One Conspiracy of One is The Offspring's sixth studio album, released in 2000. It continued the band's punk-pop approach, yielded several singles, sold over a million copies worldwide,…

Contemporary R&B: origins, style, and cultural influence Contemporary R&B Contemporary R&B is a popular music style blending rhythm and blues with soul, funk, pop, hip hop and electronic production; it evolved from late 20th-century African American trad…

Continuum (John Mayer album) Continuum (album) Continuum is John Mayer's third studio album, released in September 2006. It blends rock, blues and soul influences and features the singles “Waiting on the World to Change”, “Beli…

Control Machete — Mexican hip hop group from Monterrey Control Machete Overview of Control Machete, a pioneering Mexican rap trio from Monterrey: origins, members, musical style, career highlights, notable performances, collaborations, and legacy in L…

Cool (Gwen Stefani song) A detailed overview of "Cool," Gwen Stefani's 2005 single from Love. Angel. Music. Baby., covering its composition, release, video, personnel and critical context within 1980s-insp…

Cor anglais (English horn) Cor anglais The cor anglais, or English horn, is a double-reed woodwind in the oboe family, pitched in F and sounding a fifth lower. It is known for its warm, plaintive tone and its use as an…

Cornet (brass instrument) Cornet A compact, conical-bore brass instrument similar to the trumpet, the cornet is valued for its warm tone and agility in brass bands, orchestras and early jazz.

Cornett (cornetto, zink) — early lip-vibrated wind instrument Cornett A lip‑vibrated wind instrument of the Medieval–Baroque eras, the cornett (cornetto or zink) is a wooden, curved or straight instrument with finger holes and a small cup mouthpiece…

Coroner (Swiss thrash metal band) Coroner (band) Coroner is a Swiss technical thrash metal trio formed in 1985, noted for complex arrangements, progressive influences and influential albums such as No More Color, Mental Vortex an…

Così fan tutte — Mozart's opera buffa (Women Are Like That) Così fan tutte Così fan tutte is a two-act opera buffa by Mozart with a libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Premiered in Vienna (1790), it explores love, fidelity and disguise and is a staple of the op…

Costumbres (Selena song) Costumbres "Costumbres" is a Spanish-language song written by Juan Gabriel and recorded by Selena for her 1988 album Dulce Amor; a remix and single version later appeared on the 1996 compilat…

Counterpoint (musical technique) Counterpoint Counterpoint is the compositional practice of combining independent melodic lines to create polyphonic music; it shaped Western music from the Middle Ages through the Baroque and r…

Countertenor: the male high singing voice Countertenor A countertenor is a male singer who performs in an alto or mezzo-soprano range, typically using falsetto or a reinforced head register. Used historically in church and early opera,…

Country blues (rural or folk blues) Country blues Country blues: an acoustic, rural form of the blues characterized by solo guitar, regional styles, and roots in African American folk traditions. Overview, features, history, examp…

Country Grammar (album) Country Grammar Country Grammar is the 2000 debut studio album by Nelly. Released June 27, it reached No. 1 in the US, sold over 235,000 copies in its first week and launched Nelly into mainstream…

Country Grammar (Hot Shit): Nelly's 2000 Midwest Hip Hop Debut Country Grammar (Hot Shit) Overview and context for Nelly's debut single "Country Grammar (Hot Shit)" (released Feb 29, 2000): composition, release, reception, cultural impact and notable parodies.

Country music: origins, styles, instruments, and cultural influence Country music A concise overview of country music: its origins, defining features, major artists, subgenres, instruments, and cultural reach in the United States and beyond.

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum A museum and institution in Nashville preserving and celebrating the history, artifacts, and artists of country music, including Hall of Fame inductions, exhibits, archives and edu…

Country pop: the crossover of country songcraft and pop production Country pop Country pop blends country songwriting and instruments with pop production and hooks. Originating in the 1970s, it produces radio-friendly crossover hits and has shaped several pro…

Country rock: origins, characteristics, and legacy Country rock Country rock is a musical fusion blending rock rhythms and attitudes with country instrumentation and themes. It emerged in the late 1960s and became prominent in the 1970s, influe…

Courante: the Baroque triple-meter dance and musical movement Courante A courante is a Baroque-era dance and musical movement in triple meter, known for its flowing, 'running' character and two regional styles (French and Italian) within 17th–early 18…

Cover Drive (Barbadian pop group) Cover Drive Cover Drive is a four-member band from Barbados that rose from YouTube covers to international exposure, blending pop, R&B and Caribbean rhythms and touring with major artists.

Cover version (music) Cover version A cover version is a new recording of an existing song by a different singer or band. Covers reshape material for new audiences and can become more famous than the originals.

Crackers – The Christmas Party Album (Slade, 1985) Crackers – The Christmas Party Album A festive studio release by English rock band Slade mixing reworked hits, party anthems and covers. Released in 1985, it reached UK chart success and earned a Gold sales award.

Cradle of Filth: English extreme metal band Cradle of Filth An expanded overview of Cradle of Filth covering origins, musical style, major releases, lineup changes, influence and controversies — a neutral, concise encyclopedia entry.