Prehistoric music (previously primitive music) is a term in the history of music for all music produced in preliterate cultures (prehistory), beginning somewhere in very late geological history. Prehistoric music is followed by ancient music in different parts of the world but still exists in isolated areas. However, it is more common to refer to "prehistoric" music, which still survives as folk, indigenous or traditional music.

As with most cultural matters in the ancient Western world, the Greeks were the artists and innovators, and the Romans were the ones who spread their works throughout the empire.

Music was woven through every part of Greek civilization(Open Link in new tab), from festivals to work to theatre and even to war. Musical was an essential part of upper-class education and was considered a highly respected profession.

Music at the end of the Middle Ages(Open Link in new tab) was almost unrecognizable compared to the beginning. Medieval music is Western music written during the Middle Ages. This era begins with the fall of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century and ends sometime in the early fifteenth century.

The beginning of the Renaissance in music is not as clearly marked as the beginning of the Renaissance in the other arts, and unlike in the other arts, it did not begin in Italy but in northern Europe, the Netherlands, and Belgium. The style of the Burgundian composers, as the first generation of the Franco-Flemish school is known.

The Classical period(Open Link in new tab) encompasses only the latter half of the 1700s, but those few years brought us heavyweight champs such as Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert, and Mozart. The piano replaced the harpsichord as the keyboard instrument of choice, and composers favored simpler, more structured works over the complicated advances of the Baroque era.

The Romantic period encompasses the music, art, and literature that came out of Western civilization in the 19th century. Works from this time carry all the hallmarks of Romanticism(Open Link in new tab): an emphasis on personal and individual experiences; a departure from traditional structures and rules; a focus on heightened emotions, love, beauty, and nature; and a callback to fairy tales and romanticized views of medieval times.

• Impressionist: 1890 – 1925

• Expressionist: 1908 – 1950

• Modern: 1890 – 1975

• Postmodern: 1930 – present

• Contemporary: 1945 – present

However, these sub-genres are normally lumped into one large category since there are so many diverse and opposing styles.

The 20th and 21st centuries can only be described as free reign for composers.