Music is an important part of culture. It's worth learning about North American music genres (type) because it allows you to understand more about the people and language.
North American popular music has many genres (types). The main genres are rock 'n roll, R&B (R and B or rhythm and blues), rap, country and jazz.
A good place to start is to listen to what people consider ‘classics’. It’s not ‘classical music’, but rather ‘classic rock,’ meaning rock ‘n roll from the 1960’s and 1970’s.
Examples of artists:
You don’t have to like all you year. Just listen to it a little bit at first, and then find out why it’s important. Many people grew up listening to that music, so it’s a part of their background.
Find out more about the social context of the music to find why it's important. For example, The Beatles became famous in North America at a time of important social changes. Young people found their new style of music very attractive.