Medieval music refers to European music made between the sixth century and the early fifteenth century, the beginning of the Renaissance era. Its forms include Gregorian chant, an a capella liturgical style also known as plainchant or plainsong; troubadour songs; organum, in which multiple vocalists sing a single melody at intervals; estampie, an early verse-chorus-verse style; and motet, a choral style developed by the composer Perotin from the organum tradition. These disparate styles represent music's shift during the period from monophonic (compositions with a single part) to polyphonic (compositions with multiple parts) forms, a shift spurred by the innovations of composers like Guillaume De Machaut, whose work sounds surprisingly modern to this day.

Notable Artists: Guillaume de Machaut, Hildegard of Bingen, Matteo da Perugia