Corridos are a type of traditional Mexican music that tell the stories of heroes and villains alike. Although corridos are the most common term used for this type of music, there are various other synonyms that may be used. These include "narcocorridos," which center around the lives of drug traffickers, "ballads," which refer to any type of song that tells a story, and "regional Mexican music," which denotes the traditional music of various regions of Mexico. Other terms used include "ranchera music" and "Mariachi music," which are both specific genres that utilize many of the same instruments and themes as corridos.