Many of the most important movements in music history got their start, primarily, in one city. Grunge, motown, thrash metal, and countless more, are all musical musical tributes to growing up there.
While there are countless cities across the US that an artist or two claims as their hometown, or which have played a decent role in the growth of a genre or movement, there are definitely a handful of cities that stand out on the cultural map. Without these ten US cities, not only would American music not be the same, but all music, on an international level, would not be the same.
10 Detroit, Michigan
Home of Motown and So Much More
With the exception of New York City, there aren't really any cities with as rich and eclectic a music history as Detroit, Michigan. Most notably, of course, is Motown, the iconic label founded by Barry Gordy Jr. whose very namesake was Detroit, the Motor City. Motown was responsible for a truly remarkable number of musical influences, including the Jackson Five, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, the Temptations, Marvin Gaye—the list is seemingly infinite.
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Beyond the truly mammoth role that the city's defining record label played in music history, the list of influential artists who called Detroit home is equally huge. There's the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin, whose presence is felt deeply throughout the entire city, garage rock master Jack White of The White Stripes, which was formed in a Detroit suburb, and classic rock golden boy Bob Seger and his Silver Bullet Band. And who could forget one of the greatest rappers of his generation, Eminem? Detroit is simply a minefield of musical talent, as it's been proving for decades on end.
9 Athens, Georgia
The Starting Place For a Number of Legends
First and foremost, Athens is known as a college town, home of the athletically dominant-on-all-fronts Georgia Bulldogs. What may not be as obvious is the city's contribution to music history, as a hub in the early days of alt-rock and new wave. The students at the University of Georgia were a huge part of the Athens music scene, frequenting local venues like the Uptown Lounge and the 40 Watt Club, in addition to the legendary used record store Ort's Oldies, all of which contributed to the rich indie music scene of the town.
By the early 1980s, two bands who have since become massive chart-toppers and huge influences on the rock and alternative music landscapes had risen to fame out of Athens: R.E.M. and The B-52's. As a result of their growing fame, aided by other new-wave and alt-rock artists such as Widespread Panic and Pylon, the rest of the country began taking notice of Athens as a hub and big player in the origins of modern alt-rock and new wave music.
8 New York, New York
Five Boroughs of Musical Bliss
When it comes to New York City, each of the five boroughs alone has a relatively rich musical history, but if you put them all together, it really does become New York or nowhere. From the number of artists who grew up in the city, to the artists who got big as a result of playing at some of the most historic underground venues across the city, the impact of music festivals or late-night TV performances, and not to mention Broadway—if you can make it as a musician in NYC, you can make it anywhere.
There isn't a city in America which has bred more music legends than New York.
Nearly every genre of music can somehow be traced back to NYC, but rap music would not be nearly the genre it is today if it weren't for the five boroughs. Two of the genre's greatest legends, The Notorious B.I.G. and Jay-Z both grew up in Brooklyn, and they're damn proud of it. They aren't the only proud New Yorkers who have influenced music history; other notable artists include Lady Gaga, the Beastie Boys, the Ramones, Alicia Keys, Billy Joel, and Frank Sinatra; there isn't a city in America which has bred more music legends than New York.
7 Nashville, TN
The Country Music Capital
A destination for any and all types of parties across the country, Nashville, Tennessee is the city where whiskey is always flowing, and cowboy boots and hats line the streets at every turn. Home of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Nashville is also the host each year of the Country Music Awards, and boasts live shows downtown at any number of honky-tonk bars on any given night. If New York is the city that never sleeps, Nashville is the city that never stops singing.
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Beyond the music scene itself, Nashville is home to an impressive number of record labels, including labels which were founded in other cities but expanded to Nashville in order to have one foot in the Music City's door. While country is the city's primary genre, blues, rock, bluegrass, even folk artists have been flocking to Nashville for decades in order to make a name for themselves. The list of legends who grew up there may not be as long (though Dolly Parton surely tops it), but the list of artists who have made or performed music there is truly never-ending.
6 Los Angeles, CA
Not Just a City of Show Business
There's no doubt that the City of Angels is where everyone who is anyone in show business makes their living. In no way, however, should that detract from Los Angeles' rich music history. There aren't many cities that have multiple chart-topping hits being written about them, but if you count Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica, and Compton, LA definitely tops that list. The city simply oozes glitz and glamor, and it's a city of dreams, making it the perfect lyrical subject matter that transcends genre.
Classic rock's The Doors, heavy metal's Metallica, rap's N.W.A., R&B's Etta James, and pop's Maroon 5 all hail from LA, and there are plenty more where these came from.
While the city has been the subject of a whole slew of hits, there is also no shortage of music legends hailing from Los Angeles, including massive influences on nearly every genre of music. Classic rock's The Doors, heavy metal's Metallica, rap's N.W.A., R&B's Etta James, and pop's Maroon 5 all hail from LA, and there are plenty more where these came from. LA will always be known as the cinematic hub of the US, as it should be, but it is just as much a musical paradise as it is a cinematic one.
5 Minneapolis, MN
A Midwestern Hub of Musical Talent
Minneapolis, Minnesota is a city whose eclectic music history has sort of flown under the radar, but it is best known as the home of genre-bending music legend, Prince, and his band The Revolution. Prince alone, with his 40-album discography, has been enough of an influence to put Minneapolis on the music map as a major hub, but he isn't the city's only crown jewel. Other artists who have called Minneapolis home include The Replacements, Soul Asylum, Semisonic, and Lizzo.
On top of the artists who are from Minneapolis, there is also an entire subgenre of funk music called The Minneapolis Sound. Lipps, Inc. came out with their song "Funkytown," which was a major influence in launching the synth-driven subgenre into popularity. The Minneapolis Sound was funk music at its core, with infusions of new wave and electronic synth-pop. Though it was confined primarily to the late '70s, and into the '80s, artists like Prince, as well as The Time, Vanity 6, and Sheila E., among others who pioneered the subgenre, remain an integral part of the city's music history.
4 New Orleans, LA
The Birthplace of Jazz
Though the timeline is a bit fuzzy, it is widely known and universally understood that jazz music was both born and bred in the city of New Orleans, Louisiana. Characterized by its use of brass and traditional string instruments, jazz had a number of distinct cross-cultural influences, all refined in New Orleans, giving the city one of the oldest and richest musical histories in the US. From its late 19th century and early 20th century roots, jazz musicians began to evolve, and from there, R&B was born.
It's safe to say that much of today's music landscape would not exist were it not for New Orleans.
Without R&B, there would be no Rock 'n' Roll, so as one thing led to another, it's safe to say that much of today's music landscape would not exist were it not for New Orleans. Some notable jazz and R&B musicians from New Orleans include Fats Domino, Louis Armstrong, and Dave Bartholomew, all of whom were deeply influential, whether directly or indirectly, to nearly every musical movement of the 20th and 21st centuries. The modern scene in New Orleans is also worth mentioning, as the city is a hub for various hip-hop artists and heavy metal artists as well.
3 Seattle, WA
The Place to Be in the '90s
Very few massive subgenres had ties as deeply-rooted in one city as the grunge movement did in Seattle, Washington. Nirvana, Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, and Pearl Jam, otherwise known as The Seattle Four, were regarded as some of the biggest bands in music history. All four bands rose to prominence in the early '90s, when they dominated the music scene not only in Seattle, but nationwide. After the rise of grunge, Seattle became an expansively prominent music hub of alt-rock, with a nationally-renowned radio station, KEXP-FM, and a handful of indie record labels which signed any number of big-name artists.
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Seattle, like seemingly every big music city, is also home to a whole slew of artists, including the legendary Jimi Hendrix, Heart, Band of Horses, The Head and the Heart, Brad, and countless others. While Seattle is known as the home of grunge music, the folk rock scene of the northwestern city is incredibly vibrant as well. Many of the most successful modern indie and folk rock bands of the 21st century hail from Seattle. On top of Band of Horses and The Head and the Heart, the city—and its surrounding suburban towns—also claims Fleet Foxes, Death Cab For Cutie, and Brandi Carlile.
2 San Francisco, CA
Where Counterculture and Psychedelic Rock Blossomed
One of the most famous intersections in American history is San Francisco, California's Haight-Ashbury, where the counterculture movement really took off. The movement was in its prime during the late '60s and early '70s, with artists like the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and Santana, all from the San Francisco Bay Area, leading the charge. It almost seems as though half the lineup of Woodstock came directly from San Francisco. The music created within hippie culture and the movement for peace would come to be known as the San Francisco sound.
On top of psychedelic rock, however, a very different genre of music also originated in San Francisco: thrash metal. Though the city did not claim any of the big four thrash metal bands, Metallica, arguably the biggest name in the genre, didn't really take off until they relocated to San Francisco and acquired bassist Cliff Burton. In addition to Metallica, bands like Exodus, Testament, and Death Angel were all formed in the San Francisco Bay Area, solidifying the subgenre's legacy on an international level.
1 Boston, MA
There Must Be Something in the Water Here
There isn't a city in the US that had a wildly successful classic rock band named directly after the city they came from except for Boston, Massachusetts. Boston, the band, released six studio albums, all of which peaked in the top 50 of the Billboard 200, and four of which reached the top ten, each time reminding fans that they attribute at least a portion of their success to their namesake hometown. The city was home not only to Boston, but a number of massively influential rock bands of the 20th century, such as Aerosmith, The Cars, and The Lemonheads.
Beyond rock music, artists from Boston had a vibrant and eclectic influence on nearly every modern genre of music. Boy bands New Edition and New Kids on the Block both originated in Boston, leading to the formation of R&B trio Bell Biv DeVoe. The city was also home to Donna Summer, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, the Pixies, Rob Zombie, Drop Nineteens, Dropkick Murphys, Extreme, Boys Like Girls—the seemingly endless list spans countless genres and generations.