A Beginner’s Guide to Regional American Music

With 50 states and almost 314 million people, the music of the United States is varied and diverse. Rooted in the country’s multi-ethnic culture and history, American music has changed the world, with some of the biggest recording artists of all time drawing upon their homegrown influences in the creation of their own styles and sounds. From country to bluegrass, from grunge to heavy metal, American music as as dynamic and idiosyncratic as the nation itself. Here’s a beginner’s guide to regional American music.

1. New York City

Unquestionably the most famous city in the world, New York City has a music scene to rival that of entire countries. As the focal point for all things American, the sounds you’ll hear upon entering the city will represent a variety of different sources, and yet, all intrinsically New York: hip hop, disco, punk rock and salsa music, the latter borne from the city’s rich South American immigrant heritage. No guide to music in New York would be complete without mentioning the world famous Broadway theater, which sold over $1 billion in tickets in 2012.

2. Seattle

The largest city in the Pacific Northwest, Seattle was not known for its music until the grunge explosion of the mid-1980s. Led by bands like Nirvana, Alice in Chains, Soundgarden and Pearl Jam, the gloomy skies of Seattle became home to the nihilistic, dirty grunge sound, an image and perception that persists to this day. The area has now become home to indie and alternative acts like Death Cab For Cutie and The Presidents of the United States, as well as heavy metal groups like Metal Church, Nevermore and Queensrÿche.

3. Austin

Everything is bigger in Texas, they say, and so is the music. Known as the “Live Music Capital of the World”, the city is well known for its annual South by Southwest Festival, one of the largest music festivals in the world, which pulls tens of thousands of attendees who hear everything from electronic music to Texas wedding music. Austin is home to Janis Joplin, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Lucinda Williams, among many other artists.

4. Nashville

Nashville, Tennessee could arguably be considered the birthplace of modern American music. The Grand Old Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame shaped the entertainment landscape in the United States for well over a generation. Down the road, Memphis made names like Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison and Jerry Lee Lewis immortal.

5. San Francisco

The sun, sand, surf and sex of San Francisco made the city a haven for the counterculture movement of the 1960s. From surf rock to punk rock to heavy metal, San Francisco has always been the place to go for music that’s a little off the beaten path, giving the world bands like the Grateful Dead, Jefferson Airplane, and the Creedence Clearwater Revival.

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