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Born in the U.S.A.: Top 50 Stars of the 50 States (Staff Picks)

7/3/2020

Born in the U.S.A.: Top 50 Stars of the 50 States

From Billy Joel's New York state of mind to the Beach Boys being synonymous with sunny California, each state has given us some amazing music. In honor of July 4th, Billboard has (subjectively) chosen a top star (or stars) to fly the flag for each of the 50 states. In most cases, the representative artist was born in his or her chosen state. In a few others, or in the case of groups, states were picked based on the states in which acts spent their formative years.

Please note that all selections are not based on strict Billboard chart methodology, but merely opinion, although chart history was strongly considered. Thus, please feel free to agree or disagree with our choices (the latter is much more fun). READ MORE about how this list was chosen.

ARTISTS MENTIONED

Billy Joel

Brad Paisley

Bruce Springsteen

Chrissie Hynde

Dolly Parton

Elvis Presley

Eminem

Garth Brooks

George Strait

John Denver

Born in the U.S.A.: Top 50 Stars of the 50 States — Joseph Llanes

Alabama: Alabama

Alabama: As if its name isn't enough, the band Alabama has banked 33 Hot Country Songs No. 1s, the most among groups, including its first since 1993 in 2011, courtesy of its guest turn on Brad Paisley's "Old Alabama."

Alaska: Jewel

Alaska: Jewel was born in Utah, but her family soon moved to Homer (and a home without indoor plumbing). When asked by Larry King in 2010 her opinion of Sarah Palin, Jewel responded, "I can't say we agree on everything (politically). But, Alaska women are can-do women. I love the state I'm from."

Arizona: Stevie Nicks

Arizona: Peter Green founded Fleetwood Mac in London, but the 1974 addition of Americans Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, the latter from Phoenix, ushered in the band's commercial era that led to its enshrinement in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Arkansas: Johnny Cash

Arkansas: With all due respect to occasional saxman Bill Clinton, Johnny Cash wins this musical election. The Man in Black, born in aptly named Kingsland, won new audiences with new music in even his final years (i.e., his haunting cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt") and topped the Billboard 200 as relatively recently as 2006, three years after his passing.

California: The Beach Boys

California: California is home to several superstars, from Paula Abdul to Frank Zappa. While Santa Barbara-born Katy Perry self-congratulated "California Gurls" in 2010, the Beach Boys wished they all could be California girls 45 years earlier.

Colorado: John Denver

Colorado: John Denver was born (as Henry John Deutschendorf, Jr.) in Roswell, New Mexico. Still, his name and smashes as "Rocky Mountain High" have made him as much a part of Colorado as Coors beer.

Connecticut: John Mayer

Connecticut: John Mayer takes a slight edge over New Haven native Michael Bolton, if only since "No Such Thing" so clearly evokes images of Mayer's alma mater, Fairfield High School.

Delaware: George Thorogood

Delaware: Wilmington-born guitar hero George Thorogood's Greatest Hits: 30 Years of Rock has spent the most weeks (57) of all entries on Billboard's Blues Albums chart.

Florida: Gloria Estefan

Florida: We could pick Flo Rida or Ariana Grande, or Backstreet Boys or 'N Sync, but with 29 charted titles on the Billboard Hot 100 and 30, including 15 No. 1s, on Hot Latin Songs, Gloria Estefan (born in Havana, Cuba) has gotten fans on their feet and in conga lines, moving to her Miami sounds, since the '80s.

Georgia: Ray Charles

Georgia: Home to famed alternative acts including R.E.M., the B-52s and Indigo Girls, as well as a whole new bounty of hip-hop stars from Atlanta, it feels most right to bestow the honor on the late Ray Charles. "Just an old sweet song keeps Georgia on my mind," the R&B titan sang on his 1960 Hot 100 No. 1. Since 1979, "Georgia on My Mind" has served as the state's official song.

Hawaii: Bruno Mars

Hawaii: The honor for the 50th state to join the U.S. goes to Bruno Mars, born in the Waikiki neighborhood of Honolulu. With "Just the Way You Are" having spent 20 weeks atop Adult Contemporary, the song stands as the longest-reigning debut format hit in the chart's 50-year history. Among his more recent honors, Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk!," featuring Mars, ruled the Hot 100 for 14 weeks in 2015, while, in 2017, "That's What I Like" became his seventh Hot 100 topper. In 2019, "Please Me," with Cardi B, became his sweet 16th Hot 100 top 10.

Idaho: Paul Revere and the Raiders

Idaho: Paul Revere and the Raiders, formed in Boise, notched 21 Hot 100 hits between 1961 and 1973, including the 1971 No. 1 "Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian)," an ode to Native Americans tragically forced to relocate in the 1830s.

Illinois: Chicago

Illinois: Originally named Chicago Transit Authority, Chicago has sent 46 songs onto the Hot 100, 20 of which reached the top 10. Even after the defection of lead singer Peter Cetera, the band topped the tally, with "Look Away," sung by Bill Champlin (who departed Chicago in 2009), ranking as Billboard's top single of 1989. (Tip: listening to any of the band's classics sounds even better with some deep dish.)

Indiana: Michael Jackson

Indiana: John Mellencamp has incomparably made his home state a central theme in his music. The "Small Town" singer was even born in just that: Seymour, whose population is, as of the last census, 17,503. It's hard to beat a King, however, and Michael Jackson was born in Gary. (Coincidentally, Seymour is located in Jackson County.)

Iowa: The Everly Brothers

Iowa: The Everly Brothers' harmonies influenced countless acts, including The Beatles and The Beach Boys. Don was born in Kentucky and Phil in Illinois, but their family soon embraced the Shenandoah, Iowa, music scene, with their father Ike often bringing them on to sing on his radio shows on KMA and KFNF.

Kansas: Kansas

Kansas: Sharon-born Martina McBride has placed 55 titles on Hot Country Songs, dating to her first on the chart in 1992. Still, Kansas is right there in the name of the band, formed in Topeka, that enjoyed such everlasting hits as "Carry on Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind."

Kentucky: Loretta Lynn

Kentucky: Coal miner's daughter and country icon Loretta Lynn was born in Butcher Holler. Runners-up in the state's musical derby: the Judds, as Naomi and Wynonna each hail from Ashland.

Louisiana: Louis Armstrong

Louisiana: As New Orleans = jazz, who else but Louis Armstrong? Satchmo not only crossed over to mainstream audiences as early as the 1920s, but also stands as a pioneer in breaking racial barriers, through the power of his beloved music.

Maine: Stephen Hague

Maine: Stephen Hague. A producer, not a known performer, Hague (born in Portland) has, perhaps surprisingly, produced hits most notably recorded by British bands, including Pet Shop Boys ("West End Girls"), New Order ("True Faith") and Erasure ("A Little Respect").

Maryland: Toni Braxton

Maryland: Hailing from Severn, Toni Braxton has enjoyed five No. 1s on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and 11 top 10s, including two No. 1s, on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. Nearly 30 years after her chart debut, "Do It" became her 14th top five single on the Adult R&B Songs chart, patriotically dated July 4, 2020.

Massachusetts: Aerosmith

Massachusetts: Aerosmith. With 28 Hot 100 hits since 1973, the "Bad Boys from Boston" best such worthy fellow (and wicked awesome) Bay Staters as Boston (of course), The Cars, Dropkick Murphys, The Mighty Mighty Bosstones, New Kids on the Block, Donna Summer and James Taylor.

Michigan: Madonna

Michigan: Heartland rock (i.e., the state's Bob Seger) perhaps best defines the Midwest, but Madonna was born in Bay City, graduated from Rochester Adams High School and attended the University of Michigan before dropping out to move to New York City and create the material that would make her musical royalty.

Minnesota: Prince

Minnesota: As with Jackson and Mellencamp in Indiana, you couldn't go wrong with either a pop/R&B cornerstone, Prince, or rock icon, Bob Dylan, representing Minnesota. We'll give the nod to late icon Prince, as Purple Rain vividly transported '80s music fans to Minneapolis, where the movie was filmed almost exclusively.

Mississippi: Elvis Presley

Mississippi: As Elvis Presley served as perhaps the most important figure in the mainstream popularization of early rock, his Billboard chart legacy is equally astounding. He's scored 109 Hot 100 hits between the chart's start in 1958 and 2020 (!) and boasts the most charted albums in the archives of the Billboard 200 albums chart. Simply, he's still the King of Rock & Roll.

Missouri: Eminem

Missouri: Eminem was born (Marshall Bruce Mathers III) in Saint Joseph, not moving to Michigan until age 12. Eminem is the best-selling hip-hop album artist of all-time, with U.S. sales of 48.9 million, according to Nielsen Music/MRC Data, as of July 4, 2020.

Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament — Dana Loftus

Montana: Jeff Ament

Montana: For such a big state, relatively few mainstream recording acts hail from Montana. Pearl Jam, which has notched five No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, from 1993's Vs. to 2013's Lightning Bolt, may be best known as a Seattle band, but bassist and co-founder Jeff Ament was born in Havre and raised in Big Sandy. Honorable mention to Helena's Nicolette Larson, whose "Lotta Love" reached No. 8 on the Hot 100 in 1979.

Nebraska: Randy Meisner

Nebraska: Another band that epitomizes the heartland rock sound, the Eagles, was co-founded by Randy Meisner, who also helped form Poco. Meisner sings lead on the Eagles' No. 4 1976 smash "Take It to the Limit."

Nevada: The Killers

Nevada: While Las Vegas has long been the performing home of Wayne Newton and, more recently, Celine Dion and Britney Spears, among many others, The Killers formed there in 2001. The band, with a stylistic flare in line with that of Sin City, has earned five Billboard 200 top 10s, including its first No. 1, 2017's Wonderful Wonderful. Plus, 2020 brought the group's second Alternative Airplay No. 1, "Caution." We could've just as easily gone with Las Vegas' Imagine Dragons for this pick, but, for now, The Killers win thanks simply to seniority.

New Hampshire: Ray Lamontagne

New Hampshire: Ray Lamontagne. The Nashua folk-rocker has reached a high of No. 3 on the Billboard 200 with three titles: 2008's Gossip in the Grain, 2010's God Willin' & the Creek Don't Rise and 2014's Supernova.

New Jersey: Bruce Springsteen

New Jersey: If from almost any other state, Bon Jovi would surely (shore-ly?) make this list in bold print. Bruce Springsteen, however, seems like the most apt choice if only for career longevity as a tie-breaker. An honorary mention, as well, to Whitney Houston.

New Mexico: The Shins

New Mexico: "You gotta hear this one song. It'll change your life," Zach Braff predicted about The Shins' "New Slang" in the 2004 film Garden State. The Albuquerque band roared to a No. 2 peak on the Billboard 200 with 2007's Wincing the Night Away, while 2012's Port of Morrow debuted and peaked at No. 3. In April 2017, Heartworms launched at No. 20.

New York: Billy Joel

New York: Some states were almost impossible to symbolize via only one act. Such New York-born superstars include Christina Aguilera, Cardi B, Mariah Carey, Lady Gaga and, of course, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. Before "Empire State of Mind," however, the Bronx's Billy Joel was often in a New York state of mind, from 52nd Street to his uptown girl.

North Carolina: Jermaine Dupri

North Carolina: Bucking the trend of country/rock artists best representing Southern states, Jermaine Dupri has produced 11 Hot 100 No. 1s for such R&B/hip-hop acts as Monica, Nelly and Usher. All 11 leaders have spent multiple weeks at No. 1, led by Mariah Carey's 14-week topper "We Belong Together" in 2005.

North Dakota: Lawrence Welk

North Dakota: Lawrence Welk, Bobby Vee ("Take Good Care of My Baby," 1961) and Wiz Khalifa are the only artists born in the state to top the Hot 100. But, based on longevity (a theme in this gallery, as a decades-head start translates to more all-time reach), acting/singing favorite Welk takes the title. Still, Khalifa's "See You Again" became one of 2015's biggest smashes.

Ohio: Chrissie Hynde

Ohio: While The Pretenders formed in England in 1978, frontwoman Chrissie Hynde hails from Akron. In 2005, the band joined the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (in Cleveland). Her debut solo album, 2014's Stockholm, entered the Billboard 200's top 40. Runners-up: the Glee Cast. Lima's McKinley High School TV singers own the record for most Hot 100 hits by a non-solo act (207) in the chart's history.

Oklahoma: Garth Brooks

Oklahoma: Garth Brooks. With U.S. album sales approaching 72.5 million, the Tulsa native and Oklahoma State University grad (advertising major, FYI) is the best-selling album artist in Nielsen Music/MRC Data history. In March 2020, Brooks banked his 36th Country Airplay chart top 10, "Dive Bar," with Blake Shelton ... who was born in Ada, Oklahoma.

Oregon: Esperanza Spalding

Oregon: 2011 Best new artist Grammy Award winner Esperanza Spalding was born in Portland. The acclaimed jazz instrumentalist/singer famously won the honor over presumed favorite (and Canada native) Justin Bieber. Also from the Portlandia region: The Decemberists, Everclear and Courtney Love.

Pennsylvania: Taylor Swift

Pennsylvania: Wyomissing's Taylor Swift proves that you don't need to hail from the south to make great country music ... and since the release of 1989, pop smashes. In 2019, Lover became her sixth Billboard 200 No. 1 Runners-up from the Keystone State: with their blue-eyed Philly soul, Daryl Hall and John Oates.

Rhode Island: Jeffrey Osborne

Rhode Island: Jeffrey Osborne. The Providence-born R&B singer fronted L.T.D. before launching a solo career that yielded such hits as 1984's "Stay With Me Tonight" (a longtime Rhody radio favorite).

South Carolina: James Brown

South Carolina: The late, legendary "Living in America" singer himself, James Brown. The Godfather of Soul sent 91 songs onto the Hot 100, which, as of July 4, 2020, stands as the 10th-best sum among solo acts.

South Dakota: L. Frank Baum

South Dakota: While not a hotbed of Hot 100 activity, the state gave us author L. Frank Baum, who wrote the children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Adapted for the silver screen, Kansas/Oz-based The Wizard of Oz helped popularize such timeless songs as "Somewhere Over the Rainbow."

Tennessee: Dolly Parton

Tennessee: As with Springsteen in New Jersey, it's hard to imagine anyone other than Dolly Parton representing Tennessee, especially since her "Dollywood" theme park welcomes approximately 2.5 million visitors annually. The Nashville queen, born in Sevierville, boasts the most No. 1s (25) of any female artist in the Hot Country Songs chart's history.

Texas: George Strait

Texas: Even if all his exes reportedly live there, George Strait can't hide from the fact that he's sent more songs to No. 1 on Hot Country Songs (44) than any other act. With top 10s annually on the chart from 1981 through 2013, Strait, born in Poteet, is the only artist to score a top 10 on the same survey for as many as 33 "Strait" years. Also a Lone Star State-sized shoutout to Houston-born Beyoncé. On the July 4, 2020 Digital Song Sales chart, she debuted at No. 1 with the socially-conscious "Black Parade."

Utah: The Osmonds

Utah: Stars of songs and stage The Osmonds are synonymous with the Salt Lake region, having collected 13 Hot 100 hits, while Donny has scored 16 as a soloist. He and sister Marie debuted at No. 30 on the Billboard 200 as recently as 2011 with Donny & Marie, the pair's highest-peak duets set.

Vermont: Phish

Vermont: Who else but Phish? The jam band formed at the University of Vermont in Burlington in 1983. Ben & Jerry's, headquartered in nearby Waterbury, famously concocted its Phish Food ice cream flavor as a tasty tribute.

Virginia: Bruce Hornsby

Virginia: Bruce Hornsby. The singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist has serenaded his home state in such descriptive songs as "The Red Plains," "The Valley Road" and "The Road Not Taken" (in which he sings of falling in love "with an Appalachian girl").

Washington: Nirvana

Washington: As such states as Tennessee and Texas symbolize country music, Seattle is likewise the birthplace of grunge, with no act perhaps better representing the genre than Nirvana, who defeats Pearl Jam in a tight race if only because "Smells Like Teen Spirit" (No. 6, 1992) marked the sound's first crossover to the Hot 100's top 10.

West Virginia: Brad Paisley

West Virginia: Brad Paisley. Since his arrival, by way of Glen Dale, Paisley has tallied 18 No. 1s, including a streak of 10 in-a-row, on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart and nine No. 1s on Top Country Albums, including 2017's Love and War. Since his debut in 1999, when it comes to country chart success, Paisley continues to be crushin' it.

Wisconsin: Les Paul

Wisconsin: Les Paul, whom the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has deemed an "architect" of the genre, originated the solid-body electric guitar and perfected multi-track recording technology. "I've never let anybody know exactly how I get my sound," said Paul, who passed away in 2009. "That big, fat, round, ballsy sound ... nobody else has it."

Wyoming: Chris LeDoux

Wyoming: Although born in Biloxi, Mississippi, Chris LeDoux became a Wyoming rodeo legend. After Garth Brooks sang of listening to a "worn-out tape of Chris LeDoux" in his debut single "Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)," the singer tallied 21 appearances on Hot Country Songs until his death in 2005.

By Billboard Staff