Nine Great American Music Cities

From jazz to hip-hop, America is the popular music capital of the world!

If anywhere qualifies for the title of Popular Music Capital of the World, it’s the USA. Jazz traces its African-American roots back to 1835 in New Orleans; the blues, which developed in the Southern plantations of the Mississippi Delta, later combined with country and gospel to give birth to rock ’n’ roll; and country music, influenced by Scottish/Irish folk music, thrived in places such as Tennessee and Virginia. As Delta musicians headed north, Chicago became a blues hotspot, whereas in Detroit, soul music evolved into the pop-influenced Motown Sound, and New York City became a musical mecca, most recently adding the Universal Hip-Hop Museum to the mix.

Here are some of the cities where you can enjoy great musical experiences:

AUSTIN: ‘THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD’

With more than 250 music venues to its name, this Texas city is particularly well known for the Cosmic Cowboy movement of the late-1960s when country superstar Willie Nelson brought cowboys and hippies together in a vibrant music combo. The city’s numerous music festivals – from South by Southwest to Austin City Limits – draw huge crowds, while some of the biggest names in the music world write, produce and record there.

The Broken Spoke – a country dancehall – and the Continental Club – ‘rootsy American music – are considered two of Austin’s top venues, while the Sixth Street entertainment district hosts numerous music bars.

DETROIT: THE MAGIC OF MOTOWN

Detroit may have introduced the world to such Motown superstars as Marvin Gaye, The Temptations and Diana Ross and the Supremes (learn more at the Hitsville USA museum) but it is also known for its jazz heritage, such music venues as the swanky Cliff Bells, Baker’s Keyboard Lounge and the Fox Theatre and as the birthplace of techno music.

The waterfront Chene Park Amphitheater draws in dancing audiences, while legendary Saint Andrews Hall features known names and “I saw them there first” bands. More intimate, Small’s was voted Best Rock Club in 2016 by the local Metro Times.

CHICAGO: WHERE BLUES AND JAZZ WERE PERFECTED

Since 1893, when ragtime was introduced at the World’s Columbian Exposition, Chicago has been a music seedbed. Known for its deep roots in jazz, blues, gospel, rock and folk music, it has now added influential house, electronic, dance and pop music and artists ranging from legendary blues man Buddy Guy to Chance the Rapper and Kanye West.

With more than 220 music venues and over 60 must-visit festivals across the city, Chicago offers numerous options to music lovers. Green Mill and Andy’s Jazz Club are big favourites with jazz buffs, while blues fans make for Rosa’s Lounge, Kingston Mines and Buddy Guy’s Legends.

MEMPHIS: ELVIS AND THE ‘HOME OF THE BLUES’

This Tennessee city, with its unmatched blues, rock and soul legacy, was not only the place where Elvis Presley began his music career and established his Graceland mansion (now surrounded by other related attractions) but also where Stax Records gave birth to such soul giants as Otis Redding and Isaac Hayes – check out its museum as well as the excellent Memphis Rock ’n’ Soul Museum. Other locally-raised or recording musicians include Justin Timberlake, Melissa Etheridge and Jay-Z.

Recognised as the ‘Home of the Blues’, Beale Street features many seven-days-a-week bars, including one named after legendary blues man BB King. Levitt Shell is the outdoor venue that hosted Elvis’s first live concert, while Lafayette’s Music Room is a revitalised 70s hotspot.

PHILADELPHIA: A MUSICIANS’ LAUNCHING PAD

More recently put on the music map by the Rocky theme, Elton John’s Philadelphia Freedom and Bruce Springsteen’s Streets of Philadelphia, Philadelphia also has three other music claims to fame – nearly every big-name artist from the ’50s to the ’80s had their first break or appeared on the national TV show American Bandstand which began in Philadelphia, Ruffhouse Records redefined hip-hop, and jazz clubs nurtured greats such as John Coltrane. Now the eclectic, all-inclusive music scene embraces such home-grown talent as rapper Meek Mill, hip-hop group The Roots, R&B singer Jill Scott, and indie rockers Dr Dog and The War on Drugs.

The Electric Factory has been buzzing for more than 40 years, Fillmore attracts up to 2,500 spectators, and Underground Arts features local talent and international acts.

NEW YORK CITY: A MELTING-POT OF SOUNDS AND STYLES

For decades, proponents of different genres of music have settled in New York City. Known for its major jazz clubs and for Harlem’s legendary 1934 Apollo Theater, which introduced artists such as Ella Fitzgerald and James Brown, it has since become the birthplace of freestyle disco and hip-hop.

The famous Village Vanguard has been hosting top jazz musicians since 1935 and the legendary Blue Note since 1981, while Radio City Music Hall is not only a popular music venue but also home to the famous formation dancers, The Rockettes.

NASHVILLE

Best known for its vibrant country music scene, ‘Music City’ is also a hub for pop, rock, bluegrass, Americana, jazz, classical, blues and soul as well as a recording base for such artists as Robert Plant, Kid Rock and Black Eyed Peas. Learn more at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, Johnny Cash Museum and the excellent Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum, which includes one of several USA Grammy Museums and Experiences.

Whereas the Grand Ole Opry is the legendary country music venue, Honky Tonk Highway, aka Lower Broadway, has countless bars pumping out music 10am-3am and the Bluebird Café is an intimate songwriters’ venue.

NEW ORLEANS

There are various opinions about when jazz was invented, and by whom, but there are few disputes about where – New Orleans, with music ‘greats’ such as Louis Armstrong and Jelly Roll Morton calling it home. Enjoy the New Orleans Jazz Museum plus the zydeco, rhythm & blues and soul music oozing out of every corner of the French Quarter and Frenchmen Street.

Tipitina’s is a former juke joint with a colourful history. Preservation Hall has been offering live jazz since 1961, and The Maple Leaf features blues, funk, R&B, rock, zydeco or jazz seven nights a week.

ATLANTA

A mecca for rap, soul and R&B – and the New York Times’ ‘hip-hop’s center of gravity’ – Atlanta has been a key destination for rockers since the 1960s. Alternative rock and blues are also never hard to find in this seven-days-a-week music city.

Northside Tavern hosts nightly blues, Apache Café is the spot for hip-hop and soul enthusiasts, while The EARL attracts local, regional and national bands.