The most famous band from every state

Great music isn’t just found in a few iconic cities — it thrums through every corner of the United States.

Each state has produced many bands that helped define its sound and leave a lasting mark on music history.

To figure out the most famous band from every state, Business Insider weighed reputation, record sales, and awards.

Crucially, each act was judged in the context of its own era because today’s chart-toppers don’t necessarily eclipse the legends of decades past.

In states with multiple iconic contenders, we weighed those factors to determine which band left the biggest overall mark.

We focused exclusively on groups — no solo acts — but took a flexible approach to what counts as a “band,” including any musical act made up of more than one person.

While we primarily looked at where each band was formed, we also considered where their music took off and the hometowns that shaped them.

So, which band puts your state on the map?

Emmie Martin and Christi Danner contributed to a previous version of this article.