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From Big Sky Country to the Cowboy State, every corner of America has a song that speaks to its soul. Join us as we explore the iconic tracks that best capture the spirit of each U.S. state, featuring everything from country classics to indie folk masterpieces, heartland rock anthems, and jazz standards that put their home states on the musical map!
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00:00Country Road Saints, take me home
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're rounding out our rundown of songs that best represent U.S. states, in alphabetical
00:12order, from Montana to Wyoming.
00:15Like the one we knew before, calling me back once again
00:28Meet Me in Montana, by Dan Seals and Marie Osmond
00:32Montana, the majesty of Big Sky Country, can call out to anyone.
00:37So when Dan Seals of Texas collaborated with Marie Osmond of Utah, Meet Me in Montana was bound to top
00:43the Billboard Country charts.
00:54The romantic duet describes accepting failure at cliched American dreams to shift ambitions westward.
01:01Instead of being seen as a surrender, the awesome frontier of Montana is the ultimate aspiration in love and adventure.
01:08And as classic Americana meets 80s production, there's something timeless to the style.
01:16Meet Me in Montana captures the distinct whimsy of a culture that came to embrace this pop hit as an
01:27anthem.
01:27It's sure to make outsiders fall in love with that world.
01:36Omaha, by Waylon Jennings
01:40The seminal outlaw country album Honky Tonk Heroes creatively reconciled quaint Americana with more modern ambitions.
01:49That might have resonated with Nebraskans, even without Texas' own Waylon Jennings crafting the perfect tribute with Omaha.
01:56I've got some loose ends laying round that I left undone
02:01Hillman Hall and Billy Joe Shaver wrote from the perspective of a struggling wanderer who becomes homesick for the beauty
02:08of the midday.
02:09Jennings' bittersweet yet uptempo tone ties that general folksy image into the eclectic urban vibe of Nebraska's largest city.
02:18This hidden gem is a hit with Cornhuskers, who are not naive to the stereotypes of banality surrounding their home.
02:25I'm coming back to you, Omaha.
02:29Omaha captures how they just see it more, as a peace that they'll always carry with them.
02:40Sam's Town by The Killers
02:42Nevada
02:44If you favor the tourist traps in the Nevada deserts, you can always bet on Elvis Presley's Viva Las Vegas.
02:50If you really want to understand the paradoxical soul of the Silver State, The Killers is the gold standard.
02:55Nobody ever had a dream round here, but I don't really mind that it started to get to me.
03:02Sam's Town is named after a casino outside of Sin City that exemplifies the region's juxtaposition of glamour and grit.
03:10So too does the song's elaborate fusion of synthesized new wave hooks with soulful heartland rock storytelling.
03:16The composition was perhaps too deep to get as much hype as the other tracks on the namesake album that
03:23cemented the killer style.
03:24But for fans of both the band and Nevada's Battleborn persona, Sam's Town says it all.
03:31And I know that I can make it as long as somebody takes me home.
03:43New Hampshire Naturally by The Shaw Brothers
03:46New Hampshire
03:48The philosophy of live free or die is more modest than people outside of New Hampshire realize.
03:54The Shaw Brothers' local fame stems from their ability to get to the heart of that motto, particularly in New
03:59Hampshire Naturally.
04:01Where snow-capped mountains rise, high into the clear blue sky
04:07While the quaint lyrics speak volumes about New England's heavenly nature, the way the country melody pronounces its English folk
04:15roots alludes to a very specific culture.
04:18Thus, the ballot was declared an honorary state song just two years after its release.
04:23Governor Hugh Gallant had already dubbed Ron and Rick Shaw, New Hampshire's musical ambassadors to the world.
04:28I love New Hampshire Naturally
04:32Though they have since fallen into obscurity outside of the Granite States, New Hampshire Naturally sounds as true as ever.
04:46Rosalita
04:46Come Out Tonight
04:47By Bruce Springsteen
04:49New Jersey
04:50To truly understand the culture of the United States, much less the Garden State, one needs to defer to the
04:57boss.
04:57But iconic New Jersey anthems like Born to Run are actually about wanting to escape to other worlds.
05:09With Rosalita Come Out Tonight, Bruce Springsteen escapes to the past.
05:13The nostalgic epic paints a lush portrait of a blue-collar community and star-crossed lovers' ability to find adventure
05:21there.
05:21The restless spirit, amplified by sax and piano, keeps every second of the seven minutes thrilling.
05:27True fans associated Rosalita so much with the founding father of Heartland Rock that it was his standard concert closer
05:34for years.
05:40He himself associates the working-class love letter with the very hearts of New Jersey.
05:52Arriba Nuevo Mexico
05:54By Roberto Griego
05:56New Mexico
05:57Behind the adventurous beauty of New Mexico is a certain cultural ambiguity.
06:02Roberto Griego turns that into a celebration as the so-called voice of New Mexico, most plainly in the anthem,
06:10Arriba Nuevo Mexico.
06:11Yo nacà en un pueblo pequeño, muy humilde, pobre y sincero.
06:18It's pure Americana in Spanish, crying state pride with elements of rousing ranchera and vivid country western.
06:26This made for the definitive example of the subgenre New Mexico Spanish music, as well as a precise representation of
06:32the state's blended identity.
06:34The largely regional popularity of Arriba Nuevo Mexico can't be undervalued when it's been a staple of social and municipal
06:42festivities since the 1970s.
06:45Arriba Nuevo Mexico
06:48Arriba mi estado querido
06:51Certainly, it describes a place worthy of being called Tierra del Encanto, the land of enchantment.
07:02New York State of Mind
07:04By Billy Joel
07:05New York
07:06New Yorkers have mixed feelings about their unique culture being eclipsed by one of the world's most multicultural cities.
07:13The typical soundtrack for the whole state is New Jersey native Frank Sinatra crooning the movie musical New York, New
07:20York.
07:21It's up to you, New York.
07:25Billy Joel is the one on the locals' mind, specifically, New York State of Mind.
07:30Certainly, the Broadway-style rock opus boasts the stunning scope of the Big Apple, but the homey details in Joel's
07:38lyrics, written after he moved into a house upstate, speak to the humble charms of his neighbors.
07:43New York State of Mind presents the city as their city.
07:52The Piano Man's second signature song may still be a global cultural touchstone, but it's especially touching to the Empire
07:59States.
08:05Carolina In My Mind
08:07By James Taylor
08:08North Carolina
08:09The smooth pop folk of the Massachusetts-born James Taylor is rooted in his upbringing in Chapel Hill.
08:17So, it's fitting that no song distills that style, like his debut single, Carolina In My Mind.
08:23There ain't no doubt in no one's mind that loves the finest thing around.
08:29It's a bittersweet reflection on the beauty and comforts of home, for a wary rising star.
08:36The modest country ballad may not have sealed Taylor's own stardom, but it came to be a fan favorite.
08:41It was an immediate hit among fellow North Carolinians who connected with its ideal balance of rural romance and mainstream
08:48hook.
08:48In my mind, I'm gone to Carolina
08:53Now, they embrace Carolina In My Mind as an unofficial state anthem, though no official one could come as close
09:00to bringing the incomparable culture to a traveler's mind.
09:08My North Dakota Home
09:10By Lawrence Welk
09:12North Dakota
09:13Pop culture now mostly remembers Lawrence Welk as a wholesome bandleader and broadcast host.
09:19North Dakotans remember him as an iconic cultural ambassador, which is what arranger George Cates and lyricist Mac David were
09:27counting on.
09:28Why did I ever roam?
09:34My North Dakota Home is pure Hollywood fantasy about the true splendor of a landscape for Welk's fans.
09:40But he conducted the piece with an authentic reconciliation between the folk music of the Old West and the whimsy
09:47of the new.
09:47This persisted with the many versions performed throughout The Lawrence Welk Show and on several albums.
09:53And all will be
09:57Waiting there for me
10:00My North Dakota Home
10:02My North Dakota Home may make the majesty of the Peace Garden State accessible to outsiders.
10:06But Welk's tasteful touch truly sells its character.
10:15Hang On Sloopy
10:16By The McCoys
10:18Ohio
10:18The Buckeye State may be best known for distinctive soul classics like The Ohio Players' Fire.
10:33Let's not forget the early contributions to garage rock, namely the McCoys sang on Sloopy.
10:39The California vocal group The Vibrations debuted this youthful love song as a modest hit in 1964.
10:45Although writers Burt Burns and Wes Ferrell were themselves New Yorkers, it's believed they were
10:51inspired by the Ohio jazz singer Dorothy Sloop. Her home's music scene would be shaped by this legend
10:57and the McCoys' rock and roll twist on the Vibrations R&B. Since its designation as the official state
11:04rock song, this version of Hang On Sloopy has become deeply ingrained in Ohio culture.
11:16And it has in turn taken the local vibe global.
11:25Okie from Muskogee by Merle Haggard
11:29The term Okie has historically been used to denigrate supposedly uncultured Oklahomans.
11:35California country icon Merle Haggard changed that with what sounds like a pure tribute to
11:40his Southwest roots. Oki from Muskogee popularized the slur as a badge of honor,
11:51particularly among conservatives protesting the protesters of 1969. Their appropriation of one
11:57of Haggard's most popular songs continues to this day. The thing is that he harbored many
12:02progressive views and was lovingly satirizing middle American naivety. Oklahoma, in fact,
12:09has no shortage of liberals with their own ideas of what the industrial frontier in Haggard's
12:14ballad represents. At least they and their more traditionalist neighbors could agree on their
12:24love of Oki from Muskogee. Rose Parade by Elliot Smith, Oregon. American indie music as we know
12:37it owes a lot to the Portland scene, and that owes a lot to the Texas-raised Elliot Smith,
12:43whose bond with his adopted home is best expressed by Rose Parade.
12:55The hushed folk rock jam balances the wonder of a Portland tradition with somewhat blunt observations
13:02of the mess surrounding it. While Smith was really satirizing parades in general,
13:07the sentiment is very Oregonian, creatively beautifying even the banalities of the world,
13:13marked an indie quirk that the state would turn into the unlikeliest mainstream music trend.
13:24Now, Rose Parade represents not only the zenith of Smith's inventive wits,
13:30but Oregon's incomparable personality and deep sense of place.
13:44It's not entirely wrong to stereotype Pennsylvanians as both romantic about their state's richness
13:50and self-deprecating about its urban decay. The spirit of that is captured by this fan-favorite
13:56from Philly favorites, Hall & Oates.
14:04As relevant now as it was in 1972, fallen Philadelphia grieves urban grind and pines for
14:11more rural comforts. Of course, the serene sound suggests that there are more worse places to
14:17waste away autumn than the city of brotherly love. This Philly-soul deep cut sums up the style
14:22of the genre, as well as the wits of a commonwealth with a wealth of hustle.
14:34Even with its irony, fallen Philadelphia makes the Keystone State sound like a dream.
14:44Rhode Island is famous for you by Blossom Deary. Rhode Island. Living in the smallest U.S. state
14:52instills a certain self-awareness in Rhode Islanders. The 1948 Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz musical
14:59Inside U.S. captures no American character like it does the ocean state's particular pride.
15:13Rhode Island is famous for you acknowledges that what they lack in notable exports is made up for
15:19in the quaint pride of a community steeped in history. The witty number itself is most famous
15:25for Blossom Deary's rendition, which synced it as a vocal jazz standard. There's your healthy
15:31reminder of that genre's vibrant tradition in the home of the Newport Jazz Festival.
15:42But Rhode Island is famous for you really conveys the winning spirit that
15:46Rhodeians bring to the world.
15:54Can't You See? By the Marshall Tucker Band. South Carolina. The Palmetto State is better
16:00understood by its spirits than by its anthropology. The Marshall Tucker Band articulated that with
16:06a diverse sound, especially focused in their signature song, Can't You See?
16:20The story of a heartbroken man on the run mingles the expressiveness of blues, the perceptiveness
16:26of folk, and the energy of country. It's all backed by the 20th century Americana of jazz and hard rock.
16:32This remarkably cohesive formula exemplifies the adventurous character of South Carolina,
16:38and it was infectious.
16:44Can't You See?
16:45Can't You See? went from being a global hit in the 70s to a staple of classic and country rock.
16:49The Marshall Tucker Band's place in the South Carolina Music Hall of Fame certainly attests to
16:54its capturing the state's essence.
17:02South Dakota Lady by Buddy Redbow South Dakota
17:06It's hard for an outsider to truly understand Buddy Redbow's significance as a representative
17:12of South Dakota's quintessential artistic tapestry. But they can get a good idea from
17:17listening to South Dakota Lady, an epic marriage of country western and Lakota folk in style alone.
17:24He is walking in dark canyon
17:29Never mind the way the lyric phrases Euro-American humanist storytelling with a Native American
17:36mythologizing of nature. This complex anthem may not have held as much commercial appeal,
17:41even as the singer-songwriter's most relatively popular song, but his fellow statesmen have embraced
17:47it as a musical standard.
17:49She's going back, back to her people
17:55As much as Buddy Redbow represents proper Americana overall, South Dakota Lady lays it at the
18:02hearts of the Great Plains.
18:09My Tennessee Mountain Home by Dolly Parton
18:12Tennessee
18:14A layered form of Americana helped to situate Tennessee as the global capital of the country
18:19music industry. Even Dolly Parton's pop stardom is underscored by an authenticity that came
18:25down from the Great Smoky Mountains, then peaked with My Tennessee Mountain Home.
18:35The lead single off this concept album, written by Parton herself, places Southeastern folk behind
18:41a loving reflection on a peaceful landscape's defining qualities. The enchanting ballad was a
18:47relatively mild commercial success at first. But as it became recognized as one of the queen of country's
18:53most enduring works, My Tennessee Mountain Home was designated an official state anthem in 2022.
19:07It was an unofficial one to Tennesseans long before that.
19:17Amarillo by Morning by George Straits
19:19Texas
19:20The vastness of the Lone Star State makes it hard to distill a particular musical identity.
19:27Amarillo by Morning
19:30Up from Santa Claus
19:33Before country neotraditionalist George Straits essentially accomplished that,
19:38Terry Stafford captured the vastness. His 1973 bluesy ballad Amarillo by Morning
19:44follows an exhausted cowboy's trek to a panhandle rodeo,
19:48conveying a stern and romantic resilience. The song itself quietly conquered the local rodeo scene,
19:55before straight turned it into a multi-platinum hit nine years later,
19:58and never had his bond between Southern and Western notes sounded so refined.
20:09This expanded the regional niche of Amarillo by Morning to define the essence of America's largest states,
20:16while making the world feel what it means to be a true Texan.
20:25...mystic by Joshua James
20:27Utah
20:28Building his cerebral folk rock between Nebraska and Utah,
20:33Joshua James represents the voice of the modern West to many. One especially passionate tribute to
20:38beehive state literally echoes that voice to a mythical scope.
20:42And so I found a little woman, I thought that I could change her name.
20:47Mystic imagines a celestial being over the Great Salt Lake who observes the human conditions of
20:53civilization, religion, and love. The way the Mormon-raised James builds his cosmic drama from
20:59sparse acoustics into a sweeping chorus embodies a philosophical faction of the American frontier.
21:11The hidden gem opener on the album From the Top of Willamette Mountain is even a staple of the
21:17singer-songwriter's concerts back home. After all, Mystic manifests the humanistic yet ethereal nature
21:24of Utah. Moonlight in Vermont by Margaret Whiting
21:35Thinking about the Green Mountain state conjures images of great beauty and
21:39wise progress. Lyricist John Blackburn is almost too astute in his description of a geography where
21:46nature meets industry, complemented by Carl Sussdorf's dreamy composition.
21:51Telegraph cable, they hummed on the highway.
21:57Moonlight in Vermont was an instant hit when Margaret Whiting of Los Angeles introduced it in 1944.
22:03It would become her signature song as well as a major jazz standard. In addition to the likes of
22:09Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and Willie Nelson, Moonlight in Vermont's has been interpreted by New
22:15England legends Johnny Smith, Carol Sloan, and Phil Woods. The classic does represent the romantic
22:21ideal of their slice of America, just like Vermont itself.
22:27Moonlight in Vermont
22:36Mid the Green Fields of Virginia By The Carter Family
22:40Virginia From the humble community of Mesa Spring, the Carter family proved crucial in the
22:47popularization of a southern form of folk music now known as country.
22:52Mid the green fields of Virginia
22:54In the vale of Shenandoah
22:57But Mid the Green Fields of Virginia came in 1898 out of the New York-born Charles K. Harris's
23:03affinity for that region. It was a relatively minor lyric before the Carters recorded it with
23:09homespun authenticity 34 years later. Their sincere reflection on the beauty and community of the
23:15Shenandoah Valley settled a gem of the American musical ethos that particularly resonated with their
23:21fellow Virginians. The Old Dominion has transformed considerably since its artistic persona helped
23:33define Americas. But Mid the Green Fields of Virginia still rings true.
23:43Nearly Lost You By Screaming Trees
23:46Washington Innovatively, heavy rock music has developed out of the metropolis of Seattle
23:52into a greater representation of Washingtonian grit. A cultured nirvana deep-cut like Francis
23:58Farmer will have her revenge on Seattle is still largely a municipal favorite.
24:11In addition to bridging grunge and psychedelia,
24:14Screaming Trees of Ellensburg truly bridged the realms of the evergreen state with Nearly Lost You.
24:20It can indeed be easy for lovers to get lost in their journey across that vast and versatile terrain.
24:26At least the locally revered Screaming Trees found their biggest hit with this linchpin of early grunge.
24:41Nearly Lost You still holds greater local importance as an anthem for
24:45Washington State's naturalistic and futuristic zeal.
24:54Take Me Home Country Roads by John Denver, West Virginia. It's almost unfair that a musician
25:01should have an anthem in two states, especially when he didn't have any roots in one. But not many
25:07West Virginians would disagree about John Denver nailing their breed of Americana with Take Me Home
25:13Country Roads.
25:14Life is Older Than The Trees, Younger Than The Mouses
25:22Its juncture between country and folk enhances co-writers Bill Danoff and Taffy Nyvert's passion
25:27for the landscape of home. And although it was never home for any of the songwriters,
25:33they forever tied the most idyllic image of Americana to the mountain states. Among Country
25:38Roads' many accolades was recognition as an official regional anthem in 2014.
25:54With the whole world singing along, long before that, all roads seem to lead to West Virginia.
26:10There's a whimsy to the Badger State that has clearly influenced the influential indie folk of
26:16Eau Claire's own Bon Iver. They admit as much with Holocene, which is widely considered a masterpiece of
26:28the genre. Though the title refers to both a geological epoch and a bar in Portland, Oregon,
26:34the lyric frames the realization of one's own modesty as a Wisconsin phenomenon. The haunting
26:40harmonies and crescendo suggest that the real magnificence is in the atmosphere of the Great Lakes.
26:52Holocene is Bon Iver's biggest commercial and critical success. Celebrated in Wisconsin
26:58as an essential cultural export, songwriter Justin Vernon is humbled to admit to GQ
27:04that he owes it all to his neighbors.
27:16Before we continue, check out the single from Sound Mojo's album Balance.
27:20Classical music reimagined as rock, hard rock, and metal. Check out the full track and album below.
27:26Born in the sunlight, born in the rain, life is a rhythm running through veins.
27:46Paint Me Back Home in Wyoming by Chris Ledoux. Wyoming. Rodeo champion turned country star Chris
27:53Ledoux grew up across America as a military brat but left his heart in the cowboy states.
27:59And he wore that heart on his sleeve with Paint Me Back Home in Wyoming.
28:03And you paint me back home in Wyoming.
28:07This poignant, partly spoken-word ballad swoons that the art found on the road holds nothing for
28:13the landscapes of home. That scenic romance is intrinsic to the Wyoming identity. That would be,
28:20in turn, a recurring theme throughout Ledoux's catalog, most notably in his 1992 rock signature,
28:26Western Skies.
28:27And they'd know why I live beneath these western skies.
28:34But the old-fashioned Paint Me Back Home in Wyoming presents the kind of ideal image of one state
28:41that the world associates with the United States. What are your favorite mainstream American anthems?
28:47Keep the journey going in the comments below.
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