Musical artists are constantly touring, connecting with fans in cities around the world. There’s also a good chance that your favourite artist mentioned one or two cities in their lyrics.
From country musicians talking about Texas and Tennessee to rappers talking about New York and California, each genre introduces new ways of discussing cities across the country.
But which is the most talked-about city in Florida?
The data presented by Casino.org shows the top 10 cities most frequently mentioned in song lyrics. Is your city near the top of the list?
Looking Through the Lyrics
The list compiled by Casino.org examines the world’s largest lyrics database, Genius, to determine which cities were mentioned the most in song lyrics. To compile this top ten, mentions were compared to YouGov’s list of the most popular cities.
For those looking for the Texas city known as the “Live Music Capital of the World,” it is worth noting that Casino.org excluded homonyms, such as Austin, Texas, and Phoenix, Arizona, in order to produce more accurate results.
Unlike Austin, the Arizona capital is not well-known for music. In fact, Phoenix was once ranked among the worst music cities in the United States.
Without further ado, here are the most popular cities based on song mentions.
1: Memphis, Tennessee
- Number of songs that mention Memphis: 1,172
- Artist that references Memphis the most: Juicy J
- Number of songs that mention Memphis from Juicy J: 54
2: Nashville, Tennessee
- Number of songs that mention Nashville: 1,154
- Artist that references Nashville the most: Upchurch
- Number of songs that mention Nashville from Upchurch: 36
3: San Francisco, California
- Number of songs that mention San Francisco: 1,120
- Artist that references San Francisco the most: Watsky
- Number of songs that mention San Francisco from Watsky: 11
4: Miami, Florida
- Number of songs that mention Miami: 1,100
- Artist that references Miami the most: Drake
- Number of songs that mention Miami from Drake: 28
5: Las Vegas, Nevada
- Number of songs that mention Las Vegas: 1,085
- Artist that references Las Vegas the most: Rick Ross
- Number of songs that mention Las Vegas from Rick Ross: 16
6: Boston, Massachusetts
- Number of songs that mention Boston: 1,081
- Artist that references Boston the most: Future
- Number of songs that mention Boston from Future: 8
7: New York City, New York
- Number of songs that mention New York City: 1,073
- Artist that references New York City the most: 50 Cent
- Number of songs that mention New York City from 50 Cent: 16
8: Atlanta, Georgia
- Number of songs that mention Atlanta: 1,071
- Artist that references Atlanta the most: Gucci Mane
- Number of songs that mention Atlanta from Gucci Mane: 58
9: Los Angeles, California
- Number of songs that mention Los Angeles: 1,070
- Artist that references Los Angeles the most: The Game
- Number of songs that mention Los Angeles from The Game: 24
10: Seattle, Washington
- Number of songs that mention Seattle: 1,068
- Artist that references Seattle the most: Jay Park
- Number of songs that mention Seattle from Jay Park: 18
Top City’s Musical Ties
The blues originated in Memphis, the number one city on this list. W.C. Hardy wrote the first blues song in Memphis, and Congress designated Beale Street as the Home of the Blues in 1977.
Memphis is also home to Graceland. Elvis Presley relocated to Memphis with his parents as a child.
He lived in the city before moving to the Graceland estate in Memphis. He died and was buried at Graceland, which is now a tourist attraction where visitors can pay their respects and learn about Presley’s life and music career.
Some Unexpected Rankings
New York City’s seventh-place finish may surprise some. After all, it’s the world’s 11th largest city and the birthplace of several celebrities, including Luther Vandross, Jay-Z, and Lady Gaga.
In terms of the top award for musical artists, New York has produced more major Grammy winners than any other state.
According to a 2023 study, New York City does have a high music ranking; it is ranked first in the United States for best city with live music.
According to reports, the Big Apple has the most bars and music venues that host live musical performances, making it an important crossroads for all genres of music.
Rappers Dominate With References
Hip-hop musicians dominate the list of artists who have made the most references to the top ten cities in their songs. Drake appears four times, with more mentions of Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, and Miami than any other artist.
Drake, born Aubrey Graham, is well-known for his frequent calls to cities across the United States, but he was born in Toronto, Canada.
Lil Wayne made more references to his hometown of New Orleans than any other artist on the list.
