Finally, a single definitive map that shows each state’s favorite band. The list is compiled based on the research of a developer at the music intelligence company The Echo Nest, named Paul Lamere, who studies how music is streamed throughout the country. To find each state’s “favorite” band, Lamere looked at musicians whose rank in popularity was significantly higher than in other areas in an effort to find “the artists that define the taste for the region.” So, technically, this isn’t every state’s “favorite band” as much as it’s a look at which bands are unusually popular in each state.
Unsurprisingly, Illinois residents are big Sufjan Stevens fans and Jersey loves Springsteen. South Carolinians love Hillsong United. The Civil Wars are huge in Alabama. Colorado has been rocking The Naked and Famous. And, the people of West Virginia—recently named America’s “Most Miserable” state—just found out about Matchbox Twenty, and are super into them. It’s unclear if this and the miserable ranking are related. And someone should really check on Arizona …