List request: biggest hit about each of the fifty states

[R H Draney]

Used to be alt.music.lyrics would fill in the idle periods by compiling lists of
songs with a particular theme: songs with titles that didn't appear in the
lyrics, songs about artists other than the ones recording them, songs in funky
time signatures....

I'd like to see if enough knowledgeable music fans are still reading the group
to create a list based on a theme that just popped into my head...if you're
willing to dig, there's probably at least one charting hit about each of the
fifty states...some are going to be obvious: "Arizona" by Mark Lindsay, "Okie
From Muskogee" by Merle Haggard, "Born to Run" (for New Jersey) by
Springsteen...with others (California, New York) it's going to be hard to narrow
it down to just one...and some are going to be hard to find anything at all
(seriously, *are* there any hit songs about New Hampshire?)...should be songs
*about* the state, of course, not just ones that casually mention it in
passing....

But if interest stays up long enough, we should come out the other end of this
with a nice geographic playlist...one you can share with others and have them
thinking "I wonder what they came up with for South Dakota" or "I thought
Kentucky would be this entirely different song"....

So have at it, lyrics people....r

[Harold Groot]

Post by R H Draney
I'd like to see if enough knowledgeable music fans are still reading the group
to create a list based on a theme that just popped into my head...if you're
willing to dig, there's probably at least one charting hit about each of the
fifty states...some are going to be obvious: "Arizona" by Mark Lindsay, "Okie
From Muskogee" by Merle Haggard, "Born to Run" (for New Jersey) by
Springsteen...with others (California, New York) it's going to be hard to narrow
it down to just one...and some are going to be hard to find anything at all
(seriously, *are* there any hit songs about New Hampshire?)...should be songs
*about* the state, of course, not just ones that casually mention it in
passing....

Here's a few to start:

Sweet Home Alabama (Leonard Skynard)

North To Alaska (Johnny Horton)

Rocky Mountain High (for Colorado) (John Denver)

California Dreamin' (The Mamas and the Papas)

Country Roads (for West Virginia) (John Denver)

[frank]

More countries in the world other than the USA.
London's Burning
I Still Call Australia Home
Asia Minor
Midnight In Moscow
Berlin
One night In Bangkok
French Kiss
Norwegian Wood

Post by Harold Groot

Post by R H Draney
I'd like to see if enough knowledgeable music fans are still reading the group
to create a list based on a theme that just popped into my head...if you're
willing to dig, there's probably at least one charting hit about each of the
fifty states...some are going to be obvious: "Arizona" by Mark Lindsay, "Okie
From Muskogee" by Merle Haggard, "Born to Run" (for New Jersey) by
Springsteen...with others (California, New York) it's going to be hard to narrow
it down to just one...and some are going to be hard to find anything at all
(seriously, *are* there any hit songs about New Hampshire?)...should be songs
*about* the state, of course, not just ones that casually mention it in
passing....

Sweet Home Alabama (Leonard Skynard)
North To Alaska (Johnny Horton)
Rocky Mountain High (for Colorado) (John Denver)
California Dreamin' (The Mamas and the Papas)
Country Roads (for West Virginia) (John Denver)

[starfish]

Post by frank
More countries in the world other than the USA.
London's Burning
I Still Call Australia Home
Asia Minor
Midnight In Moscow
Berlin
One night In Bangkok
French Kiss
Norwegian Wood

"Jamaica Farewell" by Harry Belafonte
"England Swings" by Roger Miller
"Shanghai Breezes" by John Denver

[R H Draney]

Post by frank
More countries in the world other than the USA.
London's Burning
I Still Call Australia Home
Asia Minor
Midnight In Moscow
Berlin
One night In Bangkok
French Kiss
Norwegian Wood

I certainly acknowledge your point, but I wonder if you'd mind starting a
separate thread for that list, just to simplify the data collection process?...r

[Michael Angelo Ravera]

Post by Harold Groot

Post by R H Draney
I'd like to see if enough knowledgeable music fans are still reading the group
to create a list based on a theme that just popped into my head...if you're
willing to dig, there's probably at least one charting hit about each of the
fifty states...some are going to be obvious: "Arizona" by Mark Lindsay, "Okie
From Muskogee" by Merle Haggard, "Born to Run" (for New Jersey) by
Springsteen...with others (California, New York) it's going to be hard to narrow
it down to just one...and some are going to be hard to find anything at all
(seriously, *are* there any hit songs about New Hampshire?)...should be songs
*about* the state, of course, not just ones that casually mention it in
passing....

Sweet Home Alabama (Leonard Skynard)
North To Alaska (Johnny Horton)
Rocky Mountain High (for Colorado) (John Denver)
California Dreamin' (The Mamas and the Papas)
Country Roads (for West Virginia) (John Denver)

Sweet Home Alabama (Lynryd Skynyrd)
North to Alaska (Johnny Horton)
"Arizona" (Mark Lindsay) or "By the Time I Get to Phoenix" (Glen
Campbell)
"Cotton Fields" (Creedence)
About 30 #1 songs mention California or cities within it
Rocky Mountain High (John Denver)
nothing comes to mind for Conn.
A kid's song mentions Dover
"Ice Ice Baby" (Vanilla Ice)
"Georgia on My Mind" (Ray Charles Robinson)
"Hawaii" (Beach Boys) and a whole genre of songs
apart from "I've Been Everywhere", nothing comes to mind for Idaho
"Roll Me Away" (Bob Seeger) implicitly mentions Iowa
"Wichta County Lineman" (Glen Campell)
Bob Seeger, Kiss, Ted Nugent, and others frequently mention Michigan
apart from "I've Been Everywhere", nothing comes to mind for
Minnesota, but "White Christmas" is a likely candidate

[Harold Groot]

Post by R H Draney
I'd like to see if enough knowledgeable music fans are still reading the group
to create a list based on a theme that just popped into my head...if you're
willing to dig, there's probably at least one charting hit about each of the
fifty states...some are going to be obvious: "Arizona" by Mark Lindsay, "Okie
From Muskogee" by Merle Haggard, "Born to Run" (for New Jersey) by
Springsteen...with others (California, New York) it's going to be hard to narrow
it down to just one...and some are going to be hard to find anything at all
(seriously, *are* there any hit songs about New Hampshire?)...should be songs
*about* the state, of course, not just ones that casually mention it in
passing....

There are songs about something that happened in a particular state
(like "Ohio" by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) that aren't particularly
about the state as a whole, and others about limited parts of states
(like cities - "Viva Las Vegas" by Elvis Presley, "El Paso" by Marty
Robbins, "New York, New York" by Frank Sinatra and so on). You're not
looking for that type, right? You want the song to be more about the
state as a whole?

(And I'd agree that "I've Been Everywhere" by Johnny Cash is right
out.)

Hmmmm.... I don't think John Denver's "Wild Montana Skies" made the
Billboard Top-40, but are you stopping there or are you thinking
"Top-100" for "charting"? It =might= have made the Top-100.... or it
might have charted on the Country Charts.

[starfish]

Post by R H Draney
Used to be alt.music.lyrics would fill in the idle periods by compiling lists of
songs with a particular theme: songs with titles that didn't appear in the
lyrics, songs about artists other than the ones recording them, songs in funky
time signatures....
I'd like to see if enough knowledgeable music fans are still reading the group
to create a list based on a theme that just popped into my head...if you're
willing to dig, there's probably at least one charting hit about each of the
fifty states...some are going to be obvious: "Arizona" by Mark Lindsay, "Okie
From Muskogee" by Merle Haggard, "Born to Run" (for New Jersey) by
Springsteen...with others (California, New York) it's going to be hard to narrow
it down to just one...and some are going to be hard to find anything at all
(seriously, *are* there any hit songs about New Hampshire?)...should be songs
*about* the state, of course, not just ones that casually mention it in
passing....
But if interest stays up long enough, we should come out the other end of this
with a nice geographic playlist...one you can share with others and have them
thinking "I wonder what they came up with for South Dakota" or "I thought
Kentucky would be this entirely different song"....
So have at it, lyrics people....r
--
Me?  Sarcastic?
Yeah, right.

"Ohio" by CSNY

"Indiana Wants Me" by R. Dean Taylor

"Massachusetts" by the Bee Gees

"Kentucky Rain" by Elvis or "Kentucky Woman" by Neil Diamond

[a***@tin.it]

Georgia on My Mind (Ray Charles).

Alessandro

[a***@tin.it]

And also http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_song (but I don't know how
many songs mentioned there are charting hits, though).

Alessandro

[steggy]

Post by R H Draney
Used to be alt.music.lyrics would fill in the idle periods by compiling lists of
songs with a particular theme: songs with titles that didn't appear in the
lyrics, songs about artists other than the ones recording them, songs in funky
time signatures....
I'd like to see if enough knowledgeable music fans are still reading the group
to create a list based on a theme that just popped into my head...if you're
willing to dig, there's probably at least one charting hit about each of the
fifty states...some are going to be obvious: "Arizona" by Mark Lindsay, "Okie
From Muskogee" by Merle Haggard, "Born to Run" (for New Jersey) by
Springsteen...with others (California, New York) it's going to be hard to narrow
it down to just one...and some are going to be hard to find anything at all
(seriously, *are* there any hit songs about New Hampshire?)...should be songs
*about* the state, of course, not just ones that casually mention it in
passing....
But if interest stays up long enough, we should come out the other end of this
with a nice geographic playlist...one you can share with others and have them
thinking "I wonder what they came up with for South Dakota" or "I thought
Kentucky would be this entirely different song"....
So have at it, lyrics people....r

By The Time I Get To Arizona"--Public Enemy

New Hampshire - Matt Pond PA

[steggy]

Post by R H Draney
Used to be alt.music.lyrics would fill in the idle periods by compiling lists of
songs with a particular theme: songs with titles that didn't appear in the
lyrics, songs about artists other than the ones recording them, songs in funky
time signatures....
I'd like to see if enough knowledgeable music fans are still reading the group
to create a list based on a theme that just popped into my head...if you're
willing to dig, there's probably at least one charting hit about each of the
fifty states...some are going to be obvious: "Arizona" by Mark Lindsay, "Okie
From Muskogee" by Merle Haggard, "Born to Run" (for New Jersey) by
Springsteen...with others (California, New York) it's going to be hard to narrow
it down to just one...and some are going to be hard to find anything at all
(seriously, *are* there any hit songs about New Hampshire?)...should be songs
*about* the state, of course, not just ones that casually mention it in
passing....
But if interest stays up long enough, we should come out the other end of this
with a nice geographic playlist...one you can share with others and have them
thinking "I wonder what they came up with for South Dakota" or "I thought
Kentucky would be this entirely different song"....
So have at it, lyrics people....r

If you want to publish this list start with this one please;)

http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/fifty-nifty-united-states-lyrics-ray-charles/0ae98363d8b3bd3b48256c24000f4f7b