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 27 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 27, 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
11: New Orleans, Louisiana
- Number of songs that mention New Orleans: 1,065
- Artist that references New Orleans the most: Lil Wayne
- Number of songs that mention New Orleans from Lil Wayne: 119
12: Tampa, Florida
- Number of songs that mention Tampa: 1,062
- Artist that references Tampa the most: Gucci Mane
- Number of songs that mention Tampa from Gucci Mane: 7
13: Houston, Texas
- Number of songs that mention Houston: 1,060
- Artist that references Houston the most: Drake
- Number of songs that mention Houston from Drake: 20
14: Chicago, Illinois
- Number of songs that mention Chicago: 1,059
- Artist that references Chicago the most: Juice WRLD
- Number of songs that mention Chicago from Juice WRLD: 34
15: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of songs that mention Philadelphia: 1,054
- Artist that references Philadelphia the most: Meek Mill
- Number of songs that mention Philadelphia from Meek Mill: 89
16: Denver, Colorado
- Number of songs that mention Denver: 1,040
- Artist that references Denver the most: Kevin Gates
- Number of songs that mention Denver from Kevin Gates: 8
17: Baltimore, Maryland
- Number of songs that mention Baltimore: 1,038
- Artist that references Baltimore the most: Kevin Gates
- Number of songs that mention Baltimore from Kevin Gates: 9
18: Long Beach, California
- Number of songs that mention Long Beach: 1,029
- Artist that references Long Beach the most: Dr. Dre
- Number of songs that mention Long Beach from Dr. Dre: 21
19: Dallas, Texas
- Number of songs that mention Dallas: 1,016
- Artist that references Dallas the most: Drake
- Number of songs that mention Dallas from Drake: 10
20: San Diego, California
- Number of songs that mention San Diego: 1,005
- Artist that references San Diego the most: The Game
- Number of songs that mention San Diego from The Game: 9
21: Detroit, Michigan
- Number of songs that mention Detroit: 984
- Artist that references Detroit the most: Big Sean
- Number of songs that mention Detroit from Big Sean: 38
22: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
- Number of songs that mention Milwaukee: 882
- Artist that references Milwaukee the most: Migos
- Number of songs that mention Milwaukee from Migos: 4
23: San Antonio, Texas
- Number of songs that mention San Antonio: 862
- Artist that references San Antonio the most: Drake
- Number of songs that mention San Antonio from Drake: 4
24: Albuquerque, New Mexico
- Number of songs that mention Albuquerque: 590
- Artist that references Albuquerque the most: Glen Campbell
- Number of songs that mention Albuquerque from Glen Campbell: 6
25: Jacksonville, Florida
- Number of songs that mention Jacksonville: 483
- Artist that references Jacksonville the most: Kanye West
- Number of songs that mention Jacksonville from Kanye West: 4
26: Colorado Springs, Colorado
- Number of songs that mention Colorado Springs: 106
- Artist that references Colorado Springs the most: Rittz
- Number of songs that mention Colorado Springs from Rittz: 3
27: Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Number of songs that mention Virginia Beach: 94
- Artist that references Virginia Beach the most: BABYXSOSA
- Number of songs that mention Virginia Beach from BABYXSOSA: 2
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.