1. New York
Artists Born/Lived There : Afrika Bambaataa, Akinyele, A$AP Rocky, Big Daddy Kane, Big L, Cam’ron, Chubb Rock, Cyndi Lauper, Dion, Ace Frehley, Jay Z, Kool G Rap, Lou Reed, Marley Marl, Nas, Notorious B.I.G., Pete Rock, Prince Paul, Teddy Riley
Bands Formed There : Beastie Boys, Blondie, Blue Oyster Cult, Boogie Down Productions, Chic, Contortions, DNA, De La Soul, Dirty Projectors, EPMD, Gang Starr, Kiss, LCD Soundsystem, Mars, The New York Dolls, Public Enemy, The Ramones, Run D.M.C., Simon & Garfunkel, Sonic Youth, The Strokes, Suicide, Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, Television, A Tribe Called Quest, Ultramagnetic MCs, Wu-Tang Clan
Cyndi Lauper 1986. Photo By Gene Ambo/Shutterstock
The number one spot goes to New York, considering that punk rock and hip-hop were invented there. Without punk rock, rock ‘n’ roll would have been dead a while ago. Hip-hop, meanwhile, became the most influential and copied genre since rock itself.
The punk scene in New York started with the Velvet Underground, which came out of Andy Warhol’s Factory and started the first wave of bands that could be referred to as punk (which, at that time, was pretty vague). Then, of course, is the entire world of hip hop in New York City, which started with DJ Kool Herc, a Jamaican who moved to the Bronx in 1967. Over time, the focus shifted to the MC. The first rap song, Rapper’s Delight, was by the Sugarhill Gang, named after the neighborhood in Harlem.
We would like to thank Complex.com for this comprehensive list and the musical history lesson that came with it.