The map above was created by Matt Shirley and shows the most popular band or solo artist who achieved their peak popularity during the 1990s.
And if you like this sort of thing you may also like his book: A Visual Learner’s Guide to Being a Grown-Up.
Here’s more about each of the bands:
| State | Band / Artist | Style | '90s Hit 1 | '90s Hit 2 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Drive-By Truckers | Alt-country / Southern rock | The Living Bubba | Bulldozers and Dirt | Albums only in the '90s, no chart hits |
| Alaska | Jewel | Folk-pop | Who Will Save Your Soul | You Were Meant for Me | Also 'Foolish Games' |
| Arizona | Jimmy Eat World | Emo / alt-rock | Lucky Denver Mint | For Me This Is Heaven | Big hits came in 2001 |
| Arkansas | Evanescence | Gothic rock / nu-metal | Only EPs/demos in the '90s; 'Bring Me to Life' was 2003 | ||
| California | Red Hot Chili Peppers | Funk rock | Under the Bridge | Give It Away | Also 'Scar Tissue' |
| Colorado | Big Head Todd and the Monsters | Blues rock / jam | Bittersweet | Broken Hearted Savior | |
| Connecticut | Moby | Electronica | Go | Porcelain | Also 'Natural Blues' |
| Delaware | BoySetsFire | Post-hardcore | The Day the Sun Went Out (album) | 'After the Eulogy' came in 2000 | |
| Florida | Backstreet Boys | Pop | I Want It That Way | Everybody (Backstreet's Back) | Also 'Quit Playing Games' |
| Georgia | TLC | R&B / hip-hop | Waterfalls | Creep | Also 'No Scrubs' |
| Hawaii | Israel Kamakawiwo'ole | Hawaiian folk / ukulele | Somewhere Over the Rainbow / What a Wonderful World | Hawai'i '78 | |
| Idaho | Built to Spill | Indie rock | Car | Carry the Zero | |
| Illinois | Smashing Pumpkins | Alt-rock | 1979 | Tonight, Tonight | Also 'Today' |
| Indiana | The Ataris | Pop-punk | San Dimas High School Football Rules | 'Boys of Summer' was 2003 | |
| Iowa | Shade of Blue | Unknown | Obscure/regional act; no national hits identified | ||
| Kansas | Melissa Etheridge | Heartland rock | Come to My Window | I'm the Only One | |
| Kentucky | Billy Ray Cyrus | Country | Achy Breaky Heart | Could've Been Me | |
| Louisiana | Tim McGraw | Country | Don't Take the Girl | It's Your Love | |
| Maine | Rustic Overtones | Funk rock / ska | Rooms by the Hour (album) | Regional following | |
| Maryland | Toni Braxton | R&B | Un-Break My Heart | Breathe Again | |
| Massachusetts | The Mighty Mighty Bosstones | Ska-punk | The Impression That I Get | The Rascal King | |
| Michigan | Aaliyah | R&B | Back & Forth | Are You That Somebody? | |
| Minnesota | Semisonic | Alt-rock | Closing Time | Secret Smile | |
| Mississippi | Faith Hill | Country | This Kiss | Breathe | |
| Missouri | Sheryl Crow | Pop-rock | All I Wanna Do | If It Makes You Happy | |
| Montana | Storyhill | Acoustic folk duo | Regional act; '90s albums only, no chart hits | ||
| Nebraska | 311 | Rap-rock / reggae-rock | Down | All Mixed Up | Also 'Come Original' |
| Nevada | The Crystal Method | Big beat / electronica | Busy Child | Keep Hope Alive | |
| New Hampshire | Mandy Moore | Teen pop | Candy | Walk Me Home | |
| New Jersey | Whitney Houston | Pop / R&B | I Will Always Love You | I'm Every Woman | Also 'It's Not Right but It's Okay' |
| New Mexico | Sparx | Tejano / Latin pop | Te Amo, Te Amo, Te Amo | ||
| New York | Mariah Carey | Pop / R&B | Vision of Love | Hero | Also 'Fantasy' |
| North Carolina | Ben Folds Five | Piano pop / alt-rock | Brick | Battle of Who Could Care Less | |
| North Dakota | Jonny Lang | Blues rock | Lie to Me | Still Rainin' | |
| Ohio | Nine Inch Nails | Industrial rock | Head Like a Hole | Closer | Also 'Hurt' |
| Oklahoma | Garth Brooks | Country | Friends in Low Places | The Dance | Also 'The Thunder Rolls' |
| Oregon | Everclear | Alt-rock | Santa Monica | Father of Mine | |
| Pennsylvania | Boyz II Men | R&B | End of the Road | I'll Make Love to You | |
| Rhode Island | Throwing Muses | Alt-rock | Counting Backwards | Bright Yellow Gun | |
| South Carolina | Hootie & the Blowfish | Roots rock | Hold My Hand | Only Wanna Be with You | |
| South Dakota | Shawn Colvin | Folk-pop | Sunny Came Home | Get Out of This House | |
| Tennessee | Kenny Chesney | Country | She's Got It All | How Forever Feels | |
| Texas | Pantera | Groove metal | Cowboys from Hell | Walk | Also 'Cemetery Gates' |
| Utah | SHeDAISY | Country-pop | Little Good-Byes | This Woman Needs | |
| Vermont | Phish | Jam band | Bouncing Around the Room | Down with Disease | Also 'Free' |
| Virginia | Dave Matthews Band | Jam / rock | Crash Into Me | What Would You Say | Also 'Ants Marching' |
| Washington | Nirvana | Grunge | Smells Like Teen Spirit | Come As You Are | Also 'Heart-Shaped Box' |
| West Virginia | Karma to Burn | Instrumental stoner rock | Twenty | Thirty Two | Self-titled 1997 album; tracks are numbered |
| Wisconsin | Garbage | Alt-rock / electronic | Stupid Girl | Only Happy When It Rains | Also 'Special' |
| Wyoming | The Lillingtons | Pop-punk | Black Hole in My Mind | Don't Trust the Humanoids | From 'Death by Television' (1999) |
What’s your favourite 1990s song?
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