Sing Me a City: American Cities Featured in Song Lyrics

Musical artists constantly tour, making connections with fans in cities all over the world. They can also have a deep emotional connection to their respective hometowns. No matter the reason, there’s a good chance your favorite artist has mentioned a city or two in their lyrics. 

From country musicians talking about Texas and Tennessee to rappers talking about New York and California, with every genre comes new ways of talking about cities nationwide. But what is the most talked about city in music?  

The data presented by Casino.org reveals the top 27 cities most referenced in song lyrics. Does your city rank among the highest on the list? 

Looking Through the Lyrics

Man with a radio.
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The list compiled by Casino.org takes a look at the world’s largest lyrics database, Genius, to track which cities were mentioned the most in song lyrics. The mentions were tracked alongside YouGov’s list of most popular cities to come up with this top 27. 

For those looking for the Texas city known as the “Live Music Capital of the World,” it should be noted that Casino.org excluded cities that are homonyms, like Austin, Texas, and Phoenix, Arizona, to create more accurate results. Unlike Austin, the Arizona capital isn’t well known for music. In fact, Pheonix was once listed as one of the worst music cities in the U.S.

Without further ado, these are the most popular cities according to song mentions.

1: Memphis, Tennessee

Memphis areal view.
Photo Credit: Kevin Ruck via stock.adobe.com.
  • 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

River in Nashville.
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  • 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

Pretty houses in San Francisco.
Photo Credit: Frédéric Prochasson via stock.adobe.com.
  • 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

Miami Beach.
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  • 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

Las Vegas skyline.
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  • 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

Boston waterfront.
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  • 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

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  • 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

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  • 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

Los Angeles skyline.
Photo Credit: John via stock.adobe.com.
  • 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

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  • 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

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  • 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

Tampa skyline.
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  • 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

Downtown Houston.
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  • 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

Chicago skyline.
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  • 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

Pretty buildings in Philadelphia.
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  • 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

Denver, Colorado.
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  • 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

Baltimore skyline.
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  • 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

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  • 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

Dallas skyline.
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  • 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

San Diego skyline.
Photo Credit: Tomasz Zajda via stock.adobe.com.
  • 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

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  • 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

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  • 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

Bridge in San Antonio.
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  • 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

Hot air balloons flying in Albuquerque.
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  • 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

Jacksonville, Florida.
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  • 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

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  • 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

Pier in Virginia Beach.
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  • 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

People playing the guitar.
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The number one city on this list, Memphis, is where the blues began. W.C. Hardy wrote the first-ever blues song in Memphis, and Congress officially declared Beale Street in Memphis the Home of the Blues in 1977. 

Memphis is also the home of Graceland. Elvis Presley moved to Memphis with his parents as a child. He called the city home, eventually living at the Graceland estate in Memphis. He passed away and was buried at Graceland, which is now an attraction where tourists can pay their respects and learn more about Presley’s life and music career. 

Some Unexpected Rankings 

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New York City’s seventh-place ranking might surprise some. After all, it’s the 11th biggest city in the world and the birthplace of several artists, including Luther Vandross, Jay-Z, and Lady Gaga. In terms of the top award that recognizes musical artists, more people from New York have won major Grammy awards than any other state

According to a 2023 study, New York City isn’t devoid of a high music ranking, though; it ranked number one for the best U.S. city with live music. Reportedly, The Big Apple has the most bars and music venues that feature live musical acts, making it an important cross-section for all genres of music. 

Rappers Dominate With References

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Hip-hop musicians are heavily featured when it comes to the artists who’ve referenced the top 27 cities the most in their songs. Drake is featured four times, mentioning Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, and Miami more than other artists. Drake, born Aubrey Graham, may be known for his numerous U.S. city callouts, but he was actually born in Toronto, Canada.

Lil Wayne referenced his hometown New Orleans more than other artists referenced any other city on the list. Lil Wayne is so proud of “The Big Easy” that he’s eager to be chosen as the Super Bowl Halftime performer when New Orleans hosts the event in 2025.

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Palm trees in Los Angeles.
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We all have our vices, but not every city is notorious for its transgression. From the dazzling lights of Las Vegas to the vibrant streets of Miami, these are the most mischievous urban hubs in America.

14 Real-Life Sin Cities in the U.S.

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Quick: What’s your favorite fudge flavor? If you stuck with the basics, naming a flavor like chocolate or vanilla, you’re in the minority. These are the most popular fudge flavors in every state.

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