Missouri is renowned for its diverse music scene, boasting a rich history of blues, jazz, bluegrass, country, pop, rock and more. The state has been the birthplace of many notable musicians and has seen important developments in several popular musical genres. Louis was an important place for early blues and jazz, as well as for country and bluegrass. Kansas City is home to famous artists such as Charlie Parker, Count Basie, Lester Young and their own distinctive jazz style.
Ragtime took hold in the city of Sedalia, Missouri, thanks to Scott Joplin and his editor John Stark, and through another Missouri native, James Scott. White Rabbits (Columbia, indie rock), “It's Scary” (200. Kansas City, Missouri, is as vital to jazz as Chicago is to the blues. Jazz is another form that originated in the Southeast (in New Orleans, Louisiana) and evolved further north.
It was here that the music of big bands flourished, exemplified by Count Basie and his orchestra, and here where Charlie Parker, as one of the main exponents of bebop, helped revolutionize jazz to turn it into music that was still unrivaled in terms of experimentalism and virtuosity. However, the history of country music broadcasting in the area dates back to nearby Springfield, Missouri, in the mid-1930s, when Ralph D. Foster became an important figure in the region's music history; there is a museum named after him on the College of the Ozarks campus. The University of Missouri School of Music was established in 1917 in Columbia, Missouri, and has thousands of alumni.
Perhaps the most crucial of these transformations took place in St. Louis, Missouri and, most importantly, in Chicago, Illinois. In her song “Missouri Moon”, Rhonda Vincent highlights the bluegrass genre and a heartbreaking experience under the Missouri moon. “Shovelin' Coal in Missouri” by Jimmie Rodgers follows a teenager as he lives in Shovelin' Coal, Missouri.
Tech N9ne from Kansas City helped popularize the chopper rap style in the late 1990s and co-founded the label Strange Music. Branson, Missouri is a popular tourist destination in the Ozarks associated with conventional country music. From the day the characters in her lyrics fall in love under the bright Missouri night sky to the day when her feelings overwhelm her as she cries under the same moon, there's no escaping the majestic nature of a Missouri moon. The Louis-area band Uncle Tupelo mixed musical styles influenced by punk, rock and country with strident performances and became a pioneer of alternative country.
In her song “Missing Missouri” Sara Evans describes that as life becomes unpredictable and hectic all she wants to do is return to her roots in Missouri. But what kind of music do people from this state listen to? An infographic shared on Engineer Boards by user Chattaneer PE shows which musical genre reigns by state. It appears that hip hop/rap is currently the most popular genre among Missourians.
