Tag Archives: 50 states

50 songs for 50 states: Ohio

Posted on November 26, 2018 by olneyce

After some slim pickings last time, the options are bountiful here. Just look at the songs with the title “Ohio.” You’ve got CSNY’s response to the Kent State massacre, Modest Mouse’s off-kilter take on traveling the highways across the nation, … Continue reading →

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50 songs for 50 states: North Dakota

Posted on November 24, 2018 by olneyce

I’ve been dreading North Dakota for awhile now, hoping that I’d be able to turn something up. I’ve searched Spotify lists of songs with Dakota in the title, trolled lists of ‘great North Dakota songs,’ and cast about fruitlessly on … Continue reading →

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50 songs for 50 states: North Carolina

Posted on November 19, 2018 by olneyce

There’s a surprisingly rich vein of North Carolina songs, particularly given how sparse the options are for their similarly-named neighbor to the south. Especially since the vast majority of ‘Carolina’ songs are really about the northern version. You can start … Continue reading →

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50 songs for 50 states: New York

Posted on November 17, 2018 by olneyce

Picking one song for New York is an impossible task. There are probably a couple dozen that deserve the honor, with all-time classics from the likes of LCD Soundsystem, Nas, Paul Simon, They Might Be Giants (via Cub), Lou Reed, … Continue reading →

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50 songs for 50 states: New Mexico

Posted on August 31, 2018 by olneyce

Plenty of decent options for New Mexico, but no standouts. I gave serious thought to  two old titans–Johnny Cash and Waylon Jennings–but neither of their treatments really struck to the core of the state. To me, New Mexico is defined … Continue reading →

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50 songs for 50 states: New Jersey

Posted on August 8, 2018 by olneyce

More than any other state, New Jersey poses a challenge of identifying what exactly determines whether a song is ‘about’ a state. Is Thunder Road about Jersey? Nothing explicitly marks it that way, but we all know that’s where it’s … Continue reading →

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50 songs for 50 states: New Hampshire

Posted on June 29, 2018 by olneyce

The only real question for New Hampshire was which song to pick from Okkervil River’s Silver Gymnasium. In the end, I chose Black Nemo. It isn’t really a song ‘about New Hampshire’ in some general sense. But it is a song … Continue reading →

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50 songs for 50 states: Nevada

Posted on June 11, 2018 by olneyce

There is an obvious pick I’m leaving on the board here. And I adore Elvis as much as the next fellow. But come on, I’m not picking Viva Las Vegas. I’m not even going to pick the (very good) Dead Kennedys … Continue reading →

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50 songs for 50 states: Nebraska

Posted on June 4, 2018 by olneyce

Nebraska – Bruce Springsteen The whole album is a classic, of course, but this song is arguably the hardest-hitting of the bunch. It’s not my favorite track on Nebraska, by any means, but it’s the one that defines the entire enterprise. Springsteen … Continue reading →

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50 songs for 50 states: Montana

Posted on May 28, 2018 by olneyce

What I learned from looking through my options for Montana is that there are a truly disproportionate number of songs about Montana which explore the following theme: “I’m lonely because my baby left me, but at least Montana is beautiful.” … Continue reading →

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