View source for Music of Georgia (U.S. state)

{{Short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
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{{Music of the United States
|Statesong= "[[Georgia on My Mind]]"
}}[[File:Georgia in United States.svg|thumb|260px|Georgia in United States]]

[[Georgia (U.S. state)|Georgia]]'s musical history is diverse and substantial; the state's musicians include [[Southern rap]] groups such as [[Outkast]] and [[Goodie Mob]], as well as a wide variety of rock, pop, blues, and country artists such as  [[Ray Charles]], [[Otis Redding]], [[James Brown]],  [[The Allman Brothers Band]], Ray Stevens, Bill Anderson, Thomas Rhett, Jason Aldean, Wet Willie, Chuck Leavell, Cole Swindell, Little Richard,  Charles Kelley and Dave Haywood (Lady A) and Buddy Greene, Alan Jackson, Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush (Sugarland) and many others.  

The [[music of Athens, Georgia]] is especially well known for a kind of quirky [[college rock]] that has included such well-known bands as [[R.E.M.]], [[The B-52's]], and [[Pylon (band)|Pylon]].

== Music institutions ==
The state's official music museum is the [[Georgia Music Hall of Fame]], located in [[Macon, Georgia]] from 1996 until it closed in 2011. Colleges such as the [[University of Georgia]] and [[Columbus State University]] have extensive music departments.

==Indigenous music==
{{main|Indigenous music of North America#Eastern Woodlands}}

== Folk music ==
Georgia's [[folk music]]al traditions include important contributions to the [[Piedmont blues]], [[shape note]] singing, and [[African-American music]].

=== African American folk music ===
The "[[ring shout]]" is an African American musical and dance tradition that is among the oldest surviving African American performance styles in North America. The ring shout tradition is rare in the modern Southern United States, but it still found in [[McIntosh County, Georgia]], where black communities have kept the style alive. The McIntosh County ring shout is a counterclockwise ring dance featuring [[clapping]] and stick-beating percussion with [[call-and-response]] vocals. The ring shout tradition is strongest in Boldon, Georgia (also known as ''Briar Patch''), where it is traditionally performed on [[New Year's Eve]].<ref name="ring">New Georgia Encyclopedia: McIntosh County Shouters</ref>

The [[Georgia Sea Island Singers]] are an important group in modern African American folk music in Georgia. They perform worldwide the [[Gullah|Gullah/Geechee]] music of the Georgia coast and [[Sea Islands]], and have been touring since the early 1900s; the folklorist and musicologist [[Alan Lomax]] discovered the Singers on a 1959-60 collecting trip and helped to bring their music to new audiences. The Georgia Sea Island Singers have included [[Bessie Jones (American singer)|Bessie Jones]], Emma Ramsey, John Davis, Mayble Hillery, and Peter Davis.<ref name="seaisland">''New Georgia Encyclopedia'': Georgia Sea Island Singers</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/geechee-and-gullah-culture |title=Geechee and Gullah Culture &#124; New Georgia Encyclopedia |publisher=Georgiaencyclopedia.org |access-date=2015-10-26 |archive-date=2016-04-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160406015809/http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/geechee-and-gullah-culture |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Fife and drum blues]] has been documented in west central Georgia.

[[The Freedom Singers]] are a group that formed in 1962 in [[Albany, Georgia|Albany]] to educate communities about issues related to the [[Civil Rights Movement]] through song.

Multi-instrumentalist [[Abner Jay]], born in [[Fitzgerald, Georgia|Fitzgerald]], performed eccentric blues-infused folk music as a one-man band.

=== Shape-note ===
The ''[[Sacred Harp]]'', first published in 1844, was compiled and produced by Georgians [[Benjamin Franklin White]] and [[Elisha J. King]]. They helped establish a singing tradition also known as [[Sacred Harp]], fasola, or shape note singing. The Sacred Harp system uses notes represented by different shapes according to scale degree, intended to make it easy for people to learn to sight-read music and perform complex pieces without a lot of training.<ref name="shapenote">''New Georgia Encyclopedia'': The Sacred Harp</ref> Established in 1933,<ref>Buell Cobb, ''The Sacred Harp: A Tradition and Its Music'' (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1989), 7.</ref> the Sacred Harp Publishing Company, located in [[Carrollton, Georgia]], publishes the most widely used 1991 edition of ''The Sacred Harp''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://originalsacredharp.com/about/ |title=About the Company &#124; The Sacred Harp Publishing Company |publisher=Originalsacredharp.com |date=2015-05-28 |access-date=2015-10-26 |archive-date=2015-10-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151012210812/http://originalsacredharp.com/about/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Hugh McGraw]] of [[Bremen, Georgia]], served as the company's executive secretary from 1958 to 2002 and helped encourage Sacred Harp's recent [[Sacred Harp#The spread of Sacred Harp singing in modern times|resurgence in popularity]].<ref>John Bealle, ''Public Worship, Private Faith: Sacred Harp and American Folksong'' (Athens: University of Georgia Press, 1997), 194–196.</ref> A Georgia-based music label, [[Bibletone Records]], has reissued a 28-cut CD of Sacred Harp music originally released as LPs by the publishing company.<ref>Bealle, ''Public Worship, Private Faith'', 278.</ref>

===American folk music revival===
[[Folk music|Folksinger]]/[[songwriter]] [[Hedy West]], active in the [[American folk music revival]] and famous for her song "[[500 Miles]]", was born in [[Cartersville, Georgia|Cartersville]].

==Popular music==

===Country===
{{see also|Country music in Atlanta}}

In [[Atlanta]], on June 14, 1923, the [[country music]] recording industry was launched when [[Fiddlin' John Carson]] made his first phonograph record for [[Okeh Records]] Company representative Polk C. Brockman. Carson's recordings of "[[The Little Old Log Cabin in the Lane]]" and "The Old Hen Cackled and the Rooster's Going to Crow" sold over 500,000 copies and opened the eyes of record company executives to the market for "[[old-time music|old-time]]" country music. Along with Carson, [[Gid Tanner]] and the [[Skillet Lickers]] and [[Georgia Yellow Hammers]] made Atlanta and [[North Georgia]] an early center of old-time [[string band]] music.

In the 1960s, guitarist [[Chet Atkins]], born in [[Luttrell, Tennessee]] but raised in [[Hamilton, Georgia]], drew on [[jazz]] and pop music to help create the smoother country music style known as the [[Nashville Sound]], expanding country music's appeal to adult pop fans. Country music superstars [[Alan Jackson]], [[Trisha Yearwood]], and [[Travis Tritt]] are natives of Georgia. Other successful country music acts from Georgia include [[Norman Blake (American musician)|Norman Blake]], [[Jerry Reed]], [[Brenda Lee]] (who had two #1 Hot 100 hits with "[[I'm Sorry (Brenda Lee song)|I'm Sorry]]" in 1960 and "[[Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree]]"), [[Billy Currington]], [[Cyndi Thomson]], [[Jennifer Nettles]] of [[Sugarland (duo)|Sugarland]], [[Daryle Singletary]], [[Doug Stone]], [[John Berry (country singer)|John Berry]], [[Rhett Akins]], [[Mark Wills]], the [[Zac Brown Band]], and [[Lady Antebellum]], as well as up and coming stars [[Jason Aldean]], [[Daniel Antopolsky]], [[Brantley Gilbert]], [[Luke Bryan]], [[Thomas Rhett]], [[Cole Swindell]] (attended [[Georgia Southern University]]), [[Kip Moore]], [[Lauren Alaina]], and [[Jessie James]]. Other notable country musicians from Georgia include [[Corey Smith (musician)|Corey Smith]] (graduated from UGA) and Tabby Crabb from Sumter Co., who worked with the original Urban Cowboy Band, [[Randy Howard (country singer)|Randy Howard]], [[Hank Cochran]], [[Keith Urban]], and many others in the Nashville style. Georgia country music superstars with a #1 album on the [[Billboard 200]] chart include Atlanta-area musicians [[Alan Jackson]] with 3 #1 albums like ''[[Drive (Alan Jackson album)|Drive]]'' in 2002, and [[Zac Brown Band]] with 3 like ''[[You Get What You Give (album)|You Get What You Give]]'' in 2010 (Zac Brown attended the [[University of West Georgia]]); [[Jason Aldean]] with 4 consecutive #1 albums on the Billboard 200 like the country rock ''[[Night Train (Jason Aldean album)|Night Train]]'' in 2012 to 2018 (Aldean also had a #1 Hot 100 song "[[Try That in a Small Town]]" in 2023, [[Luke Bryan]] (from south Georgia, he attended [[Georgia Southern University]]) with 3 like ''[[Crash My Party]]'' in 2013, [[Thomas Rhett]] with 2 like ''[[Life Changes (Thomas Rhett album)|Life Changes]]'' in 2017, and [[Sugarland]] with 2 #1 albums like ''[[The Incredible Machine (album)|The Incredible Machine]]'' in 2010.

===Blues===
{{see also|Atlanta blues}}

[[Ma Rainey]], from [[Columbus, Georgia|Columbus]], was among the earliest professional [[blues]] singers and one of the first generation of such singers to record. [[Piedmont blues]] artist [[Blind Willie McTell]] was born in [[Thomson, Georgia|Thomson]]. [[Country blues]] singer and guitarist [[Peg Leg Howell]] was born in [[Eatonton, Georgia|Eatonton]]. Singer [[Ida Cox]] was from [[Toccoa, Georgia|Toccoa]]. Singer and guitarist [[Kokomo Arnold]] was born in [[Lovejoy's Station, Georgia|Lovejoy's Station]].  Singer [[Lucille Hegamin]] was born in [[Macon, Georgia|Macon]].  Singer [[Trixie Smith]] was born in Atlanta.  Blues pianists from Georgia include [[Thomas A. Dorsey]], born in [[Villa Rica, Georgia|Villa Rica]], [[Big Maceo Merriweather]], born in Atlanta, and [[Piano Red]], born near [[Hampton, Georgia|Hampton]]. [[Barbeque Bob]] was from [[Walnut Grove, Georgia|Walnut Grove]]. Singer and guitarist [[Curley Weaver]] was born in [[Covington, Georgia|Covington]]. [[Charley Lincoln]] was born in [[Lithonia, Georgia|Lithonia]]. [[Harmonicist]] [[Eddie Mapp]] was born in [[Social Circle, Georgia|Social Circle]]. Harmonicist [[Sonny Terry]] was born in [[Greensboro, Georgia|Greesboro]]. [[Buddy Moss]] was born in [[Jewell, Georgia|Jewell]]. Singer and guitarist [[Blind Simmie Dooley]] was born in [[Hartwell, Georgia|Hartwell]].  Songwriter and [[one-man band]] [[Jesse Fuller]] was born in [[Jonesboro, Georgia|Jonesboro]]. [[Bumble Bee Slim]] was born in [[Brunswick, Georgia|Brunswick]]. Country blues artist [[Precious Bryant]] was born in [[Talbot County, Georgia|Talbot County]]. [[Jump blues]] singer and musician [[Billy Wright (musician)|Billy Wright]] was born in Atlanta.  Singer and guitarist [[Robert Cray]] was born in [[Columbus, Georgia|Columbus]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/blues-music-overview |title=Blues Music: Overview &#124; New Georgia Encyclopedia |publisher=Georgiaencyclopedia.org |access-date=2015-10-26 |archive-date=2015-10-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151025145430/http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/blues-music-overview |url-status=live }}</ref> Singer and guitarist Cecil Barfield was born in [[Bronwood, Georgia|Bronwood]]. [[Macon, Georgia]] street performer [[Pearly Brown]] was born in [[Wilcox County, Georgia]].

===Jazz===
[[Big band]] [[swing (genre)|swing]] bandleader and pianist [[Fletcher Henderson]] and his younger brother arranger [[Horace Henderson]] were born in [[Cuthbert, Georgia|Cuthbert]]. [[Stride pianist]] and composer [[Mary Lou Williams]], [[avant-garde jazz]] alto saxophonist [[Marion Brown]], and singer [[Jean Carne]] were born in Atlanta. Big band bandleader and trumpet player [[Harry James]] was born in [[Albany, Georgia|Albany]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/swing-music-overview |title=Swing Music: Overview &#124; New Georgia Encyclopedia |publisher=Georgiaencyclopedia.org |access-date=2015-10-26 |archive-date=2015-09-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924022905/http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/swing-music-overview |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Bebop]] saxophonist [[James Moody (saxophonist)|James Moody]], [[hard bop]] saxophonist [[Sahib Shihab]], and singer [[Irene Reid]] were born in [[Savannah, Georgia|Savannah]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/james-moody-1925-2010 |title=James Moody (1925-2010) &#124; New Georgia Encyclopedia |publisher=Georgiaencyclopedia.org |date=2013-11-15 |access-date=2015-10-26 |archive-date=2015-10-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151008061500/http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/james-moody-1925-2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> Trombonist [[J.C. Higginbotham]] was born in [[Social Circle, Georgia|Social Circle]]. Tenor saxophonist and arranger [[Teddy McRae]] was born in [[Waycross, Georgia|Waycross]]. [[George Adams (musician)|George Adams]] was born in [[Covington, Georgia|Covington]].  Singer [[Joe Williams (jazz singer)|Joe Williams]] was born in [[Cordele, Georgia|Cordele]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/joe-williams-1918-1999 |title=Joe Williams (1918-1999) &#124; New Georgia Encyclopedia |publisher=Georgiaencyclopedia.org |date=2013-11-15 |access-date=2015-10-26 |archive-date=2015-11-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151124114725/http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/joe-williams-1918-1999 |url-status=live }}</ref> Bebop saxophonist for [[Miles Davis]] and [[The Jazz Messengers]], [[Hank Mobley]] was born in Eastman. Jazz bassist [[Jimmy Garrison]] who performed with [[John Coltrane]], [[Alice Coltrane]], and [[Ornette Coleman]] was born in Americus. The jazz fusion group [[Aquarium Rescue Unit]] founded by [[Bruce Hampton]] was started in [[Atlanta]].

===Rhythm and blues===
[[Augusta, Georgia|Augusta]] native James Brown (d.2006) and [[Macon, Georgia|Macon]] native [[Little Richard]] (d.2020) "The Architect of Rock and Roll" started performing in Georgia clubs on the [[Chitlin' Circuit]], fused [[Gospel music|gospel]] with [[blues]] and [[boogie-woogie]] to lay the foundations for [[rhythm and blues|rock & roll]] and [[soul music]], and rank among the most iconic musicians of the 20th century. [[Ray Charles]] was also born in Georgia; Charles helped to invent the soul genre by borrowing elements of [[rhythm and blues]], [[country music|country]], [[jazz]], [[Gospel music|gospel]], and [[blues]]. Ray Charles (d. 2004) had 3 #1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100, including "[[Georgia on My Mind]]" in 1960 (which is the official state song of Georgia). Ray Charles won another Grammy for Album of the Year for his 2004 ''[[Genius Loves Company]]''. Atlanta native [[Chuck Willis]] was a blues, R&B, and rock and roll singer and songwriter active from 1950 to 1958.  In the 1960s, [[Atlanta]] native [[Gladys Knight]] proved one of the most popular [[Motown]] recording artists, while [[Otis Redding]], born in the small town of [[Dawson, Georgia|Dawson]] but raised in [[Macon, Georgia|Macon]], defined the grittier [[Southern soul]] sound of [[Memphis, Tennessee|Memphis]]-based [[Stax Records]]. Gladys Knight "The Empress of Soul" had a #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with "[[Midnight Train to Georgia]]" in 1973. Otis Redding (d. 1967, buried near Macon) had a #1 hit on the Hot 100 with "[[(Sittin' on) the Dock of the Bay]]" in 1968. [[Motown]] producer and [[disco]] artist [[Hamilton Bohannon]] was born in [[Newnan, Georgia]]. [[Dave Prater]] of the soul duo [[Sam & Dave]] was born in [[Ocilla, Georgia]].

===Rock===
[[File:R.E.M. in 2008 at the Albert Hall.jpg|thumb|Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees [[R.E.M.]]]]
[[Image:Pylon at AthFest 2005.jpg|thumb|right|[[Pylon (band)|Pylon]] at [[Athfest]] 2005]]
The earliest Atlanta-based music maven, [[Bill Lowery (record producer)|Bill Lowery]], started the careers of Ray Stevens, Joe South, Jerry Reed, and countless others, and created the first Georgia-based springboard for such talent, [[National Recording Corporation]], sporting not only a record label, but a recording studio and pressing plant. Lowery would later work with the likes of Billy Joe Royal, Mac Davis, Dennis Yost & The Classics IV, and The Atlanta Rhythm Section, giving Atlanta national relevance with his Lowery Music group of publishing companies, one of the world's biggest music publishers. Noted session and touring drummer, [[Michael Huey (musician)|Michael Huey]], started his career at Bill Lowery studios.

[[Tommy Roe]], from Atlanta, had 2 #1 Hot 100 hits, including "[[Dizzy (Tommy Roe song)|Dizzy]]" in 1969.

[[The Allman Brothers Band]], founded in [[Jacksonville, Florida]], moved to [[Macon, Georgia|Macon]] at the urging of their manager, [[Phil Walden]], who had previously managed [[Otis Redding]]. The Allman Brothers had a #2 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 with "[[Ramblin' Man (The Allman Brothers Band song)|Ramblin' Man]]" in 1973. Their album [[Brothers and Sisters (album)|Brothers and Sisters]] went to #1 on the Billboard 200. [[Gregg Allman]] (d. 2017), his brother [[Duane Allman]] (d. 1971), and [[Berry Oakley]] (d. 1972) are buried in Macon. Walden's Macon-based [[Capricorn Records]], spearheaded the rise of [[Southern rock]], and the success of the Allman Brothers paved the way for other [[Southern rock]] bands, including [[Atlanta Rhythm Section]], South Carolina-based [[Marshall Tucker Band]] and [[Lynyrd Skynyrd]], also founded in Jacksonville. Georgia has also produced a number of Southern rock groups throughout the last three decades, including the [[Black Crowes]] (who had a #1 album on the Billboard 200 in 1992), [[The Georgia Satellites]] (had a #2 Hot 100 hit with [[Keep Your Hands to Yourself]] in '87), [[Blackberry Smoke]], [[Confederate Railroad]], and [[Drivin N Cryin|Drivin' 'N' Cryin']].

The city of [[Athens, Georgia]], home to the [[University of Georgia]], has been a fertile field for [[alternative rock]] bands since the late 1970s. Notable bands from Athens include [[R.E.M.]], [[The B-52's]], [[Widespread Panic]], [[Drive-By Truckers]], [[Cartel (band)|Cartel]], [[Of Montreal]], and [[Dead Confederate]]. Athens is also home to the [[Elephant 6 Recording Company]], an indie collective whose members include [[The Apples in Stereo]] and [[Neutral Milk Hotel]]. [[R.E.M.]] had 2 #1 albums on the Billboard 200: ''[[Out of Time (album)|Out of Time]]'' in 1991 and ''[[Monster (R.E.M. album)|Monster]]'' in 1994. R.E.M. had 6 #1 songs on the [[Alternative Songs]] chart in the late 80s and 90s. [[Michael Stipe]] attended the [[University of Georgia]].

Acoustic rock/folk duo the [[Indigo Girls]] got their start in Decatur (they both attended [[Emory University]] in Atlanta, and alternative rock bands [[Collective Soul]] (had 7 #1 songs on the [[Mainstream Rock chart]] in the 90s) and [[September Hase]] began in [[Stockbridge, Georgia|Stockbridge]] and Tifton, respectively. Rock pianist [[Elton John]] spends some time living in Atlanta, and singer-songwriter [[John Mayer]] ("[[Why Georgia]]") lived in Atlanta after dropping out of the [[Berklee School of Music]] in 1998. Indie rock and hard rock band [[Manchester Orchestra]] had a #13 album on the Billboard 200 in 2014 with ''[[Cope (Manchester Orchestra album)|Cope]]''.

Georgia has contributed to the [[ska]] scene with the bands Treephort, 50:50 Shot, and The Taj Motel Trio. [[Ska punk]] has seen a recent revival in Georgia with the regional ska festival, the Mass Ska Raid, taking place for the first time in 2008.

Along with [[Louisiana]] and the rest of the Southern area, there is a strong [[heavy metal music]] scene in Georgia, with bands such as [[Mastodon (band)|Mastodon]] (had a #6 album on the Billboard 200 in 2014), [[Baroness (band)|Baroness]], [[Collective Soul]], Royal Thunder, [[Black Tusk (band)|Black Tusk]], [[Kylesa]], [[Withered]], [[Sevendust]], [[Issues (band)|ISSUES]], [[Norma Jean (band)|Norma Jean]], and [[Attila (metalcore band)|Attila]]. [[Thrash metal]] band [[Tetrarch (band)|Tetrarch]] are from Atlanta, as is [[black metal]] band Cloak.

[[Neon Christ]] are a notable band from the [[Atlanta]] [[Hardcore punk|Hardcore]] scene.

Several [[Christian rock]] musicians have come out of Georgia, including [[Amy Grant]], who was born in Augusta, [[Third Day]] (had a #6 album on the Billboard 200 in 2008), [[Casting Crowns]] (had 2 #2 albums on the Billboard 200, in 2007 and 2011), [[Bebo Norman]], and [[Family Force 5]].

[[Cat Power]] (Chan Marshall) was born in Atlanta and got her start there.

The 2000s saw the rise of Atlanta [[indie rock]] bands [[The Black Lips]], [[Deerhunter]], and [[The Coathangers]].

[[Pop rock]] singer songwriter [[Phillip Phillips]], who won the eleventh season of ''[[American Idol]]'' in 2012, was born in [[Albany, Georgia|Albany]]. He had a #4 album on the Billboard 200 in 2012.

The [[Atlanta International Pop Festival (1970)]] involved Macon's [[The Allman Brothers Band]].In later decades, Atlanta has hosted the annual 2-day [[Music Midtown]] festival since 1994 (Atlanta's [[Collective Soul]] played there in 2000 and 2017, Atlanta's [[Manchester Orchestra]] in 2011, and Atlanta's [[Ludacris]] in 2001 and 2012), [[Shaky Beats Music Festival]] (an EDM festival since 2016) and [[Shaky Knees Music Festival]] (a 3-day rock festival since 2013), as well as hosting the [[TomorrowWorld]] EDM music festival from 2013 to 2015. The city also hosts the EDM Imagine Festival at Atlanta Speedway, as well as the [[SweetWater 420 Fest]] in Centennial Olympic Park. 

===Hip hop===
{{see also|Atlanta hip hop}}
Atlanta-based [[OutKast]] proved one of the first commercially successful hip hop groups from outside of [[New York City|New York]] or [[Los Angeles]]. In the 1990s and 2000s, Atlanta became a leading center of urban music. Artists like [[Lloyd (singer)|Lloyd]] (had a #2 album on Billboard 200 in 2007), [[T.I.]], [[TLC (band)|TLC]], [[Monica (singer)|Monica]], [[Usher (entertainer)|Usher]], [[112 (band)|112]], [[Ludacris]], [[YoungBloodZ]], [[OutKast]], [[Goodie Mob]] ([[Gnarls Barkley]] with [[CeeLo Green]] had a #4 album on Billboard 200 in 2006), and producers such as [[Organized Noize]], [[L.A. Reid]], and [[Jermaine Dupri]], the last of whom founded the successful record labels [[LaFace]] and [[So So Def Recordings|So So Def]], have blurred musical boundaries by blending R&B singing with hip hop production. More recently, Atlanta is also known as a center of [[crunk]] music, an electric bass-driven club music whose most visible practitioner has been Atlanta-based producer/hype man/rapper [[Lil Jon]].

There have been several Billboard Hot 100 #1 singles in the genre: [[Kris Kross]] ("[[Jump (Kris Kross song)|Jump]]" in 1992), [[TLC (group)|TLC]] (4 #1s on the Billboard Hot 100, such as "[[Waterfalls (TLC song)|Waterfalls]]" in 1995), [[Silk (group)|Silk]] ("[[Freak Me]]"), [[Monica (singer)|Monica]] (3 #1s, such as "[[Angel of Mine]]" in 1999), [[Usher (entertainer)|Usher]] (9 #1s), [[Outkast]] (3 #1s), [[Ludacris]] (5 #1s, including "[[Stand Up (Ludacris song)|Stand Up]]" in 2003), [[Ciara]] ("[[Goodies (song)|Goodies]]" in 2004), [[D4L]] ("[[Laffy Taffy (song)|Laffy Taffy]]" in 2005), [[Soulja Boy]] ("[[Crank That (Soulja Boy)]]" in 2007), [[T.I.]] (3 #1s, including "[[Whatever You Like]]" in 2008), [[B.o.B.]] ("[[Nothin' on You]]" in 2009), [[Migos]] ("[[Bad and Boujee]]" in 2016), [[Childish Gambino]] ("[[This Is America (Childish Gambino song)|This Is America]]" in 2018), and [[Lil Nas X]] (3 #1s like "[[Old Town Road]]" in 2019, the longest running #1 song of all time). Usher also had 4 consecutive #1 albums on the Billboard 200 from ''[[Confessions (Usher album)|Confessions]]'' in 2004 to ''[[Looking 4 Myself]]''. The R&B group [[112 (band)|112]] were featured on Puff Daddy's #1 Hot 100 song "[[I'll Be Missing You]]" in 1997. Rapper [[Yung Joc]] was featured on [[T-Pain]]'s #1 Hot 100 song "[[Buy U a Drank]]". R&B singer [[Sleepy Brown]] from [[Savannah, GA|Savannah]] was featured on Outkast's #1 Hot 100 song "[[The Way You Move]]" in 2004. [[Young Thug]] was featured on Camila Cabello's #1 Hot 100 song "[[Havana (Camila Cabello song)|Havana]]" in 2018. In addition, Atlanta rapper [[2 Chainz]] had a #1 album on the Billboard 200 in 2012: ''[[Based on a T.R.U. Story]]''. [[Future (rapper)|Future]] has had 7 consecutive #1 albums on the Billboard 200 including the [[Trap music (hip hop)|trap music]] album ''[[DS2 (album)|DS2]]'' in 2015. [[21 Savage]] from [[DeKalb County, Georgia|DeKalb County]] has had 2 #1 albums, including one in 2019. [[Lil Baby]] has had 2 #1 albums like in 2020. R&B singer [[Summer Walker]] had a #1 album in 2021.

Additional notable musicians from Georgia include: "[[What Kind of Fool (Do You Think I Am)]]" from 1964 by R&B group [[The Tams]], "[[Take Your Time (Do It Right)]]" '80 by Post-disco group [[The S.O.S. Band]], "[[Mr. Wendal]]" '92 by [[Arrested Development (group)]], "[[Whoomp! (There It Is)]]" '93 by hip hop and Miami bass duo [[Tag Team (group)|Tag Team]], "[[My Boo (Ghost Town DJ's song)|My Boo]]" '96 by R&B and Miami bass group [[Ghost Town DJs]], "[[Da' Dip]]" '97 by hip hop and Miami bass rapper [[Freak Nasty]], "[[Bring It All to Me]]" '99 by R&B girl group [[Blaque]], "[[Don't Think I'm Not]]" '00 by r&b singer [[Kandi Burruss|Kandi]] (who was in [[Xscape (vocal group)|Xscape]]), "[[Where the Party At]]" '01 by hip hop soul group [[Jagged Edge (American group)|Jagged Edge]], "[[Don't Mess with My Man (Nivea song)|Don't Mess with My Man]]" '02 by R&B singer [[Nivea (singer)|Nivea]] from Savannah, "[[Georgia (Field Mob and Ludacris song)|Georgia]]" '05 by Southern hip hop group [[Field Mob]], "[[Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae)]]" by [[Silento]] in 2015, "[[Crush (Jennifer Paige song)|Crush]]" '98 by pop singer [[Jennifer Paige]], "[[Lullaby (Shawn Mullins song)|Lullaby]]" '98 by pop rock singer [[Shawn Mullins]], "[[Crazy for This Girl]]" 2000 by pop rock twin brothers [[Evan and Jaron]], "[[People Are Crazy]]" '09 by country singer [[Billy Currington]] from Savannah, ''[[Hey! Album]]'' "Freak of the Week" '98 by pop rock band [[Marvelous 3]] (with [[Butch Walker]]), "[[Not an Angel]]" '07 by Post-hardcore band City Sleeps, "[[Bartender Song (Sittin' at a Bar)]]" '08 by rap rock and country rock group [[Rehab (band)|Rehab]], ''[[Sugar (Dead Confederate album)|Sugar]]'' "Giving It All Away" 2010 by psychedelic rock band [[Dead Confederate]] from Augusta, ''[[Southern Gothic (album)|Southern Gothic]]'' "Felicia" from 2010 by psychedelic rock and hip hop band [[The Constellations]], and "[[Lose Control (Teddy Swims song)|Lose Control]]" (which went to #1 on Billboard Hot 100 in 2024) by [[Teddy Swims]] from Conyers.

==Classical==
[[Modernism (music)|Modernist]] composer [[Wallingford Riegger]] was born in Albany.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/wallingford-riegger-1885-1961 |title=Wallingford Riegger (1885-1961) &#124; New Georgia Encyclopedia |publisher=Georgiaencyclopedia.org |date=2013-11-14 |access-date=2015-10-26 |archive-date=2015-11-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119235024/http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/wallingford-riegger-1885-1961 |url-status=live }}</ref> Singer/composer [[Roland Hayes]] was born in Curryville.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/roland-hayes-1887-1977 |title=Roland Hayes (1887-1977) &#124; New Georgia Encyclopedia |publisher=Georgiaencyclopedia.org |date=2013-11-14 |access-date=2015-10-26 |archive-date=2015-10-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151026090405/http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/roland-hayes-1887-1977 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Opera]] singer [[Mattiwilda Dobbs]] was born in Atlanta.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/mattiwilda-dobbs-b-1925 |title=Mattiwilda Dobbs (b. 1925) &#124; New Georgia Encyclopedia |publisher=Georgiaencyclopedia.org |date=2013-11-14 |access-date=2015-10-26 |archive-date=2015-11-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151119231513/http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/mattiwilda-dobbs-b-1925 |url-status=live }}</ref> Opera singer [[Jessye Norman]] is native to Augusta. Opera singer [[Jamie Barton (singer)|Jamie Barton]] is from Rome, GA.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.wabe.org/post/georgias-jamie-barton-awarded-prestigious-opera-prize |title=Georgia's Jamie Barton Awarded Prestigious Opera Prize |publisher=WABE |date=2015-04-28 |access-date=2015-11-19 |archive-date=2015-11-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151120114804/http://news.wabe.org/post/georgias-jamie-barton-awarded-prestigious-opera-prize |url-status=live }}</ref> Composer/arranger [[Hall Johnson]] was born in Athens.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/hall-johnson-1888-1970 |title=Hall Johnson (1888-1970) &#124; New Georgia Encyclopedia |publisher=Georgiaencyclopedia.org |date=2013-11-14 |access-date=2015-10-26 |archive-date=2018-01-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180124033355/http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/articles/arts-culture/hall-johnson-1888-1970 |url-status=live }}</ref> Composer [[Lena McLin]] was born in Atlanta.  Famous music director [[Robert Shaw (conductor)|Robert Shaw]] spent much of his time living in Atlanta directing the [[Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus]].

Notable Georgian classical groups include the [[Atlanta Symphony Orchestra]], the [[Atlanta Chamber Players]], the Atlanta Symphony Chorus, [[Atlanta Opera]], the [http://www.georgiaboychoir.org/ Georgia Boy Choir], the [[Atlanta Boy Choir]], Georgia Symphony Orchestra, [[New Trinity Baroque]], the [[Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra]], Atlanta Ballet, and the Gwinnett Ballet Theatre, as well as symphonies in the cities of Columbus, Macon, Augusta, and Savannah.

==The Great American Songbook==
[[Lyricist]] [[Johnny Mercer]], whose works include the [[Academy Award for Best Original Song|Academy Award]]-winning song "[[On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe]]" and other entries in the [[Great American Songbook]] of pop music (like "[[Moon River]]") [[Pop standards|standards]], is a native of [[Savannah, Georgia|Savannah]] and buried there. Mercer co-founded [[Capitol Records]].

== See also ==
*[[Music of Atlanta]]
*[[List of songs about Atlanta]]
*[[Blind Tom Wiggins]]
*The Georgia Music Channel http://georgiamusicchannel.com

== References ==
* {{cite web|work=New Georgia Encyclopedia|title=The Sacred Harp|url=http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?path=/Folklife/FolkSongsandTales&id=h-549|access-date=2 December 2005}}
* {{cite web|work=New Georgia Encyclopedia|title=McIntosh County Shouters|access-date=2 December 2005|url=http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?path=/Folklife/FolkSongsandTales&id=h-520}}
* {{cite web|work=New Georgia Encyclopedia|title=Georgia Sea Island Singers|access-date=2 December 2005|url=http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?path=/Folklife/FolkSongsandTales&id=h-1061}}
*[http://www.Shoutforfreedom.Synthasite.com The McIntosh County Shouters] The group
* {{cite web|work=New Georgia Encyclopedia|title=Fiddlin' John Carson|url=http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-892|access-date=25 May 2009}}

== Notes ==
<references />

==External links==
*[http://www.sebabluegrass.org/index.php/ North Georgia Bluegrass]
*[http://members.aol.com/pickinhour/Links.html/ Georgia Bluegrass & Acoustic Music Links]
*[http://bcbrown.net/bluegrass/chronicles/index.html North Georgia BlueGrass Chronicles]
*[http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/topics/music Georgia's Music]
*[http://www.georgiaboychoir.org Georgia Boy Choir]

{{Georgia (U.S. state)}}

[[Category:Music of Georgia (U.S. state)| ]]
[[Category:Music of the United States by state|G]]
[[Category:Culture of Georgia (U.S. state)]]