Have you ever wondered who the most popular artist was in the entire state of Texas? Hawaii? Alaska? Well, apparently Paul Lamere of The Echo Nest used his company's extensive data set to calculate each state's favorite recording artist. The results, which you can see above, are eye-opening; while the Southwest rides hard for Drake, the East is packed with Jay Z fans. Well, except for West Virginia, where hella (one assumes) white dudes really love Eminem. This love is reflected in North Dakota and Alaska. The Pacific Northwest, meanwhile (along with Hawaii) really love them some Macklemore.
Another map Lamere produced is perhaps even more eye-opening. A look at the distinctive artists by state (or, as Lamere puts it: "the artists that are listened to proportionally more frequently in a particular state than they are in all of the United States") shows strong regional preferences. It'll be no surprise to anyone who's ever lived in Vermont that Phish stands apart. Or that Texans fuck pretty heavily with George Strait. But it's interesting to note that Jeezy still runs Michigan—the old BMF ties? His allegiance with Doughboyz Cashout? And that newcomer Kevin Gates has taken Louisiana by storm. Perhaps strangest of all, though, is seeing that West Virginia can't get enough of Matchbox 20...in 2014.
Apparently, this info comes from a quarter of a million online listeners, with data aggregated from a wide range of services that use The Echo Nest.
[via Business Insider]
