Whether they would admit it or not, an artist's hometown has an insurmountable influence on their music, and these eight artists flaunted their hometown proudly.
Here are eight albums named after the artist's hometown:
1. Bruce Springsteen: Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ (1973)
Though Springsteen grew up in Freehold, New Jersey, the city he is most associated with is the Jersey Shore town of Asbury Park, which he gave a shout-out to in the title of his 1973 debut Greetings from Asbury Park, NJ.
2. X: Los Angeles (1980)
The original wave of punk bands in the mid-to-late 1970s primarily came from New York City and London, so X's decision to title their debut album Los Angeles served as an announcement to the world that innovative punk rock was coming from California as well.
3. The Housemartins: London 0 Hull 4 (1986)
London bands usually get the most attention in the English music scene, but the Housemartins did not buy into the London hype. According to the title of their 1986 debut album, London 0 Hull 4, London did not have any great bands at the time, while their hometown of Hull had four.
4. N.W.A: Straight Outta Compton (1988)
In 1988, N.W.A put West Coast hip-hop on the map with their debut album Straight Outta Compton, which was named after the group's hometown of Compton in Los Angeles County, California.
5. Lou Reed: New York (1989)
As early as the first Velvet Underground album in 1967, Lou Reed had been writing songs about New York City, but it was not until 1989 that Reed finally released an album titled New York, long after he had established himself as one of the city's defining figures.
6. The Roots: Illadelph Halflife (1996)
The Roots have proven themselves to be one of Philadelphia's key musical exports over the last 20 years, and though they have technically never used the word Philadelphia for any song or album title, the closest they have come is the title to their third album: Illadelph Halflife.
7. OutKast: ATLiens (1996)
Just as N.W.A did for West Coast hip-hop, OutKast helped popularize the idiosyncratic Southern hip-hop style during the 1990s. The Atlanta duo referenced their Southern roots on their first two album titles: Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik and ATLiens.
8. Loretta Lynn: Van Lear Rose (2004)
Lynn's signature song is her 1970 single "Coal Miner's Daughter," and in 2004 the country legend referenced her father's job as a coal miner once again with the title of her album Van Lear Rose, named after the Van Lear mines in her hometown of Van Lear, Kentucky.
What other albums are named after the artist's hometown? Let us know down in the comments section.
