Billboard came up with a fun project for the July 4th holiday, assigning a music performer that best represents each of the 50 states. According to the site, final decisions were largely based on sales results from its charts, but a performer's deception to their home state via its lyrics also made a difference. Check out what performer made it for your state and let us know if Billboard chose well.
Alabama: Alabama (Duh)
Alaska: Jewel (Huh. Wasn't aware.)
Arizona: Fleetwood Mac (Yeah, the band is British but Stevie Nicks is from Phoenix.)
Arkansas: Johnny Cash
California: The Beach Boys (a good choice, but plenty of other arguable candidates.)
Colorado: John Denver
Connecticut: John Mayer
Delaware: George Thorogood
Florida: Gloria Estefan
Georgia: Ray Charles
Hawaii: Bruno Mars
Idaho: Paul Revere and The Raiders (another act we weren't aware had an unusual home state)
Illinois: Chicago (Duh...and somewhat disappointing)
Indiana: Michael Jackson
Iowa: The Everly Brothers (Slipknot got ripped off, no?)
Kansas: Kansas (Duh)
Kentucky: Loretta Lynn
Louisiana: Louis Armstrong (good choice from rich musical state)
Maine: Stephen Hague (Surprising that Maine turned out most obscure act/name on list)
Maryland: Toni Braxton
Massachusetts: Aerosmith (using previous logic, Boston was the obvious answer)
Michigan: Madonna (unfair considering star's distaste for hometown. Eminem, Marvin Gaye?)
Minnesota: Prince
Mississippi: Elvis Presley (no, Rae Sremmurd isn't the biggest act from Tupelo. Yet.)
Missouri: Eminem (Odd. Rapper didn't move to Detroit until he was 12, true...but no one is more pro-Detroit than the emcee)
Montana: Pearl Jam (Ha...desperation. Bassist Jeff Ament was born in Montana, which is all it takes to be the biggest act in the state, apparently.)
Nebraska: The Eagles (again, only one member hails from the state. Randy Meisner...the member no one talks about)
Nevada: The Killers
New Hampshire: Ray Lamontagne
New Jersey: Bruce Springsteen (epic kaiju battle between he and Bon Jovi, we're sure.)
New Mexico: The Shins
New York: Billy Joel (another tough decision...but probably a good choice)
North Carolina: Jermaine Dupri
North Dakota: Lawrence Welk
Ohio: The Pretenders (as Ohio natives, we accept this decision.)
Oklahoma: Garth Brooks
Oregon: Esperanza Spalding
Pennsylvania: Taylor Swift
Rhode Island: Jeffrey Osborne
South Carolina: James Brown
South Dakota: L. Frank Baum (Say what? The dude wrote The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Did he write The Wiz? Did he write Wicked? No. He wrote a book. Come on guys...amateur decision here.)
Tennessee: Dolly Parton
Texas: George Strait
Utah: The Osmonds
Vermont: Phish
Virginia: Bruce Hornsby (Pharrell Williams would have been our pick)
Washington: Nirvana
West Virginia: Brad Paisley
Wisconsin: Les Paul
Wyoming: Chris LeDoux
Here's a bonus track for the most American band of all time...which is, of course, America.
