20 songs with a state in the title

There is no doubt that when people think of Alabama, the hit song from Lynyrd Skynyrd comes to mind. While “Sweet Home Alabama” has become a signature anthem for the state and some of its sports teams, it’s a bit hard to believe that none of the members of Lynyrd Skynyrd are actually from the state. Regardless, “Sweet Home Alabama” became the band’s biggest hit single. 

Katy Perry teamed up with fellow California native Snoop Dogg on their hit song “California Gurls.” The bubblegum pop production is perfect for the track as Perry and Snoop detail how no other women can compare to California girls. The song became a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. 

The story of Kings of Leon’s “Arizona” may be difficult to decipher lyrically. The band gave context to how the song details the band’s time going to a brothel in the state and questioning how a beautiful woman they saw ended up working there. 

One of Gladys Knight and the Pips’ most popular songs is “Midnight Train to Georgia.” The track tells the story of a man who wanted to start a new life in Los Angeles, but it didn’t work out how he hoped, so he’s making his way back to his hometown in Georgia. 

Country singer Chris Stapleton became a breakout star with his cover of “Tennessee Whiskey.” The intoxicating love song reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. 

The Eagles’ hit song “Hotel California” draws listeners in with the smooth guitar sounds throughout the track. The song details the band's life and times of being in Los Angeles. “Hotel California” won a Grammy Award for Record of the Year. 

Natives from New York usually seem to have some type of pride for their hometown. Ja Rule linked up with fellow Big Apple natives Fat Joe and Jadakiss to pay homage on their track “New York.” Produced by Cool & Dre, the song reached No. 10 on the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart.

Drake is no stranger to releasing location tracks. In 2020, the rapper released the mixtape Dark Lane Demo Tapes, which featured previously leaked tracks and SoundCloud uploads. One of the standout tracks is "From Florida With Love," in which the title refers to Drake being in Miami when he wrote the song. 

On The Beach Boys’ hit song “California Girls,” the band realizes that girls from all over the country have great qualities. But there’s nothing that compares to a girl hailing from California. Like the second verse says, “I been all around this great world / And I seen all kinds of girls / Yeah, but I couldn’t wait to get back in the states / Back to the cutest girls in the world.” 

Although “Georgia On My Mind” was first recorded in 1930 by Hoagy Carmichael, the song was made famous 30 years later with a rendition from Georgia native Ray Charles. A sweet ode to the Southern state that became the state’s official song in 1979.

On Arrested Development’s hit song “Tennessee,” the band details family ties and dealing with loss. On the track, the main singer asks God to guide him to another place, which ends up being Tennessee, his home state. 

Rap duo Clipse teamed up with The Neptunes on their debut album Lord Willin.’ One of the album's standout tracks is “Virginia,” an anthem on being a hustler in the state. Clipse and The Neptunes were born and raised in Virginia, so it’s only right for them to talk about the state they grew up in. 

One of Billy Joel’s signature tracks is the piano-driven “New York State of Mind.” On the track, Joel talks about how people like to take getaway trips to other cities like Miami or Hollywood, but he knows that nothing compares to New York. 

When listeners hear Elvis Presley’s rendition of “Blue Hawaii,” they hear that signature Hawaiian island sound. The title track was perfect for the Presley film and the soundtrack was a No. 1 smash on the Billboard 200 for 20 consecutive weeks. 

Nas paid homage to his hometown of New York on his track “N.Y. State of Mind.” Produced by DJ Premier, it was a standout track from his debut album Illmatic.

George Strait’s hit single “All My Ex’s Live in Texas” tells how his ex-partners live in different parts of Texas. That’s the main reason why he doesn’t live there anymore. Strait highlights how he lives in Tennessee. 

Katy Perry’s “Harleys in Hawaii” is the type of song that should be added to any road trip playlist. On the track, Perry details that she wants to ride on the back of a Harley with her lover and explore a new town.

Justin Timberlake teamed up with frequent collaborators The Neptunes on his song "Montana." Although Timberlake briefly mentions the state at the end of the song, he lyrically talks about his love for his significant other. 

"It Never Rains (in Southern California)" is one of the more popular songs by the R&B group Tony! Toni! Tone! But don't believe the hype of the title. It does rain in the sunny state. On the track, lead singer Raphael Saadiq sings about flying to California to meet up with his lover. 

In 1970, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young released their protest song “Ohio.” The song was in reaction to the Kent State shootings that happened during that time. The song also criticized former president Richard Nixon to the point that some radio stations banned it.