The music of Florida has diverse influences, with roots in rock, jazz, blues, country, and Latin music. Cities such as Tampa, Gainesville, Orlando, and Miami developed influential rock, punk, and metal scenes in the 1970s–2000s. Miami in particular has a rich tradition of Latin and Caribbean music, which has influenced mainstream pop and hip hop in the 2000s and 2010s.

Indigenous music

Blues

Blues Blues is a music genre and musical form that originated among African Americans in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues has incorporated spiritual (music), spirituals, work songs, field hollers, Ring shout, shouts, cha ...

artists from Florida include Piedmont blues singer and guitarist

Gabriel Brown Gabriel Brown (September 2, 1910 – May 7, 1960)Chris Smith, "'The Jinx is on Me': Gabriel Brown", ''Blues & Rhythm'', No. 368, April 2022, pp. 24-29 was an American Piedmont blues singer, guitarist, and actor. Biography Brown was born in Gre ...

and saxophonist and

blues shouter A blues shouter is a blues singer, capable of singing unamplified with a band. Notable blues shouters include: *Big Maybelle *Big Mama Thornton *Piney Brown *Walter Brown (singer), Walter Brown, of the Jay McShann orchestra *Beulah Bryant *H-Bomb F ...

Buster Bennett James Joseph "Buster" Bennett (March 19, 1914 – July 3, 1980) was an American blues saxophonist and blues shouter. His nickname was "Leap Frog". At various times in his career, he played the soprano saxophone, the alto, and the tenor. He wa ...

. Some blues songs from the early 20th century reference geographic locations in Florida, including "Florida Blues" by

W. C. Handy William Christopher Handy (November 16, 1873 – March 28, 1958) was an American composer and musician who referred to himself as the Father of the Blues. He was one of the most influential songwriters in the United States. One of many musician ...

, "Jacksonville Blues", "Miami Blues", "Miami Beach Blues", "Swanee Blues", and "Pensacola Blues".

Jazz

Bebop Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early to mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo (usually exceeding 200 bpm), complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerou ...

drummer Robert Thomas, Jr. and swing drummer

Panama Francis David Albert "Panama" Francis (December 21, 1918 – November 13, 2001) was an American swing jazz drummer who played on numerous hit recordings in the 1950s. Early life Francis was born in Miami, Florida, on December 21, 1918. His father was ...

were born in

Miami Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...

. Saxophonist

Archie Shepp Archie Shepp (born May 24, 1937) is an American jazz saxophonist, educator and playwright who since the 1960s has played a central part in the development of avant-garde jazz. Biography Early life Shepp was born in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, but ...

was born in

Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale ( ) is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and most populous city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it ...

. Trumpeter

Fats Navarro Theodore "Fats" Navarro (September 24, 1923 – July 7, 1950) was an American jazz trumpet player and a pioneer of the bebop style of jazz improvisation in the 1940s. A native of Key West, Florida, he toured with big bands before achieving fa ...

was born in

Key West Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida, at the southern end of the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Island, it con ...

. Bassist, cellist, and composer Sam Jones was born in Jacksonville. Alto saxophonist

Cannonball Adderley Julian Edwin "Cannonball" Adderley (September 15, 1928August 8, 1975) was an American jazz Alto saxophone, alto saxophonist of the hard bop era of the 1950s and 1960s. Adderley is perhaps best remembered by the general public for the 1966 soul ...

and his brother, the cornet and trumpet player

Nat Adderley Nathaniel Carlyle Adderley (November 25, 1931 – January 2, 2000) was an American jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It ...

, of Tampa, and tenor saxophonist

Junior Cook Herman "Junior" Cook (July 22, 1934 – February 3, 1992) was an American hard bop tenor saxophone player. Biography Cook was born in Pensacola, Florida. A member of a musical family, he started on alto saxophone before switching to tenor du ...

Pensacola Pensacola ( ) is a city in the Florida panhandle in the United States. It is the county seat and only city in Escambia County. The population was 54,312 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Pensacola metropolitan area, which ha ...

were active in the

hard bop Hard bop is a subgenre of jazz that is an extension of bebop (or "bop") music. Journalists and record companies began using the term in the mid-1950s to describe a new current within jazz that incorporated influences from rhythm and blues, gospe ...

era. Multi-instrumentalist and composer

Gigi Gryce Gigi Gryce (born George General Grice Jr.; November 28, 1925 – March 17, 1983), later in life changing his name to Basheer Qusim, was an American jazz saxophonist, flautist, clarinetist, composer, arranger, and educator. While his performing ...

and blues and

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

singer and pianist Ida Goodson were also born in Pensacola. Pianist and singer Billie Pierce, of the Goodson Sisters, was born in Marianna. Trombonist

Buster Cooper George "Buster" Cooper (April 4, 1929 – May 13, 2016) was an American jazz trombonist. Career A native of St. Petersburg, Florida, United States, Cooper played in a territory band with Nat Towles in Texas in the late 1940s and with Lionel Hamp ...

was born in

St. Petersburg Saint Petersburg, formerly known as Petrograd and later Leningrad, is the second-largest city in Russia after Moscow. It is situated on the River Neva, at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea. The city had a population of 5,601, ...

. Saxophonist Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis was born in

Bradenton Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the city's population is 55,698, up from 49,546 at the 2010 census. It is a principal city in the Sarasota metropolitan area. Dow ...

Doug Carn Doug Carn (born July 14, 1948) is an American jazz musician from St. Augustine, Florida, formerly married to Jean Carne and known for his several albums released for Black Jazz Records. Carn is a multi-instrumentalist known primarily for his work ...

St. Augustine Augustine of Hippo ( , ; ; 13 November 354 – 28 August 430) was a theologian and philosopher of Berber origin and the bishop of Hippo Regius in Numidia, Roman North Africa. His writings deeply influenced the development of Western philosop ...

recorded several albums for Black Jazz Records in the early 1970s. Trumpeter

Pete Minger Pete Minger (January 22, 1943 in Orangeburg, South Carolina – April 13, 2000 in Pompano Beach, Florida), born George Allen Minger, was an American bebop-based trumpeter. He also played flugelhorn. He came from a musical family with his moth ...

, a South Carolina native, moved to Florida where he played with drummer William Peeples among others, and studied music at the

University of Miami The University of Miami (UM, UMiami, Miami, U of M, and The U) is a private university, private research university in Coral Gables, Florida, United States. , the university enrolled 19,852 students in two colleges and ten schools across over ...

after working with

Count Basie William James "Count" Basie (; August 21, 1904 – April 26, 1984) was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. In 1935, he formed the Count Basie Orchestra, and in 1936 took them to Chicago for a long engagement and the ...

in the 1970s. Cuban jazz trumpeter, pianist, and composer

Arturo Sandoval Arturo Sandoval (born November 6, 1949) is a Cuban-American jazz trumpeter, pianist, timbalero, and composer. While living in his native Cuba, Sandoval was influenced by jazz musicians Charlie Parker, Clifford Brown, and Dizzy Gillespie. In 1977 ...

has been active in Miami since 1990. Dean Dewberry (1926–2006), a Jazz (American Music) Hall of Fame concert pianist, was born and raised in St. Petersburg. He played in local night clubs with his wife, Penny Parker Dewberry, as well as with jazz musicians such as

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

and Wild Bill Davidson. Later, after becoming Christians, both he and his wife created "Jazz For Jesus" and spent the rest of their working years uplifting inmates throughout the southeast; they did normal and home co-ministry with their friends Horace and Marilyn Ellsworth (ministers of "Looking Unto Jesus Ministries") throughout Florida and southern Georgia.

Country

Florida is the home of several notable country musicians and musical acts.

Johnny Tillotson Johnny Tillotson (April 20, 1938 – April 1, 2025) was an American singer-songwriter. He enjoyed his greatest success in the early 1960s, when he scored nine top-ten hits on the pop, country, and adult contemporary ''Billboard'' charts, incl ...

(" Poetry in Motion") is from Jacksonville. Country singer

Mel Tillis Lonnie Melvin Tillis (August 8, 1932 – November 19, 2017) was an American country music singer and songwriter. Although he recorded songs since the late 1950s, his biggest success occurred in the 1970s as part of the outlaw country movement, ...

was born in Darby, a small rural community in

Pasco County Pasco County is a county located on the west central coast in the U.S. state of Florida. As of 2024, the population of the county is 656,851, making it the tenth-most populous county in the state. Its county seat is Dade City, and its largest c ...

. His daughter

Pam Tillis Pamela Yvonne Tillis (born July 24, 1957) is an American country music singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. She is the eldest child of country singer Mel Tillis. After recording unsuccessful pop material for Elektra Records, Elektra ...

, also a country music star, was born in nearby

Plant City Plant City is an incorporated city in Hillsborough County, Florida, United States, approximately midway between Brandon and Lakeland along Interstate 4. It is part of the Tampa Bay area. The population was 39,764 at the 2020 census. Despite ma ...

Slim Whitman Ottis Dewey "Slim" Whitman Jr. (January 20, 1923 – June 19, 2013) was an American country music singer and guitarist known for his yodeling abilities and his use of falsetto. Recorded figures show 70 million sales, during a career that spanne ...

was born in Tampa and once played minor-league baseball for the Plant City Berries.

The Bellamy Brothers The Bellamy Brothers are an American pop and country music duo from Darby, Florida. The duo consists of brothers David Milton Bellamy (born September 16, 1950) and Homer Howard Bellamy (born February 2, 1946). The duo had considerable musical s ...

, a duet act that hit number one on the country charts several times before reaching number one on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' Hot 100 chart with their cross-over hit "

Let Your Love Flow "Let Your Love Flow" is the debut single by country music duo the Bellamy Brothers, recorded in late 1975 and released in January 1976. The song was written by Larry E. Williams and produced by Phil Gernhard and Tony Scotti. It became an internatio ...

" (1976), also hail from Darby. Their close friend

Bobby Braddock Robert Valentine Braddock (born August 5, 1940) is an American country music, country songwriter and record producer. A member of the Country Music Hall of Fame and the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Braddock has contributed numerous hit s ...

, a member of the

Country Music Hall of Fame The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville, Tennessee, is one of the world's largest museums and research centers dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of American vernacular music. Chartered in 1964, the museum has amass ...

with multiple number ones to his credit, was born in Lakeland, in Polk County, and grew up in nearby Auburndale. Kent Lavoie, better known by his stage name Lobo, hit number 5 on the ''

'' Pop chart in 1971 with the soft rock song "

Me and You and a Dog Named Boo "Me and You and a Dog Named Boo" is the 1971 debut single by Lobo (musician), Lobo. Written by Lobo under his real name Kent LaVoie, it appears on the ''Introducing Lobo'' album. Composition Lobo recalls: "I was working on several songs, includ ...

". He was born in

Tallahassee Tallahassee ( ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of and the only incorporated municipality in Leon County. Tallahassee became the capital of Florida, then the Florida Territory, in 1824. In 2024, the est ...

and grew up in Winter Haven. While attending the

University of South Florida The University of South Florida (USF) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States, and other campuses in St. Petersburg, Florida, St. Petersburg and Sarasota, ...

, Lavoie formed a band called The Rumors with

Jim Stafford James Wayne Stafford (born January 16, 1944) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and comedian. While prominent in the 1970s for his recordings " Spiders & Snakes", "Swamp Witch", "Under the Scotsman's Kilt", " My Girl Bill", and " Wildw ...

and

Gram Parsons Ingram Cecil Connor III (November 5, 1946 – September 19, 1973), known professionally as Gram Parsons, was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and pianist. He recorded with the International Submarine Band, the Byrds, and the Flying Bu ...

was born in Winter Haven and attended exclusive

The Bolles School The Bolles School is an American private college preparatory day and boarding school in Jacksonville, Florida. It has a lower school (including pre-kindergarten), a middle school, and a high school, spread across four campuses around the Jackso ...

Jacksonville Jacksonville ( ) is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of North Florida, northeastern Florida. It is the county seat of Duval County, Florida, Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonv ...

. He had a central role in the

rock-and-roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African American music such as jazz, rhythm and ...

scene of the 1960s, being friends or collaborating on projects with notables like

Mick Jagger Sir Michael Philip Jagger (born 26 July 1943) is an English musician. He is known as the lead singer and one of the founder members of The Rolling Stones. Jagger has co-written most of the band's songs with lead guitarist Keith Richards; Jagge ...

Linda Ronstadt Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is an American singer who has performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin music. Ronstadt has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three A ...

Johnny "Guitar" Watson John Watson Jr. (February 3, 1935 – May 17, 1996), often known professionally as Johnny "Guitar" Watson, was an American musician. A flamboyant showman and electric guitarist in the style of T-Bone Walker, his recording career spanned 40 year ...

, and

The Kingston Trio The Kingston Trio is an American folk and pop music group that helped launch the folk revival of the late 1950s to the late 1960s. The group started as a San Francisco Bay Area nightclub act with an original lineup of Dave Guard, Bob Shane, ...

. He tried to rescue

Michelle Phillips Holly Michelle Phillips ( Gilliam; born June 4, 1944) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. Described by ''Time (magazine), Time'' magazine as the "purest soprano in pop music", she rose to fame in the mid-1960s with the folk rock vocal ...

by helicopter from the mayhem at the Altamont Music Festival in 1969. One of his songs is included in ''

Gimme Shelter "Gimme Shelter" is a song by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. Written by Jagger–Richards, it is the opening track of the band's 1969 album '' Let It Bleed''. The song covers the brutal realities of war, including murder, rape and f ...

'', a documentary about the events at Altamont. Parsons was a member of

The Byrds The Byrds () were an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1964. The band underwent multiple lineup changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn (known as Jim McGuinn until mid-1967) being the so ...

and was also part of

The Flying Burrito Brothers The Flying Burrito Brothers are an American country rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1968, best known for their influential 1969 debut album, ''The Gilded Palace of Sin''. Although the group is known for its connection to band f ...

. Later, with some friends from

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

, he formed a folk/country band named

International Submarine Band The International Submarine Band (ISB) was a country-rock band formed by Gram Parsons in 1965, while a theology (?) student at Harvard University and John Nuese, a guitar player for local rock group, The Trolls. Nuese is credited with having pe ...

. He later toured extensively with

Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, bandleader, and activist. She is considered one of the leading music artists behind the country rock genre in the 1970s and the Americana (music), Americana genre ...

before his death at the age of 26.

, born in Eloise, grew up in Winter Haven and was a prominent country performer in the 1970s. He had his own television show, ''The Jim Stafford Show'', in 1975, as well as co-hosting ''

Those Amazing Animals ''That's Incredible!'' is an American reality television show that aired on the ABC television network from 1980 to 1984. In the tradition of ''You Asked for It'', ''Ripley's Believe It or Not!'' and '' Real People'', the show featured people p ...

'' with

Burgess Meredith Oliver Burgess Meredith (November 16, 1907 – September 9, 1997) was an American actor and filmmaker whose career encompassed radio, theater, film, and television. Active for more than six decades, Meredith has been called "a virtuosic actor" ...

and

Priscilla Presley Priscilla Ann Presley (née Wagner, formerly Beaulieu; born May 24, 1945) is an American businesswoman and actress. She is the ex-wife of American singer Elvis Presley, as well as the cofounder and former chairperson of Elvis Presley Enterpris ...

and making regular guest appearances on ''

The Tonight Show ''The Tonight Show'' is an American late-night talk show that has been broadcast on NBC since 1954. The program has been hosted by six comedians: Steve Allen (1954–1957), Jack Paar (1957–1962), Johnny Carson (1962–1992), Jay Leno (1992–2 ...

'' and other programs.

Jake Owen Joshua Ryan Owen (born August 28, 1981), known professionally as Jake Owen, is an American country music singer. Signed to RCA Nashville in 2006, he released his debut studio album, '' Startin' with Me'', that year. This album produced three ...

had a number 4 album on the Billboard 200 in 2016.

Rock

Florida has been a center for rock music and its numerous subgenres since the 1960s. Cities such as

Tampa Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...

, and Gainesville in particular developed active punk rock and metal scenes starting in the 1970s and 1980s. Florida musicians inducted into the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...

include

The Allman Brothers Band The Allman Brothers Band was an American rock music, rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1969. Its founding members were brothers Duane Allman (slide guitar, lead guitar) and Gregg Allman (vocals, keyboards), as well as Dickey Betts ( ...

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were an American rock band formed in Gainesville, Florida, in 1976. The band originally comprised lead singer and rhythm guitarist Tom Petty, lead guitarist Mike Campbell, keyboardist Benmont Tench, drummer ...

, and

Lynyrd Skynyrd Lynyrd Skynyrd (, ) is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1964. The group originally formed as My Backyard and comprised Ronnie Van Zant (vocals), Gary Rossington (guitar), Allen Collins (guitar), Larry Junstrom ...

(

Ronnie Van Zant Ronald Wayne Van Zant (January 15, 1948 – October 20, 1977) was an American singer, best known as the founding lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd. He was the older brother of Johnny Van Zant, the cu ...

is buried in a suburb of Jacksonville; his widow founded Freebird Live).

Southern rock

In the 1970s and early 1980s, Jacksonville saw an active music recording scene with

Southern rock Southern rock is a subgenre of rock music and a genre of Americana. It developed in the Southern United States from rock and roll, country and blues, and is focused generally on electric guitars and vocals. History 1950s and 1960s: origin ...

bands such as

Molly Hatchet Molly Hatchet is an American rock band formed by guitarist Dave Hlubek in Jacksonville, Florida in 1971. They experienced popularity and commercial success during the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s amongst southern rock and hard rock commun ...

38 Special 38 Special or 0.38 Special or .38 Special, may refer to: * .38 Special, a revolver cartridge Music * 38 Special (band), an American rock band ** ''38 Special'' (album), the 1977 debut album of the band 38 Special * .38 Special (song), a 2022 ...

Outlaws An outlaw is a person living outside the law. Outlaws or The Outlaws may also refer to: Film and television Film * ''The Outlaws'' (1950 film), an Italian crime film * ''Outlaws'' (1985 film), a French film * ''The Outlaws'' (2017 film), a Sou ...

Blackfoot The Blackfoot Confederacy, ''Niitsitapi'', or ''Siksikaitsitapi'' (ᖹᐟᒧᐧᒣᑯ, meaning "the people" or " Blackfoot-speaking real people"), is a historic collective name for linguistically related groups that make up the Blackfoot or Bl ...

, and

also recorded their style of country music in the mid to late 1970s.

Mainstream rock

Scott McKenzie Scott McKenzie (born Philip Wallach Blondheim III; January 10, 1939 – August 18, 2012) was an American singer and songwriter who recorded the 1967 hit single and generational anthem " San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)". Ea ...

and Gary U.S. Bonds were born in Florida. In the 1960s, Florida rock band The Outlaws was originated in Tampa;

The Royal Guardsmen The Royal Guardsmen are an American rock band best known for their 1966 hit singles " Snoopy vs. the Red Baron", "The Return of The Red Baron", "Snoopy For President", and the Christmas follow-up " Snoopy's Christmas". History Originally kno ...

(" Snoopy vs. the Red Baron" ranked number 2 on the Hot 100 in 1966) from Ocala; and the

Classics IV The Classics IV is an American band formed in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, in 1965. The band, founded by Dennis Yost, is known mainly for the hits " Spooky", " Stormy", and " Traces" (released 1967–69), which have become cover stand ...

Traces Traces may refer to: Literature * ''Traces'' (book), a 1998 short-story collection by Stephen Baxter * ''Traces'' series, a series of novels by Malcolm Rose Music Albums * ''Traces'' (Classics IV album) or the title song (see below), 1969 * ''Tra ...

" ranked number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1969) from Jacksonville. Tropical country singer

Bertie Higgins Elbert Joseph "Bertie" Higgins (born December 8, 1944) is an American singer-songwriter. In 1982, Higgins had a top 40 album with '' Just Another Day in Paradise''. It spawned the hit song " Key Largo", which referenced the Humphrey Bogart and ...

Key Largo Key Largo () is an island in the upper Florida Keys archipelago and is the largest section of the keys, at long. It is one of the northernmost of the Florida Keys in Monroe County, and the northernmost of the keys connected by U.S. Highway ...

", 1981) was inducted into the Florida Music Hall of Fame in 2016.

Jim Morrison James Douglas Morrison (December 8, 1943 – July 3, 1971) was an American singer, songwriter, and poet who was the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band the Doors. Due to his charismatic persona, poetic lyrics, distinctive vo ...

The Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, comprising vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most influential and controversial rock acts ...

was born in Melbourne, spent part of his childhood in Clearwater, and attended

Florida State University Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...

for a few years. Guitarist

Tom Petty Thomas Earl Petty (October 20, 1950October 2, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. He was the leader and frontman of the Rock music, rock bands Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and Mudcrutch and a member of the late 1980s sup ...

was born in and grew up in Gainesville. Most of the members of the three bands he recorded with—The Epics,

The Heartbreakers The Heartbreakers (sometimes referred to as "Johnny Thunders' Heartbreakers) were an American punk rock band formed in New York City in 1975. The band spearheaded the first wave of punk rock. History Johnny Thunders (vocals/guitar) and Jer ...

, and Mudcrutch—were also from Florida, mainly from in and around Gainesville and northern Florida. Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers had ten number one songs on the

Mainstream Rock chart Mainstream Rock is a music chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States. It is an administrative category that combines the " active rock" and " heritage rock" fo ...

. Bands of the mid-to late-1990s with strong links to Florida include Tabitha's Secret (later named

Matchbox Twenty Matchbox Twenty (stylized as Matchbox 20) is an American rock band formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995. The group currently consists of Rob Thomas (lead vocals, guitar, keyboards), Brian Yale (bass guitar), Paul Doucette (drums, rhythm guit ...

) from

Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...

, the rock band

Creed A creed, also known as a confession of faith, a symbol, or a statement of faith, is a statement of the shared beliefs of a community (often a religious community) which summarizes its core tenets. Many Christian denominations use three creeds ...

(who had four number one songs on the Mainstream Rock chart) from

, and

Sister Hazel Sister Hazel is an American rock band from Gainesville, Florida, whose style blends elements of jangle pop, folk rock, classic rock, and Southern rock. They are best known for their 1997 single " All for You." History Sister Hazel formed in G ...

from Gainesville. The rock band, The Freddy Mitchell Euphoria (formed in Fort Lauderdale in the 1980's) released, "Above and Below" (1984), "Fallen Moons" (1998) and "Animator" (2005).

Alter Bridge Alter Bridge is an American Rock music, rock band from Orlando, Florida. The band was formed in 2004 by vocalist and guitarist Myles Kennedy, lead guitarist Mark Tremonti, bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips (musician), Scott Phill ...

(Creed minus lead vocalist Scott Stapp) from Orlando had a number 5 album on the Billboard 200 with '' One Day Remains'' (2004).

Alternative rock

The Tropics and The Tempests are from Tampa.

Chris Carrabba Christopher Andrew Carrabba (born April 10, 1975) is an American musician who is the primary songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist of the band Dashboard Confessional, lead singer of the band Further Seems Forever, and lead vocalist for the folk ...

and his band,

Dashboard Confessional Dashboard Confessional is an American rock band from Boca Raton, Florida, formed in 1999 and led by singer Chris Carrabba. The name of the band is derived from the song "The Sharp Hint of New Tears" off their debut album, '' The Swiss Army Roma ...

, is usually associated with the new wave of popular alternative music. Originating from

Boca Raton Boca Raton ( ; ) is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 97,422 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and it ranked as the 23rd-largest city in Florida in 2022. Many people with a Boca Raton Address, ...

, the band had two number 2 albums on the Billboard 200 in 2003 and 2006. Chris Carrabba graduated from

Florida Atlantic University Florida Atlantic University (Florida Atlantic or FAU) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus in Boca Raton, Florida, United States. The university is a member of the State University System of Florida and has s ...

in Boca. His former band,

Further Seems Forever Further Seems Forever is an American Rock music, rock band formed in 1998 in Pompano Beach, Florida. Over its initial eight-year run the band experienced several lineup changes, resulting in a different lead vocalist performing on each of their f ...

, is also a popular indie rock band from

Pompano Beach Pompano Beach ( ) is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. It is located along the coast of the Atlantic Ocean, just north of Fort Lauderdale and 36 miles north of Miami. The nearby Hillsboro Inlet forms part of the Atlantic Intracoa ...

. The band

Saigon Kick Saigon Kick is an American hard rock band from Coral Springs, FL, that formed in 1988. When they recorded their debut album and second album the band consisted of lead vocalist Matt Kramer, lead guitarist Jason Bieler, bassist Tom Defile, ...

from Coral Springs had a top 12 Billboard hit with " Love Is on the Way" (1992). Post-grunge band

Seven Mary Three Seven Mary Three (occasionally abbreviated to 7 Mary 3 or 7M3) is an American rock band. They released seven studio albums and one live album, and are best known for their hit single " Cumbersome". Career Formation Seven Mary Three formed in ...

formed in Orlando. The bands

Shinedown Shinedown is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida, formed by singer Brent Smith in 2001 after the dissolution of his previous band, Dreve. Smith, still under contract with record label Atlantic Records, recruited the band's original ...

Cold Cold is the presence of low temperature, especially in the atmosphere. In common usage, cold is often a subjectivity, subjective perception. A lower bound to temperature is absolute zero, defined as 0.00K on the Kelvin scale, an absolute t ...

(" Stupid Girl"), and

Yellowcard Yellowcard is an American rock band who formed in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1997. Their official lineup currently consists of lead singer Ryan Key, lead guitarist Ryan Mendez, bassist Josh Portman and violinist Sean Mackin. Primarily a pop- ...

formed in Jacksonville. Shinedown had a number 4 album on the Billboard 200 with ''

Amaryllis ''Amaryllis'' () is the only genus in the subtribe Amaryllidinae (tribe Amaryllideae). It is a small genus of flowering bulbs, with two species. The better known of the two, '' Amaryllis belladonna'', is a native of the Western Cape region of ...

'' (2012) and twelve number one songs on the

Mainstream Rock Chart Mainstream Rock is a music chart published by ''Billboard'' magazine that ranks the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations in the United States. It is an administrative category that combines the " active rock" and " heritage rock" fo ...

in the 2000s and 2010s, including " Second Chance" and " Sound of Madness". Christian alternative band

Tenth Avenue North Tenth Avenue North is an American contemporary Christian music band from West Palm Beach, Florida. The band released a total of fifteen original music projects, including eight full-length studio albums (six of which reached the Billboard 200, i ...

is based out of West Palm Beach. Christian rock band

Casting Crowns Casting Crowns is a contemporary Christian and Christian rock band which began in Daytona Beach, Florida. The band was formed in 1999 by lead vocalist Mark Hall. They moved to Stockbridge, Georgia, and more members joined. Some members of the ...

('' Come to the Well'', 2011) formed in Daytona Beach.

Jani Lane Jani Lane (born John Kennedy Oswald; February 1, 1964 – August 11, 2011) was an American singer and the lead vocalist, frontman, lyricist and main songwriter for the glam metal band Warrant. From Hollywood, California, the band experienced su ...

, the original lead vocalist for Warrant, grew up in Winter Park; he later opened a club in downtown Orlando named Jani Lane's Sunset Strip. Todd LaTorre, the current vocalist for

Queensrÿche Queensrÿche () is an American progressive metal band. It formed in 1982 in Bellevue, Washington, out of the local band the Mob. The band has released 16 studio albums, one Extended play, EP, and several DVDs, and continues to tour and record ...

, grew up in Tampa Bay; he also was the frontman of

Crimson Glory Crimson Glory is an American heavy metal band that was formed in 1983 in Sarasota, Florida, USA. It started in 1979 under the name Pierced Arrow, then Beowulf, before settling on Crimson Glory. The classic line-up consisted of the vocalist Midn ...

.The American

emo Emo () is a genre of rock music characterized by emotional, often confessional lyrics. It emerged as a style of hardcore punk and from the Washington, D.C., hardcore scene, where it was known as emotional hardcore or emocore. The bands ...

band Pool Kids formed in

, Florida, in 2017. Their debut album was ''Music to Practice Safe Sex To'' (2018).

Rock recording industry

In the 1960s, Tampa was active in the music recording industry.

Mercy Mercy (Middle English, from Anglo-French , from Medieval Latin , "price paid, wages", from Latin , "merchandise") is benevolence, forgiveness, and kindness in a variety of ethical, religious, social, and legal contexts. In the social and le ...

recorded a Jack Sigler, Jr. original entitled " Love (Can Make You Happy)" at the old Charles Fuller Studio on MacDill Avenue in Tampa. The Royal Guardsmen recorded "Snoopy vs. The Red Baron" at this same studio. Many bands used Charles Fuller Studios for their 45 records. The Tropics, a Tampa/St. Petersburg-based band, recorded and released "I Want More" on the Knight label and "Time" on

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

. The Tempests, a St. Petersburg-based band, recorded and released "I Want You Only" and "I Want You To Know" on the Fuller label.

Criteria Studios Criteria Studios is a recording studio in North Miami, Florida, founded in 1958 by musician Mack Emerman. Hundreds of gold, platinum, and diamond singles and albums have been recorded, mixed or mastered at Criteria, for many notable artists and ...

, a recording studio in Miami, produced '' Rumours'' (1977) by

Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1967 by the singer and guitarist Peter Green (musician), Peter Green. Green named the band by combining the surnames of the drummer, Mick Fleetwood, and the bassis ...

and ''

Hotel California "Hotel California" is a song by American rock band the Eagles, released as the second single of their album of the same name on February 22, 1977. The song was written by Don Felder (music), Don Henley, and Glenn Frey (lyrics), featuring H ...

'' (1976) by

The Eagles The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971. With five number-one singles, six number-one albums, six Grammy Awards and five American Music Awards, the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s in ...

Punk rock

Active

punk rock Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is a rock music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960s garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced sh ...

scenes flourished in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area in the late 1970s, including bands such as The Straight Jackets, The Shades, the Jackers, Just Boys, The Art Holes, The Stick Figures, A New Personality, and the Veal Rifles. Prior to moving to Los Angeles, Exene Cervenka lived in St. Petersburg and other locations in Central Florida during her teenage years.

Hardcore punk Hardcore punk (commonly abbreviated to hardcore or hXc) is a punk rock music genre#subtypes, subgenre and subculture that originated in the late 1970s. It is generally faster, harder, and more aggressive than other forms of punk rock. Its roots ...

gained a widespread following, originating from cities like Gainesville, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Tampa. One of the first bands in this style is believed to be Roach Motel of Gainesville; however, The Eat, from

Hialeah Hialeah ( ; ) is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. With a population of 223,109 as of the 2020 census, it is the sixth-largest city in Florida. It is the second largest city by population in Miami-Dade County in the Miami met ...

, formed around 1978–79. Miami also was home to one of the first American punk bands to release an indie single: "Silver Screen" (1978) by Critical Mass, which is still in demand by collectors today. Rat Cafeteria, U-Boats (Tampa); Sector 4, Hated Youth, and Paisley Death Camp (all from

); No Fraud (Venice); F (Fort Lauderdale); Morbid Opera (

); and Crucial Truth (

) also gained an audience and some had songs compiled on the album ''We Can't Help It If We're From Florida''. In the 1980s, hardcore bands from Orlando included Dissent, Damage, Zyklon-B, The Bully Boys, Florida's Unwanted Children, Sewer Side Rouges, Declared Ungovernable, Contradiction, The Damn Maniacs, and

Genitorturers The Genitorturers are an American industrial metal band with influences extending into the 1990s hardcore punk and electronic music. They proclaim themselves to be "The World's Sexiest Rock Band". History Originating in Orlando, Florida, the ...

. Mid-1980s-era band Black Label featured John Reece (future bassist for Rose Shadows) as well as Rusty Penrose (future bassist for Bully Boys) and John Stalzer on drums. Black Label was the second band to ever play at the Orlando concert venue Electric Avenue. The band's inaugural show brought in 981 people, a feat that would never again be accomplished by any local band at that venue. Black Label released one single, "Rootbeer For Everyone", a song that was in heavy rotation on Rollins College radio station WPRK, which was hosted at the time by future Genitorturers' front woman Jennifer Zimmerman. Gainesville and Jacksonville had very active punk scenes in the 1990s and 2000s.

Less Than Jake Less Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida, formed in 1992. The band consists of Chris DeMakes (guitars, vocals), Roger Lima (bass, vocals), Buddy Schaub (trombone), Peter "JR" Wasilewski (saxophone) and Matt Yonker ...

Against Me! Against Me! is an American punk rock band, formed in 1997 in Naples, Florida, by singer and guitarist Laura Jane Grace. That same year, Grace moved to Gainesville, Florida, which is considered the band's hometown. Since 2001, the band's lineup ...

, and

Hot Water Music Hot Water Music is an American punk rock band formed in October 1994 and based in Gainesville, Florida. Since their formation, the group has consisted of Chuck Ragan and Chris Wollard on shared lead vocals and guitars, bass guitarist Jason B ...

are from Gainesville.

The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Middleburg, Florida, in 2003. The band's current members include Ronnie Winter (lead vocals), Joey Westwood (bass), Josh Burke (lead guitar), Randy Winter (rhythm guitar), ...

Inspection 12 Inspection 12 is an American pop punk band from Jacksonville, Florida, founded by Robert Reid, Dan McLintock, John Comee and Scott Shad. They have released two full-length recordings internationally, one on Honest Don's Records and one on Suburb ...

, The Softer Side, and

Evergreen Terrace Evergreen Terrace is a five-piece American metalcore band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1999, they are named after the street inhabited by the Simpsons. The band's sixth and latest studio album '' Dead Horses'' was released on Decembe ...

are from Jacksonville.

Mayday Parade Mayday Parade is an American rock band formed in Tallahassee, Florida, in 2005, as the result of a merger between two local Tallahassee bands, Kid Named Chicago and Defining Moment. Their debut EP '' Tales Told by Dead Friends'' was released i ...

and Stages & Stereos are from Tallahassee. Other hardcore, post-hardcore, and metalcore bands from Florida include:

Against All Authority Against All Authority (often abbreviated AAA) is an American punk rock band known for their political leanings and, previously, as a ska punk band. Their business practice follows a stringent DIY ethic. History Against All Authority was founded ...

Anberlin Anberlin is an American alternative rock band formed in Winter Haven, Florida, in 2002. Since the beginning of 2007, the band consists of lead vocalist Stephen Christian, guitarists Joseph Milligan and Christian McAlhaney, bassist Deon Rexroat, ...

Feel Good Drag "Feel Good Drag" (originally released as "The Feel Good Drag") is a song by American alternative rock band Anberlin. The song originally appeared on the band's second album '' Never Take Friendship Personal'' and was re-recorded for their fourth ...

" (

Stephen Christian Stephen Christian Arnold is an American singer and songwriter best known as the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band Anberlin, as well as the vocalist of his acoustic side-project Anchor & Braille. He and his bandmates started Anberlin i ...

graduated from UCF),

Underoath Underoath (styled as Underøath or UnderOath) is an American rock band from Tampa, Florida. It was founded by lead vocalist Dallas Taylor and guitarist Luke Morton in 1997 in Ocala, Florida; subsequently, its additional members were from Tamp ...

The Almost The Almost is an American Rock music, rock band from Clearwater, Florida, fronted by Underoath drummer and vocalist Aaron Gillespie. Formed in 2005 as a solo project by Gillespie, the band currently includes guitarist Jay Vilardi, bassist Jon Tho ...

, Combatwoundedveteran, Poison the Well, Assholeparade,

A Day to Remember A Day to Remember is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Ocala, Florida, in 2003 by guitarist Tom Denney and drummer Bobby Scruggs. They are known for their amalgamation of metalcore and pop-punk. The band currently consists of voca ...

(from Ocala),

New Found Glory New Found Glory (formerly A New Found Glory) is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Coral Springs, Florida, in 1997. The band currently consists of Jordan Pundik (lead vocals), Ian Grushka (bass), Chad Gilbert (guitar, backing vocals), ...

(from Coral Springs), Fake Problems (from Naples), and

Shai Hulud Shai Hulud is an American metalcore band formed in Pompano Beach, Florida, in 1995, and later based in Poughkeepsie, New York. The band is named after the giant sandworms in Frank Herbert's novel ''Dune''. The two mainstay members of Shai Hulu ...

. The bands

Sleeping With Sirens Sleeping with Sirens is an American rock band from Orlando, Florida, currently residing in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The band currently consists of Kellin Quinn (lead vocals, keyboards), Nick Martin (rhythm guitar, backing vocals), Justin Hills ...

and

There for Tomorrow There for Tomorrow was an American rock band formed in Orlando, Florida, in February 2003. The original group consisted of vocalist Maika Maile, drummer Chris Kamrada, guitarist James Flaherty and bassist Jay Enriquez. Christian Climer joined ...

are from Orlando. The pop punk band

We the Kings We the Kings is an American rock band formed in Bradenton, Florida, in 2005. The band's eponymous full-length debut album, released in 2007, included the platinum single " Check Yes Juliet", and went on to sell over 250,000 copies in the US. T ...

(" Check Yes Juliet", 2008) is from the

Sarasota Sarasota () is a city in and the county seat of Sarasota County, Florida, United States. It is located in Southwest Florida, the southern end of the Tampa Bay area, and north of Fort Myers and Punta Gorda. Its official limits include Sarasota Ba ...

area.

Indie rock

Indie rock bands Mortimer Nova,

Surfer Blood Surfer Blood are an American indie rock band from West Palm Beach, Florida, United States, currently signed to Kanine Records, formerly signed to Joyful Noise Recordings and Warner Bros. Records. The band currently consists of four members: J ...

Iron & Wine Samuel Ervin Beam (born July 26, 1974), better known by his stage name Iron & Wine, is an American singer-songwriter. He has released six studio albums, several EPs and singles, as well as a few download-only releases, which include a live alb ...

, Copeland,

The Drums The Drums is an American indie pop band/project from New York City. It was initially formed by Jonathan Pierce and Jacob Graham as Goat Explosion, and later added Adam Kessler and Connor Hanwick. Graham exited the band in 2016. Since then, ...

, and The Generators are from Florida. The post-rock band Windsor for the Derby was formed in Tampa, and Fake Problems originated in Naples.

Metal

Florida was the epicenter of the emerging

death metal Death metal is an extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. It typically employs heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars, played with techniques such as palm muting and tremolo picking; deep death growl, growling vocals; aggressive ...

genre in the late 1980s, particularly in the

Tampa Bay area The Tampa Bay area is a major metropolitan area surrounding Tampa Bay on the Gulf Coast of Florida in the United States. It includes the main cities of Tampa, Florida, Tampa, St. Petersburg, Florida, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater, Florida, Clea ...

. Shaped by the producers Scott Burns and Jim and Tim Morris of

Morrisound Recording Morrisound Recording (also Morrisound Studios) is an audio recording facility in Tampa, Florida, United States, owned and operated by brothers Jim and Tom Morris. Since its opening in 1981, Morrisound has been responsible for the popularizat ...

, the emergent Florida death metal scene produced artists such as

Death Death is the end of life; the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain a living organism. Death eventually and inevitably occurs in all organisms. The remains of a former organism normally begin to decompose sh ...

Morbid Angel Morbid Angel is an American death metal band based in Tampa, Florida, formed in 1983 by guitarist, primary composer and sole remaining original member Trey Azagthoth, vocalist and bassist Dallas Ward, and drummer Mike Browning. Widely considere ...

Deicide Deicide is the killing (or the killer) of a god. The concept may be used for any act of killing a god, including a life-death-rebirth deity who is killed and then resurrected. Etymology The term deicide was coined in the 17th century from ...

Obituary An obituary (wikt:obit#Etymology 2, obit for short) is an Article (publishing), article about a recently death, deceased person. Newspapers often publish obituaries as Article (publishing), news articles. Although obituaries tend to focus on p ...

Atheist Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no ...

Hate Eternal Hate Eternal is a Florida death metal band from St. Petersburg, Florida. The band currently consists of founding guitarist/vocalist Erik Rutan and bassist J. J. Hrubovcak. To date, Hate Eternal has released seven studio albums: '' Conquerin ...

, Monstrosity, Assück,

Nocturnus Nocturnus, currently Nocturnus AD, is a Florida death metal band formed in Tampa, Florida, in 1987 by the drummer and vocalist Mike Browning (ex–Morbid Angel). History Formation Nocturnus was formed in 1987 by drummer and vocalist Mike Brown ...

Nasty Savage Nasty Savage is an American thrash metal band from Brandon, Florida, formed in 1983 by vocalist "Nasty" Ronnie Galletti. The band has undergone various lineup changes, with Galletti and guitarist David Austin remaining the only constant members ...

, and

Acheron The Acheron ( or ; ''Acheron'' or Ἀχερούσιος ''Acherousios''; ''Acherontas'') is a river in the Epirus (region), Epirus region of northwest Greece. It is long, and has a drainage area of . The river's source is located near the vil ...

. The recording and commercial opportunities of the scene induced non-Floridian bands such as

Cannibal Corpse Cannibal Corpse is an American death metal band formed in Buffalo, New York, in 1988, now based in Tampa, Florida. The band has released sixteen studio albums, two box sets, four video albums, and two live albums. The band has had little radio ...

and

Malevolent Creation Malevolent Creation is an American death metal band formed in Buffalo, New York in 1986 and later based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The band's original members were guitarists Phil Fasciana and Jim Nickles and vocalist Bret Hoffmann, who were ...

to relocate to Tampa. Among the records and albums produced at Morrisound were

's debut album ''

'' (1990),

's debut album ''

Altars of Madness ''Altars of Madness'' is the debut studio album by American death metal band Morbid Angel, released on May 12, 1989 by Combat and Earache Records. Considered a groundbreaking and important release in extreme metal, the album set a new precedent ...

'' (1989), and

's album ''

Leprosy Leprosy, also known as Hansen's disease (HD), is a Chronic condition, long-term infection by the bacteria ''Mycobacterium leprae'' or ''Mycobacterium lepromatosis''. Infection can lead to damage of the Peripheral nervous system, nerves, respir ...

'' (1988). Tampa is also the birthplace of

symphonic power metal Symphonic metal is a cross-genre style designation for the symphonic subsets of heavy metal music subgenres. It is used to denote any metal band that makes use of symphonic or orchestral elements. The style features the heavy drums and guitars ...

band

Kamelot Kamelot is an American power metal band from Tampa, Florida, formed by Thomas Youngblood in 1987. The Norwegian vocalist Roy Khan joined for the album '' Siége Perilous'', and shared songwriting credit with Youngblood until his departure in A ...

and

power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within a symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in co ...

band

Iced Earth Iced Earth is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band currently composed of only Jon Schaffer, formed in Tampa, Florida, and based in Columbus, Indiana. They were formed in 1984 under the name the Rose, then Purgatory, by guitarist, ma ...

has produced a few metal bands as well, such as

Marilyn Manson Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), known professionally as Marilyn Manson, is an American rock musician. He is the lead singer and the only original member remaining of the Marilyn Manson (band), same-titled band he founded in 1989. Th ...

, Monstrosity, Kult ov Azazel, and

nu metal Nu metal (sometimes stylized as nü-metal, with a metal umlaut) is a subgenre of that combines elements of heavy metal music with elements of other music genres such as hip hop music, hip hop, funk, industrial music, industrial, and grunge. Nu ...

band

Nonpoint Nonpoint is an American Heavy metal music, heavy metal band from Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The band currently consists of vocalist Elias Soriano, drummer Robb Rivera, rhythm guitarist Rasheed Thomas, bassist Adam Woloszyn, and lead guitarist Ja ...

. Progressive death metal bands

Cynic Cynic or Cynicism may refer to: Modes of thought * Cynicism (philosophy), a school of ancient Greek philosophy * Cynicism (contemporary), modern use of the word for distrust of others' motives Books * ''The Cynic'', an 1875 book by James Gordon ...

, Hibernus Mortis, and I Set My Friends on Fire come from Miami. Poison the Well—the band generally agreed to have created the

melodic metalcore Melodic metalcore is a fusion genre, incorporating elements of melodic death metal and metalcore; it has a heavy emphasis on melodic instrumentation, distorted guitar tones, palm mute, palm muting, double bass drumming, blast beats, metalcore-sty ...

subgenre, a type of metalcore inspired by melodic death metal—is also from Miami.

Wage War Wage War is an American metalcore band formed in Ocala, Florida in 2010 under the name Empires. The band consists of lead vocalist Briton Bond, lead guitarist Seth Blake, rhythm guitarist and clean vocalist Cody Quistad, bassist Chris Gaylord ...

and

We Are Defiance We Are Defiance is an American metalcore band from Ocala, Florida, United States. Founded in 2009 by former Sleeping with Sirens and Paddock Park singer Brian Calzini, the band released their only album, '' Trust in Few'', in early 2011 on Tragic ...

are

metalcore Metalcore is a broadly defined fusion genre combining elements of extreme metal and hardcore punk, originating in the 1990s United States and becoming popular in the 2000s. Metalcore typically has aggressive verses and melodic choruses, combined ...

bands based out of Ocala. Orlando is the home of the bands Death,

Skrape Skrape was an American nu metal band formed in Orlando, Florida in 1997. History Skrape originally formed in 1997 under the name "Jojo", they later renamed to "Skrape" two years later. Prior to their formation in 1997, members had been involved ...

, and

Trivium The trivium is the lower division of the seven liberal arts and comprises grammar, logic, and rhetoric. The trivium is implicit in ("On the Marriage of Philology and Mercury") by Martianus Capella, but the term was not used until the Carolin ...

Savatage Savatage () is an American heavy metal band founded by brothers Jon and Criss Oliva in 1979 in Tarpon Springs, Florida. The band was first called Avatar, but, shortly before the release of their debut album '' Sirens'' (1983), they changed t ...

is from the city of

Tarpon Springs Tarpon Springs is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. Downtown Tarpon Springs has long been a focal point and underwent beautification in 2010. It is part of the Tampa Bay area. The population was 25,117 at the 2020 census. As of ...

; singer

Jon Oliva John Nicholas "Jon" Oliva (born July 22, 1959) is an American singer and musician. He is best known as the co-founder, keyboardist and lead vocalist of the heavy metal band Savatage, which he co-founded with his younger brother Criss Oliva. Si ...

went on to create the

Trans-Siberian Orchestra Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO) is an American rock band founded in 1996 by producer, composer, and lyricist Paul O'Neill (producer), Paul O'Neill, who brought together Jon Oliva and Al Pitrelli (both members of Savatage) and keyboardist and co-pr ...

from Tampa.

Limp Bizkit Limp Bizkit is an American nu metal band from Jacksonville, Florida. Its lineup consists of lead vocalist Fred Durst, drummer John Otto (drummer), John Otto, guitarist Wes Borland, turntablist DJ Lethal and bassist Sam Rivers (bassist), Sam ...

is from Jacksonville.

R&B, soul, funk, disco

TK Records produced the R&B group

KC and the Sunshine Band KC and the Sunshine Band is an American disco and funk band that was founded in 1973 in Hialeah, Florida. Their best-known songs include the hits " Get Down Tonight", " That's the Way (I Like It)", "⁠ (Shake, Shake, Shake) Shake Your Booty", ...

along with soul singers

Betty Wright Bessie Regina Norris (December 21, 1953 – May 10, 2020), better known by her stage name Betty Wright, was an American soul music, soul and Rhythm and blues, R&B singer, songwriter and background vocalist. Beginning her professional career ...

(d.2020),

George McCrae George Warren McCrae Jr. (born October 19, 1944) is an American soul and disco singer who is most famous for his 1974 hit " Rock Your Baby". Biography and career McCrae was the second of nine children, born in West Palm Beach, Florida. He ...

Gwen McCrae Gwendolyn Patricia McCrae ( Mosley, December 21, 1943 – February 21, 2025) was an American singer, best known for her 1975 hit record, hit "Rockin' Chair (Gwen McCrae song), Rockin' Chair". Known in the music industry as the "Queen of Rare Gro ...

Timmy Thomas Timothy Earle Thomas (November 13, 1944 – March 11, 2022) was an American R&B singer, keyboardist, songwriter, and record producer, best known for the hit song, " Why Can't We Live Together". Life and career Thomas was born in Evansville, ...

, Little Beaver, Foxy, Peter Brown, and

Jimmy "Bo" Horne Jimmie Horace Horne Jr. (born September 28, 1949), known as Jimmy "Bo" Horne, is an American singer and musician, whose most successful singles include "Gimme Some" (1975) and "Dance Across the Floor" (1978). Many of Horne's songs have been used ...

, as well as a number of soul and disco hits, many influenced by

Caribbean music Caribbean music genres are very diverse. They are each synthesis of African, European, Asian and Indigenous influences, largely created by descendants of African enslaved people (see Afro-Caribbean music), along with contributions from other c ...

. KC and the Sunshine Band had many hits such as "Get Down Tonight", That's the Way", "Shake Your Booty", "Keep It Comin' Love" and "Boogie Shoes". James & Bobby Purify, Eddie Hinton, Charles Bradley, and Sam Moore (Sam & Dave) were from Florida. Family

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

singing group

Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose was an American family soul singing group, from Dania Beach, Florida, United States. It was formed in 1970 and gained popularity in the early 1970s. It was composed of siblings Carter, Eddie, and Rose Cornelius ...

are from Dania. Soul singer

Linda Lyndell Linda Lyndell (born as Linda Rowland, November 22, 1946) is an American soul singer from Gainesville, Florida. Lyndell sang in gospel churches as a child; though she was white, she sang in both white and black churches, and eventually began singi ...

was born in Gainesville. R&B artists Kirby Maurier was raised in Miami and Miramar,

Sammie Sammie Lee Bush, Jr. (born March 1, 1987), known by the mononym Sammie, is an American singer and songwriter. He is best known for his 1999 hit single, " I Like It", from his debut album, '' From the Bottom to the Top'' (2000). He returned with ...

is from Boynton Beach and

Pleasure P Marcus Ramone Cooper Sr, better known by his stage name Pleasure P, is an American R&B singer who experienced success as a member of the group Pretty Ricky before embarking on a solo career in 2007. His debut album '' The Introduction of Marcu ...

is from Carver Raches, West Park.

Dance music

Floridian dance musicians include Jimmy Bo Horne and KC and the Sunshine Band. In 1985, the

Winter Music Conference The Winter Music Conference (WMC) is a week-long electronic music conference, held every March in Miami Beach, Florida, United States since 1985. It is also known as the premiere platform for electronic dance music. The conference brings togethe ...

, an annual week-long dance music festival, started in Miami. It coincides with

Ultra Music Festival Ultra Music Festival (UMF) is an annual outdoor electronic music Music festival, festival that takes place in March in Miami, Florida. The festival was founded in 1999 by Russell Faibisch and Alex Omes. It was first held on Miami Beach, but bes ...

. Music from the 1990s included Murk (aka Funky Green Dogs),

Planet Soul Planet Soul was a house duo from Miami, Florida, composed of producer George Acosta and singer Nadine Renee. Biography They released one album in 1996, entitled ''Energy and Harmony'', and are primarily remembered as a one-hit wonder for their ...

, No Mercy, and DJ

Robbie Rivera Roberto "Robbie" Rivera (born 1973) is a Puerto Rican house music producer and DJ. He has an extensive catalog of original productions and remixes to his credit, ranging from tribal to progressive house, as well as incorporating garage and La ...

Pop

Florida pop musicians with at least one number one Billboard Hot 100 hit included

(5) in the 1970s;

Terence Trent D'Arby Sananda Francesco Maitreya (born Terence Trent Howard; March 15, 1962), who started his career with the stage name Terence Trent D'Arby, is an American singer and songwriter who came to fame with his debut studio album, '' Introducing the Hard ...

and

Exposé Expose, exposé, or exposed may refer to: News sources * Exposé (journalism), a form of investigative journalism * '' The Exposé'', a British conspiracist website * ''Exeposé'', a student-run newspaper of the University of Exeter Film and TV F ...

in the 1980s;

Vanilla Ice Robert Matthew Van Winkle (born October 31, 1967), known professionally as Vanilla Ice, is an American rapper, actor, and television host. Born in Dallas, raised in Miami, he was the first solo white rapper to achieve commercial success foll ...

and

Stevie B Steven Bernard Hill (born April 19, 1958), known professionally as Stevie B, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer who was influential in the freestyle and hi-NRG dance music scene of the late 1980s, mostly in Miami. He had a ...

in the 1990s; Rob Thomas, Matchbox 20,

NSYNC NSYNC ( ; also stylized as *NSYNC or N Sync) was an American vocal group and pop boy band formed by Chris Kirkpatrick in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich. The group consists of Kirkpatrick, JC Chasez, ...

Enrique Iglesias Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler (; born 8 May 1975) is a Spanish singer and songwriter. He started his recording career in the mid-1990s on the Mexican label Fonovisa where he released three Spanish albums ''Enrique Iglesias (album), Enrique ...

"The King of Latin Pop" (2),

T-Pain Faheem Rashad Najm (born September 30, 1984), known professionally as T-Pain, is an American singer and rapper. He is known for popularizing creative use of Auto-Tune pitch correction, often used with extreme parameter settings to create electro ...

(2),

Flo Rida Tramar Lacel Dillard (born September 16, 1979), known professionally as Flo Rida ( ), is an American rapper and singer. His 2007 debut and breakout single "Low (Flo Rida song), Low" was number one for 10 weeks in the United States and broke the ...

(3),

Sean Kingston Kisean Paul Anderson (born February 3, 1990), known professionally as Sean Kingston, is an American former singer and rapper. Born in Miami, Florida, and raised in Jamaica, he signed with J. R. Rotem's record label Beluga Heights Records ...

, and

Jason Derulo Jason Joel Desrouleaux (born September 21, 1989), known professionally as Jason Derulo (; formerly stylized as Derülo), is an American singer, songwriter and dancer. Since the start of his solo recording career in 2009, he has sold over 250 m ...

(2) in the 2000s; and Pitbull (2),

Camila Cabello Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao (; ; born March 3, 1997) is an American singer and songwriter. She rose to prominence as a member of the Pop music, pop girl group Fifth Harmony, one of the List of best-selling girl groups, best-selling girl gro ...

(2),

XXXTentacion Jahseh Dwayne Ricardo Onfroy (January 23, 1998 – June 18, 2018), known professionally as XXXTentacion, was an American rapper and singer-songwriter. Though a controversial figure due to his widely publicized legal troubles, XXXTentacion gai ...

. And

Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as a pop icon and an influential figure in popular music, Grande is known for her four-octave vocal range, which extends into the whistle re ...

with (9) in the 2010s and 2020s. In addition, Florida musicians with at least one number one album on the Billboard 200 included

(2),

(2), and

Backstreet Boys Backstreet Boys (often abbreviated as BSB) are an American vocal group consisting of Nick Carter, Howie Dorough, AJ McLean, and cousins Brian Littrell and Kevin Richardson (musician), Kevin Richardson. The band formed in 1993 in Orlando, Flori ...

(3) in the 1990s; R&B/hip hop group

Pretty Ricky Pretty Ricky is an American R&B/hip hop group originating from Miami, Florida. The group originally consisted of 3 brothers, Diamond (Baby Blue) Smith, Spectacular Smith, and Corey (Slick 'Em) Mathis, and Marcus ( Pleasure P) Cooper. Pleasu ...

, and rapper

Rick Ross William Leonard Roberts II (born January 28, 1976), known professionally as Rick Ross, is an American rapper. An influential figure in modern Hip-hop, hip hop music, Rick Ross has become known for his "Wiktionary:booming, booming" vocal perfor ...

(5) in the 2000s; and

, R&B/pop singer

(6), bro-country duo

Florida Georgia Line Florida Georgia Line was an American country music duo founded in 2010 by vocalists and songwriters Tyler Hubbard of Georgia and Brian Kelley of Florida. Their 2012 debut single " Cruise" broke two major sales records: it was downloaded over ...

, rapper

DJ Khaled Khaled Mohammed Khaled (; born November 26, 1975), known professionally as DJ Khaled, is an American DJ and record producer. Originally a Miami-based radio personality, Khaled has since become known for enlisting high-profile music industry ar ...

(4), and rapper

Kodak Black Bill Kahan Kapri (born Dieuson Octave; June 11, 1997), known professionally as Kodak Black, is an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He gained initial recognition following the release of his 2014 songs " No Flockin" and " Skrt", both of ...

in the 2010s.

, and

O-Town O-Town is an American boy band formed from the first season of the reality television series '' Making the Band'' in 2000. As of 2015, the group consists of Erik-Michael Estrada, Trevor Penick, Jacob Underwood, and Dan Miller. The original lin ...

were all formed in Orlando and managed by

Lou Pearlman Louis Jay Pearlman (June 19, 1954 – August 19, 2016) was an American music manager and scam artist. He was the person behind many successful 1990s boy bands, having formed and funded the Backstreet Boys. After their massive success, he then dev ...

. Additional musicians from Orlando include singer and actress

Mandy Moore Amanda Leigh "Mandy" Moore (born April 10, 1984) is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She rose to fame with her 1999 debut single "Candy (Mandy Moore song), Candy", which peaked at number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot ...

, and country singer John Anderson (singer), John Anderson ("Seminole Wind", 1992). Aaron Carter was from Tampa, and had a number 4 album on Billboard 200 in 2000. Additional musicians from Florida include electro-pop singer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer Meresha; country pop singer Cassadee Pope from West Palm Beach; and neotraditional country singer Easton Corbin from the Gainesville area. Pop rapper LunchMoney Lewis, rapper Kent Jones (rapper), Kent Jones all come from Miami. Electronic dance music, EDM and trap DJ Diplo (also in Major Lazer and Jack Ü) is also from Miami. Early 2000s girl group P.Y.T. (band), P.Y.T. and dance-pop singer Willa Ford came from the Tampa area. The girl group Fifth Harmony (with

, who later went solo) is from Miami, and had a number 4 album on the Billboard 200 with ''7/27'' (2016).

Latin music

There are many Latinos in Florida, and an especially high number of Cubans in cities such as Miami and Tampa. The regional Latin music industry includes a wide variety of traditional and popular Cuban styles, as well as other Latin American music, Latin music genres. The Cuban community has produced traditional performers including Cachao López, Cachao and Israel Kantor, as well as mainstream pop stars such as Gloria Estefan, the "Queen of Latin Pop". In the 1980s, Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine had three number one Hot 100 hits, including "Anything for You (Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine song), Anything for You". Estefan is the most famous musician to come from the Miami pop industry; others include Willie Chirino and Albita Rodríguez. Jon Secada had the hit "Just Another Day (Jon Secada song), Just Another Day" in 1992 and was from the Miami area. In 2017, the music video for "Despacito" by Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee reached over a billion views on YouTube in under 3 months. Luis Fonsi went to high school in Orlando and attended Florida State. As of December 2020, the music video was the second most viewed YouTube video of all time. With 3.3 million certified sales plus track-equivalent streams, "Despacito" became one of the List of best-selling Latin singles in the United States, best-selling Latin singles in the United States. Reggaeton artist Bad Bunny's (from Puerto Rico) album ''X 100pre'' (2018) was ranked number 447 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list in 2020.

Hip hop music

Miami Bass

Miami bass is a booming, bass-heavy hip hop music, hip-hop music that developed in the mid-1980s in Miami. Innovators on the scene included DJ Laz, while the scene eventually gained prominence through the Miami bass group 2 Live Crew led by Luther Campbell. The lyrics to Miami bass were often sexually explicit, and when 2 Live Crew began to achieve national attention, the words in their songs caused controversy; several stores were prosecuted under obscenity laws for selling the disc, and members of 2 Live Crew were arrested for performing songs from the album ''As Nasty as They Wanna Be, As Nasty As They Wanna Be''. The Miami bass groups 69 Boyz ("Tootsee Roll", 1994) and Quad City DJs ("C'mon N' Ride It (The Train)", 1996) come from Jacksonville.

The Memphis rap, Crunk and Trap music influence in the Florida rap

Nappy Boy Entertainment is a record label founded by

in Tallahassee. Valholla Entertainment is a Miami-based label and management company. Raider Klan was a hip-hop collective formed in Carol City in 2008 by SpaceGhostPurrp, Dough Dough Da Don, Kadafi, Muney Junior, and Jitt. They were one of the first rap collectives to integrate the style of early-Three 6 Mafia into their music, a pattern subsequently embraced throughout the hip-hop scene, namely in the form of ASAP Mob and Drake (musician), Drake. Raider Klan members and affiliates Denzel Curry, Chris Travis and Xavier Wulf pioneered the Soundcloud rap movement. Subsequent Florida rappers

, Ski Mask the Slump God, Lil Pump, Smokepurpp, and Wifisfuneral brought SoundCloud rap to the mainstream in the mid-to-late-2010s. During this period, XXXTentacion helped to define the sound of emo rap. Killing of XXXTentacion, XXXTentacion was killed in Broward county in 2018 at age 20 after attempting to purchase a motorcycle. Additional Floridian rappers include Trick Daddy,

, Denzel Curry,

, Ace Hood, Plies (rapper), Plies, Trina, Rod Wave, Cool & Dre,

, Jacki-O, stic.man, Dead Prez, Pitbull, YNW Melly, BossMan Dlow, and M-1 (rapper), M-1.

Florida ska

With most American bands surfacing during the third wave in the early 1990s; some of Florida's earliest ska bands like Magadog and Less than Jake paved the way for subsequent bands such as: Pork Pie Tribe, Pie Tasters, Skiff Dank, the Usuals, Skahumbug, Baccone Dolce and the Rugcutters.

Florida breaks

Florida breaks is a genre of breakbeat music originating in the 1990s in the state of Florida. It is particularly popular in the Tampa and Orlando areas.

References

{{Florida, collapsed Music of Florida, Music of the United States by state, Florida Music of the Southern United States, Florida

Indigenous music

Blues

Jazz

Country

Rock

Southern rock

Mainstream rock

Alternative rock

Rock recording industry

Punk rock

Indie rock

Metal

R&B, soul, funk, disco

Dance music

Pop

Latin music

Hip hop music

Miami Bass

The Memphis rap, Crunk and Trap music influence in the Florida rap

Florida ska

Florida breaks

See also

References