Spotify has curated playlists reflecting the local flavor of each stop on HuffPost’s “Listen to America” tour using location-based data to find out what people are really listening to in 20-plus cities. Check back for more from Sept. 12 through Oct. 30.
The skies observed by Lynyrd Skynyrd are no less blue over Birmingham, Alabama, situated in the heart of the Southern state. With its folk and country music tradition, the region has played home to a wide array of talent, including the Grammy-winning Alabama Shakes and the Americana singer Emmylou Harris, who was born here. Other locals include rapper Gucci Mane, country musicians Little Big Town, soul group St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell and “American Idol” Season 5 winner Taylor Hicks.
More than other places in the U.S., Birminghamians like their worship music ― particularly by Highlands and Motion. Rap and country come in next, with popular names including rappers Moneybagg Yo and Key Glock, singer-songwriters Ben Rector, Sam Hunt and Ellie Holcomb and the long-running country group Alabama. A selection of popular Top 40 hits rounds out the list, which you can hear below.
Spotify playlists for the “Listen to America” campaign were created by looking at each location’s most popular songs (streaming in the highest numbers at time of publication), distinctive songs (currently being streamed more in this city compared to all other cities in the world) and tracks from local artists. While many picks are data-driven, some songs are handpicked from data lists to assure the playlists reflect a variety of genres and decades, as well as a healthy gender balance.
