Music of Pennsylvania
Encyclopedia
The Philly sound in 1970s soul music
, notable performers including Gamble & Huff, The O'Jays
, Teddy Pendergrass
, Harold Melvin and The Delfonics
, is well-known, as are jazz
legends like Nina Simone
and John Coltrane
. Philadelphia gave to the musical world diverse singers such as Mario Lanza
, Frankie Avalon
, Dee Dee Sharp
and Fabian
. This city is also the birthplace of American Bandstand
, and the home of Cameo-Parkway records and the famed Philadelphia Orchestra
.
Following the American Revolution
, Philadelphia became especially renowned for musical development and was the home of the esteemed Alexander Reinagle
, John Christopher Moller
, Rayner Taylor and Susannah Haswell Rowson
. Reinagle became the most influential figure in Philadelphia's musical life, organizing a number of concerts, organizations and musical events. Francis Hopkinson
, a signer of the Declaration of Independence
, was a notable composer of the period. One of his compositions, "My Days Have Been So Wondrous Free", is well-remembered as the first art song from the United States (though this is disputed); it is, however, lacking in originality and innovation to set it apart from European compositions.
During the 19th century, Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania
became the birthplace of Stephen Foster
, easily the most popular American songwriter of the century.
n and Lutheran communities. While the Quakers had few musical traditions, Protestant churches frequently made extensive use of music in worship J. F. Peter emerged from the Moravian tradition, while Conrad Beissel
(founder of the Ephrata Cloister
) innovated his own system of harmonic theory. The Lutheran traditions of Johann Sebastian Bach
, Dieterich Buxtehude
, Johann Pachelbel
and Walther were propagated in Pennsylvania, and the city of Bethlehem
remains a center of Lutheran musical traditions today.
, settled in Germantown
after emigrating from the German Palatinate and Switzerland between 1683 and 1748. They were led by Willem Rittinghuysen (grandfather of astronomer and mathematician David Rittenhouse
). The Mennonites used a hymnbook from Schaffhausen
, reprinted in Germantown in 1742 as Der Ausbund Das ist etliche schöne christliche Lieder
.
on the Cocalico River in 1720. This was a group of Seventh Day Baptist
s led by Peter Miller and Conrad Beissel
, who believed in using music as an integral part of worship. Beissel codified the Ephrata Cloister's unique tradition in his Beissel's Dissertation on Harmony; here, he divided notes into two types. These were masters, or notes belonging to the common chord, and servants, or all other notes. Accented syllables in Beissel's works always fell on master notes, leaving servant notes for unaccented syllables. The Ephrata Cloister's hymnbook was large, consisting of more than 1,000 hymns, many of which were accompanied by instruments including the violin. Many of these hymns were published in the 1740s and 50s.
, Poland
and Bohemia
before persecution forced the remaining faithful to Saxony
, where they lived under the protection of Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf. Zinzendorf wrote hymns, and led the Moravians to America, where they began missionary work in Georgia but with little success. They moved on to Pennsylvania, and founded the town of Bethlehem
on the banks of the Lehigh River
. A group then left for Salem, North Carolina (now a part of Winston-Salem
).
Both in Salem and Bethlehem, Moravians continued to use music in their ceremonies. Instruments included organs and trombones, and voices were usually in choirs. Players generally played on rooftops for most any occasion, ensuring that they could be heard for great distances. A legend has arisen claiming that a group of Native American warriors approached a Moravian settlement during the French and Indian War
, but left after hearing a trombone choir because they believed it to be the voice of their Great Spirit. Moravians were devoted to missionary work, especially among African slaves and Native Americans; in 1763, they published a collection of hymns in the Delaware language.
Moravians also had a tradition of secular art music that included the famed composer Johann Friedrich Peter
, who was a German born in Holland who emigrated to Bethlehem in 1770. He brought with him copies of compositions by Joseph Haydn
, Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach
, Johann Stamitz
and C. F. Abel. After living in Bethlehem for a time, Peter moved to Salem, where he founded the Collegium Musicum
(in 1786) and collected hundreds of symphonies, anthems and oratorios. It was during this period that Peter also composed a number of well-respected instrumental pieces for two violins, two violas and a cello; he also composed sacred anthem
s like "It Is a Precious Thing" and aria
s like "The Lord Is in His Holy Temple".
The Moravian Church continued to produce a number of renowned composers into the 19th century, including John Antes
as well as Francis F. Hagen, Johann Christian Bechler, Edward W. Leinbach, Simon Peter, David Moritz Michael
, Georg Gottfried Müller, Peter Wolle, Jeremiah Dencke
and Johannes Herbst. Herbst was also a noted collector, whose archives, left to the Salem church after his death, were made public in 1977; these included more than 11,000 pages of content. Salem has gradually become the center for Moravian musical innovation, partially due to the presence of the Moravian Music Foundation.
brought a group of German Pietists
to the banks of the Wissahickon Creek
. These became known as the Hermits or Mystics of the Wissahickon; this 1871 map of Wissahickon Creek notes a Kelpius spring and Hermits Glen. Kelpius was a musician, and he and his followers brought with them instruments that became an integral part of church life. Kelpius was also a composer, and is sometimes called the first Pennsylvanian composer, based on his unproven authorship of several hymns in The Lamenting Voice of the Hidden Love. It is likely that he wrote the text, though the tunes are mostly based on German songs; the English translations in the collection are attributed to Christopher Witt, an Englishman who immigrated and joined the mystics, also building them a pipe organ, said to be the first privately owned organ in North America.
was the first Lutheran pastor to be ordained within the United States. He was ordained during 1703 as a minister of the Church of Sweden
in the Gloria Dei Church. He is commemorated in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church
on November 24. Falckner wrote hymns such as Rise, Ye Children of Salvation (German: Auf! ihr Christen, Christi Glieder) which he composed while a student at the University of Halle in 1697. Falckner's published works include Grondlycke Onderricht which first appeared in New York during 1708. Falckner evidently believed that music was a very important element of missionary work, writing to Germany to ask for an organ, which he said would attract more Native American converts.
led by George Rapp
arrived from Württemberg, Germany, settled in Harmony, Pennsylvania
, and formed the Harmony Society
in 1805. The group lived communally
, were pacifistic
, advocated celibacy
, and music
was a big part of their lives. The Harmonites (or Harmonists) wrote their own music and even had an orchestra. The Society lasted until 1906, but their final settlement, Old Economy Village
(now Ambridge, Pennsylvania
) contains archives with sheet music that is still performed at special community events.
, Teddy Pendergrass
, Harold Melvin and The Delfonics
.
Hall & Oates
are from Philadelphia and attended Temple University
, and Todd Rundgren
hails from the Philadelphia suburb of Upper Darby, which is also home of the world-famous Tower Theater.
Rock music from western Pennsylvania tended to reflect a rust belt
, white working class sensibility as far back as the mid-1960s. The Vogues
from the Pittsburgh area scored with the hit "Five O'Clock World" and several other hits. The Jaggerz
(named after a Pittsburgh English
term for goofing off) had a hit in 1970 with "The Rapper".
Pittsburgh's Iron City Houserockers
, kicked off the decade with immense critical acclaim for their first three albums (Love's So Tough, Have a Good Time But Get Out Alive and Blood On The Bricks). Associated with the heartland rock
subgenre and with artists like Bruce Springsteen
, Bob Seger
, John Mellencamp
and Tom Petty
, the Houserockers were regarded by many as both grittier and more kinetic. Although commercial success eluded the group, leader Joe Grushecky and the later incarnation of the band remain popular regional artists. In the Houserockers' wake came a number of other Pittsburgh area bands, including Norman Nardini and the Tigers, whose minor hit "If You Don't Love Me (Someone Will)" put the band briefly on the pop map. More recent entries in the heartland rock scene (sometimes counted as Grushecky proteges) include Bill Toms and Hard Rain and Tom Breiding
who have strong local followings.
Donnie Iris
, former member of The Jaggerz, had national success in 1980 with "Ah! Leah!" and a string of subsequent minor hits from 1980 to 1984.
The Hooters
from Philadelphia broke into nationwide attention when they became the opening band at Live Aid
where they performed "All You Zombies
," soon to become their first hit single. The album Nervous Night followed with several more major hits like "And We Danced" and "Day By Day" in 1985 and 1986.
Metal band Poison
were originally from the Harrisburg area, but as was common with glam metal
bands, relocated to Los Angeles before becoming successful.
Nine Inch Nails
frontman Trent Reznor
hails from Mercer, Pennsylvania
and drummer Chris Vrenna is from Erie
.
Live
, who achieved major success with their second album Throwing Copper
, hail from York
.
The pop singer Jeffrey Gaines
is also from Harrisburg.
The alternative band, The Ocean Blue
formed in Hershey
.
Death metal band Incantation
are from Johnstown
.
The Clarks, a rock/pop band who achieved major success in the 1990s with the songs "Born too late", "Penny on the floor", "Cigarette", "Better Off", are native to Pittsburgh.
Rusted Root, a jam band who has also had a prolific music career with the songs "Ecstasy", "Heaven", and "Free my soul", also call Pittsburgh home.
Train
lead singer, Patrick Monahan
, hails from Erie
.
G. Love and Special Sauce, who has had a string of successes with songs like "Stepping Stone" and "Recipe", is from Philadelphia.
CKY
and The Bloodhound Gang
are from the Philadelphia area.
Ween
is from New Hope, Pennsylvania.
Critically acclaimed hard rock sensation Breaking Benjamin
are based out of Wilkes-Barre
.
Country and pop artist Taylor Swift
hails from Wyomissing, Pennsylvania.
scene that included local acts The Vels
, Executive Slacks and Regressive Aid
. Hardcore punk
had a significant scene as well, led by Sadistic Exploits
along with MCRAD, Electric Love Muffin
, Autistic Behavior, dresden and Informed Sources. Later bands like Zen Guerilla and Dead Milkmen
gained some national success. Flag of Democracy
have released seven albums since 1982 and toured the world.
Harrisburg
's The Outrage
and Pittsburgh
's Real Enemy, Necracedia and Anti-Flag
had a local hardcore following as well. Metalcore band, August Burns Red
, is from Lancaster.
Friction
was a punk rock band from Lewistown
, Pennsylvania, which eventually morphed into New York City-based Caesar Pink and The Imperial Orgy
. Although Friction enjoyed a large and dedicated following in Pennsylvania, they disbanded while on the verge of signing with a major label, but not before their music was played to a world-wide audience on Radio Moscow
in 1987.
Another band to hail from Pittsburgh's punk/rock/pop scene was Damaged Pies. The Pies started at such clubs as The Electric Banana
, and The Decade and have gone on to play some of the world's most legendary rock venues, including the Cavern in Liverpool, CBGB in NYC, The Whisky A Go Go in Los Angeles, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and even the Wheeling Jamboree in Wheeling, West Virginia. The band has recorded at the legendary Sun Studio in Memphis and Trident Studio in London. In addition to these the band has been on the road at venues all over North America and the United Kingdom for the past twenty years.
, R&B music, and Nu soul music are popular elements of entertainment in Pennsylvania, and have earned many different performers within said genres.
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
, notable performers including Gamble & Huff, The O'Jays
The O'Jays
The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1963 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert , Walter Williams , William Powell , Bobby Massey and Bill Isles. The O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005...
, Teddy Pendergrass
Teddy Pendergrass
Theodore DeReese "Teddy" Pendergrass was an American R&B/soul singer and songwriter. Pendergrass first rose to fame as lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in the 1970s before a successful solo career at the end of the decade...
, Harold Melvin and The Delfonics
The Delfonics
The Delfonics are a pioneering Philadelphia soul singing group, most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their most notable hits include "La-La ", "Didn't I ", "Break Your Promise," "I'm Sorry," and "Ready or Not Here I Come "...
, is well-known, as are jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
legends like Nina Simone
Nina Simone
Eunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
and John Coltrane
John Coltrane
John William Coltrane was an American jazz saxophonist and composer. Working in the bebop and hard bop idioms early in his career, Coltrane helped pioneer the use of modes in jazz and later was at the forefront of free jazz...
. Philadelphia gave to the musical world diverse singers such as Mario Lanza
Mario Lanza
right|thumb|[[MGM]] still, circa 1949Mario Lanza was an American tenor and Hollywood movie star of the late 1940s and the 1950s. The son of Italian emigrants, he began studying to be a professional singer at the age of 16....
, Frankie Avalon
Frankie Avalon
Frankie Avalon is an American actor, singer, playwright, and former teen idol.-Career:By the time he was 12, Avalon was on U.S. television playing his trumpet. As a teenager he played with Bobby Rydell in Rocco and the Saints...
, Dee Dee Sharp
Dee Dee Sharp
Dee Dee Sharp is an American R&B singer, who began her career recording as a backing vocalist in 1961.-Career:...
and Fabian
Fabian (entertainer)
Fabiano Anthony Forte , known as Fabian, is an American teen idol of the late 1950s and early 1960s. He rose to national prominence after performing several times on American Bandstand. Eleven of his songs reached the Billboard Hot 100 listing.-Early life:Fabian was the son of Josephine and Domenic...
. This city is also the birthplace of American Bandstand
American Bandstand
American Bandstand is an American music-performance show that aired in various versions from 1952 to 1989 and was hosted from 1956 until its final season by Dick Clark, who also served as producer...
, and the home of Cameo-Parkway records and the famed Philadelphia Orchestra
Philadelphia Orchestra
The Philadelphia Orchestra is a symphony orchestra based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the United States. One of the "Big Five" American orchestras, it was founded in 1900...
.
Following the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
, Philadelphia became especially renowned for musical development and was the home of the esteemed Alexander Reinagle
Alexander Reinagle
Alexander Robert Reinagle was an English-born American composer, organist, and theater musician...
, John Christopher Moller
John Christopher Moller
John Christopher Moller was one of the first American composers, as well as one of the first music publishers in the United States.John Christopher Moller was also an organist, concert manager, pianist, harpsichordist, and violinist...
, Rayner Taylor and Susannah Haswell Rowson
Susanna Rowson
Susanna Rowson, née Haswell was a British-American novelist, poet, playwright, religious writer, stage actress and educator....
. Reinagle became the most influential figure in Philadelphia's musical life, organizing a number of concerts, organizations and musical events. Francis Hopkinson
Francis Hopkinson
Francis Hopkinson , an American author, was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence as a delegate from New Jersey. He later served as a federal judge in Pennsylvania...
, a signer of the Declaration of Independence
Declaration of independence
A declaration of independence is an assertion of the independence of an aspiring state or states. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the territory of another nation or failed nation, or are breakaway territories from within the larger state...
, was a notable composer of the period. One of his compositions, "My Days Have Been So Wondrous Free", is well-remembered as the first art song from the United States (though this is disputed); it is, however, lacking in originality and innovation to set it apart from European compositions.
During the 19th century, Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania
Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania
Lawrenceville is a borough in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. The population was 627 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lawrenceville is located at . It is at the intersection of Pennsylvania Route 287 and Pennsylvania Route 49. The only traffic light in town can be found at this...
became the birthplace of Stephen Foster
Stephen Foster
Stephen Collins Foster , known as the "father of American music", was the pre-eminent songwriter in the United States of the 19th century...
, easily the most popular American songwriter of the century.
Religious music in the colonial era
Rural Pennsylvania in the colonial era was home to religious minorities like the Quakers, as well as important MoraviaMoravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
n and Lutheran communities. While the Quakers had few musical traditions, Protestant churches frequently made extensive use of music in worship J. F. Peter emerged from the Moravian tradition, while Conrad Beissel
Conrad Beissel
Johann Conrad Beissel was the German-born religious leader who in 1732 founded the Ephrata Community in Pennsylvania.-Background:...
(founder of the Ephrata Cloister
Ephrata Cloister
The Ephrata Cloister or Ephrata Community was a religious community, established in 1732 by Johann Conrad Beissel at Ephrata, in what is now Lancaster County, Pennsylvania...
) innovated his own system of harmonic theory. The Lutheran traditions of Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
, Dieterich Buxtehude
Dieterich Buxtehude
Dieterich Buxtehude was a German-Danish organist and composer of the Baroque period. His organ works represent a central part of the standard organ repertoire and are frequently performed at recitals and in church services...
, Johann Pachelbel
Johann Pachelbel
Johann Pachelbel was a German Baroque composer, organist and teacher, who brought the south German organ tradition to its peak. He composed a large body of sacred and secular music, and his contributions to the development of the chorale prelude and fugue have earned him a place among the most...
and Walther were propagated in Pennsylvania, and the city of Bethlehem
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
remains a center of Lutheran musical traditions today.
Mennonites
The Mennonites, followers of Menno SimonsMenno Simons
Menno Simons was an Anabaptist religious leader from the Friesland region of the Low Countries. Simons was a contemporary of the Protestant Reformers and his followers became known as Mennonites...
, settled in Germantown
Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Germantown is a neighborhood in the northwest section of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, about 7–8 miles northwest from the center of the city...
after emigrating from the German Palatinate and Switzerland between 1683 and 1748. They were led by Willem Rittinghuysen (grandfather of astronomer and mathematician David Rittenhouse
David Rittenhouse
David Rittenhouse was a renowned American astronomer, inventor, clockmaker, mathematician, surveyor, scientific instrument craftsman and public official...
). The Mennonites used a hymnbook from Schaffhausen
Schaffhausen
Schaffhausen is a city in northern Switzerland and the capital of the canton of the same name; it has an estimated population of 34,587 ....
, reprinted in Germantown in 1742 as Der Ausbund Das ist etliche schöne christliche Lieder
Ausbund
The Ausbund is the oldest Anabaptist hymnal and one of the oldest Christian song books in continuous use. It is used today by North American Amish congregations.-History:...
.
Ephrata Cloister
The Ephrata Cloister (Community of the Solitary) was founded in what is now Lancaster CountyLancaster County, Pennsylvania
Lancaster County, known as the Garden Spot of America or Pennsylvania Dutch Country, is a county located in the southeastern part of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of 2010 the population was 519,445. Lancaster County forms the Lancaster Metropolitan Statistical Area, the...
on the Cocalico River in 1720. This was a group of Seventh Day Baptist
Seventh Day Baptist
Seventh Day Baptists are Christian Baptists who observe Sabbath on the seventh-day of the week in accord with their understanding of the Biblical Sabbath for the Judeo-Christian tradition...
s led by Peter Miller and Conrad Beissel
Conrad Beissel
Johann Conrad Beissel was the German-born religious leader who in 1732 founded the Ephrata Community in Pennsylvania.-Background:...
, who believed in using music as an integral part of worship. Beissel codified the Ephrata Cloister's unique tradition in his Beissel's Dissertation on Harmony; here, he divided notes into two types. These were masters, or notes belonging to the common chord, and servants, or all other notes. Accented syllables in Beissel's works always fell on master notes, leaving servant notes for unaccented syllables. The Ephrata Cloister's hymnbook was large, consisting of more than 1,000 hymns, many of which were accompanied by instruments including the violin. Many of these hymns were published in the 1740s and 50s.
Moravian Church
Founded in 1457, the Moravian Church originally spread across MoraviaMoravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
and Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
before persecution forced the remaining faithful to Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
, where they lived under the protection of Count Nikolaus Ludwig von Zinzendorf. Zinzendorf wrote hymns, and led the Moravians to America, where they began missionary work in Georgia but with little success. They moved on to Pennsylvania, and founded the town of Bethlehem
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Bethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton Counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie,...
on the banks of the Lehigh River
Lehigh River
The Lehigh River, a tributary of the Delaware River, is a river located in eastern Pennsylvania, in the United States. Part of the Lehigh, along with a number of its tributaries, is designated a Pennsylvania Scenic River by the state's Department of Conservation and Natural Resources...
. A group then left for Salem, North Carolina (now a part of Winston-Salem
Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Winston-Salem is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina, with a 2010 population of 229,617. Winston-Salem is the county seat and largest city of Forsyth County and the fourth-largest city in the state. Winston-Salem is the second largest municipality in the Piedmont Triad region and is home to...
).
Both in Salem and Bethlehem, Moravians continued to use music in their ceremonies. Instruments included organs and trombones, and voices were usually in choirs. Players generally played on rooftops for most any occasion, ensuring that they could be heard for great distances. A legend has arisen claiming that a group of Native American warriors approached a Moravian settlement during the French and Indian War
French and Indian War
The French and Indian War is the common American name for the war between Great Britain and France in North America from 1754 to 1763. In 1756, the war erupted into the world-wide conflict known as the Seven Years' War and thus came to be regarded as the North American theater of that war...
, but left after hearing a trombone choir because they believed it to be the voice of their Great Spirit. Moravians were devoted to missionary work, especially among African slaves and Native Americans; in 1763, they published a collection of hymns in the Delaware language.
Moravians also had a tradition of secular art music that included the famed composer Johann Friedrich Peter
Johann Friedrich Peter
Johann Friedrich Peter was an American composer of German origin. He emigrated to the United States in 1770, and for a time served as an organist and violinist with Unity of the Brethren congregations in North Carolina and Pennsylvania...
, who was a German born in Holland who emigrated to Bethlehem in 1770. He brought with him copies of compositions by Joseph Haydn
Joseph Haydn
Franz Joseph Haydn , known as Joseph Haydn , was an Austrian composer, one of the most prolific and prominent composers of the Classical period. He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these forms...
, Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach
Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach
Johann Christoph Friedrich Bach , the ninth son of Johann Sebastian Bach, sometimes referred to as the "Bückeburg Bach"...
, Johann Stamitz
Johann Stamitz
Jan Václav Antonín Stamic was a Czech composer and violinist. Johann was the father of Carl Stamitz and Anton Stamitz, also composers...
and C. F. Abel. After living in Bethlehem for a time, Peter moved to Salem, where he founded the Collegium Musicum
Collegium Musicum
The Collegium Musicum was one of several types of musical societies that arose in German and German-Swiss cities and towns during the Reformation and thrived into the mid-18th century...
(in 1786) and collected hundreds of symphonies, anthems and oratorios. It was during this period that Peter also composed a number of well-respected instrumental pieces for two violins, two violas and a cello; he also composed sacred anthem
Anthem
The term anthem means either a specific form of Anglican church music , or more generally, a song of celebration, usually acting as a symbol for a distinct group of people, as in the term "national anthem" or "sports anthem".-Etymology:The word is derived from the Greek via Old English , a word...
s like "It Is a Precious Thing" and aria
Aria
An aria in music was originally any expressive melody, usually, but not always, performed by a singer. The term is now used almost exclusively to describe a self-contained piece for one voice usually with orchestral accompaniment...
s like "The Lord Is in His Holy Temple".
The Moravian Church continued to produce a number of renowned composers into the 19th century, including John Antes
John Antes
John Antes was an American composer of a second generation German Moravian family was born in Upper Frederick Township, Pennsylvania, and died in Bristol, England. He became somewhat of a Renaissance Man and had careers as a violin maker, watchmaker, inventor, missionary, theoretician, businessman...
as well as Francis F. Hagen, Johann Christian Bechler, Edward W. Leinbach, Simon Peter, David Moritz Michael
David Moritz Michael
David Moritz Michael was a composer.Born and educated in Germany, David Moritz Michael became a member of the Moravian Church when he was thirty years old. He taught in the Moravian school at Niesky and, in 1795, he emigrated to Pennsylvania...
, Georg Gottfried Müller, Peter Wolle, Jeremiah Dencke
Jeremiah Dencke
Jeremiah Dencke was born October 2, 1725 in Langenbielau, Silesia and died May 28, 1795 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. He emigrated to the American colonies in 1761...
and Johannes Herbst. Herbst was also a noted collector, whose archives, left to the Salem church after his death, were made public in 1977; these included more than 11,000 pages of content. Salem has gradually become the center for Moravian musical innovation, partially due to the presence of the Moravian Music Foundation.
Pietists
In 1694, Johannes KelpiusJohannes Kelpius
Johannes Kelpius , a German Pietist, mystic, musician, and writer, interested in the occult, botany, and astronomy, came to believe with his followers in the "Society of the Woman in the Wilderness" that the end of the world would occur in 1694...
brought a group of German Pietists
Pietism
Pietism was a movement within Lutheranism, lasting from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century and later. It proved to be very influential throughout Protestantism and Anabaptism, inspiring not only Anglican priest John Wesley to begin the Methodist movement, but also Alexander Mack to...
to the banks of the Wissahickon Creek
Wissahickon Creek
Wissahickon Creek is a stream in southeastern Pennsylvania. Rising in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, it runs about 23 miles passing through and dividing Northwest Philadelphia before emptying into the Schuylkill River at Philadelphia...
. These became known as the Hermits or Mystics of the Wissahickon; this 1871 map of Wissahickon Creek notes a Kelpius spring and Hermits Glen. Kelpius was a musician, and he and his followers brought with them instruments that became an integral part of church life. Kelpius was also a composer, and is sometimes called the first Pennsylvanian composer, based on his unproven authorship of several hymns in The Lamenting Voice of the Hidden Love. It is likely that he wrote the text, though the tunes are mostly based on German songs; the English translations in the collection are attributed to Christopher Witt, an Englishman who immigrated and joined the mystics, also building them a pipe organ, said to be the first privately owned organ in North America.
Lutherans
Justus FalcknerJustus Falckner
Justus Falckner was a Lutheran minister and the first Lutheran pastor to be ordained within the United States. He is commemorated in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church on November 24 together with Jehu Jones and William Passavant.-Background:Falckner was the fourth son of Daniel...
was the first Lutheran pastor to be ordained within the United States. He was ordained during 1703 as a minister of the Church of Sweden
Church of Sweden
The Church of Sweden is the largest Christian church in Sweden. The church professes the Lutheran faith and is a member of the Porvoo Communion. With 6,589,769 baptized members, it is the largest Lutheran church in the world, although combined, there are more Lutherans in the member churches of...
in the Gloria Dei Church. He is commemorated in the Calendar of Saints of the Lutheran Church
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
on November 24. Falckner wrote hymns such as Rise, Ye Children of Salvation (German: Auf! ihr Christen, Christi Glieder) which he composed while a student at the University of Halle in 1697. Falckner's published works include Grondlycke Onderricht which first appeared in New York during 1708. Falckner evidently believed that music was a very important element of missionary work, writing to Germany to ask for an organ, which he said would attract more Native American converts.
Harmony Society
In 1803 and 1804, a group of Christian pietistsPietism
Pietism was a movement within Lutheranism, lasting from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century and later. It proved to be very influential throughout Protestantism and Anabaptism, inspiring not only Anglican priest John Wesley to begin the Methodist movement, but also Alexander Mack to...
led by George Rapp
George Rapp
Johann Georg Rapp was the founder of the religious sect called Harmonists, Harmonites, Rappites, or the Harmony Society....
arrived from Württemberg, Germany, settled in Harmony, Pennsylvania
Harmony, Pennsylvania
Harmony is a borough in Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 937 at the 2000 census. It is located about 30 miles north of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.-Geography:...
, and formed the Harmony Society
Harmony Society
The Harmony Society was a Christian theosophy and pietist society founded in Iptingen, Germany, in 1785. Due to religious persecution by the Lutheran Church and the government in Württemberg, the Harmony Society moved to the United States on October 7, 1803, initially purchasing of land in Butler...
in 1805. The group lived communally
Commune (intentional community)
A commune is an intentional community of people living together, sharing common interests, property, possessions, resources, and, in some communes, work and income. In addition to the communal economy, consensus decision-making, non-hierarchical structures and ecological living have become...
, were pacifistic
Pacifism
Pacifism is the opposition to war and violence. The term "pacifism" was coined by the French peace campaignerÉmile Arnaud and adopted by other peace activists at the tenth Universal Peace Congress inGlasgow in 1901.- Definition :...
, advocated celibacy
Celibacy
Celibacy is a personal commitment to avoiding sexual relations, in particular a vow from marriage. Typically celibacy involves avoiding all romantic relationships of any kind. An individual may choose celibacy for religious reasons, such as is the case for priests in some religions, for reasons of...
, and music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
was a big part of their lives. The Harmonites (or Harmonists) wrote their own music and even had an orchestra. The Society lasted until 1906, but their final settlement, Old Economy Village
Old Economy Village
Old Economy Village is a historic settlement in Ambridge, Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States. Administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, it lies on the banks of the Ohio River and is surrounded by downtown Ambridge...
(now Ambridge, Pennsylvania
Ambridge, Pennsylvania
Ambridge is a borough in Beaver County in Western Pennsylvania, incorporated in 1905 and named after the American Bridge Company. Ambridge is located 16 miles northwest of Pittsburgh, alongside the Ohio River. In 1910, 5,205 people lived in Ambridge; in 1920, 12,730 people lived there, and in...
) contains archives with sheet music that is still performed at special community events.
The Sixties and Seventies
As mentioned, Philly Soul became a staple of 1970s R&B with such artists as Gamble & Huff, The O'JaysThe O'Jays
The O'Jays are an American R&B group from Canton, Ohio, formed in 1963 and originally consisting of Eddie Levert , Walter Williams , William Powell , Bobby Massey and Bill Isles. The O'Jays were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 2004, and The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005...
, Teddy Pendergrass
Teddy Pendergrass
Theodore DeReese "Teddy" Pendergrass was an American R&B/soul singer and songwriter. Pendergrass first rose to fame as lead singer of Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in the 1970s before a successful solo career at the end of the decade...
, Harold Melvin and The Delfonics
The Delfonics
The Delfonics are a pioneering Philadelphia soul singing group, most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their most notable hits include "La-La ", "Didn't I ", "Break Your Promise," "I'm Sorry," and "Ready or Not Here I Come "...
.
Hall & Oates
Hall & Oates
Hall & Oates are an American musical duo composed of Daryl Hall and John Oates. They achieved their greatest fame in the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s. Both sing and play instruments. They specialized in a fusion of rock and roll and rhythm and blues styles, which they dubbed "rock and soul."...
are from Philadelphia and attended Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
, and Todd Rundgren
Todd Rundgren
Todd Harry Rundgren is an American multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and record producer. Hailed in the early stage of his career as a new pop-wunderkind, supported by the certified gold solo double LP Something/Anything? in 1972, Todd Rundgren's career has produced a diverse range of recordings...
hails from the Philadelphia suburb of Upper Darby, which is also home of the world-famous Tower Theater.
Rock music from western Pennsylvania tended to reflect a rust belt
Rust Belt
The Rust Belt is a term that gained currency in the 1980s as the informal description of an area straddling the Midwestern and Northeastern United States, in which local economies traditionally garnered an increased manufacturing sector to add jobs and corporate profits...
, white working class sensibility as far back as the mid-1960s. The Vogues
The Vogues
The Vogues are an American vocal group from Turtle Creek, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Pittsburgh. The original group consisted of Bill Burkette , Don Miller , Hugh Geyer and Chuck Blasko .-Career:...
from the Pittsburgh area scored with the hit "Five O'Clock World" and several other hits. The Jaggerz
The jaggerz
The Jaggerz are a pop/rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, often considered a one-hit wonder because their only major success was the single "The Rapper", written by Donnie Iris...
(named after a Pittsburgh English
Pittsburgh English
Pittsburgh English, popularly known by outsiders as Pittsburghese, is the dialect of American English spoken by many especially older residents of Pittsburgh and parts of surrounding Western Pennsylvania in the United States, a group referred to by locals and others as Yinzers.-Overview:Many of the...
term for goofing off) had a hit in 1970 with "The Rapper".
The Eighties and Nineties to Present
Pennsylvania had a number of key entries into the music scene of the 1980s and 1990s and on into the 2000sPittsburgh's Iron City Houserockers
Iron City Houserockers
The Iron City Houserockers were an American rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, led by singer/guitarist Joe Grushecky, that existed from 1976 until 1984...
, kicked off the decade with immense critical acclaim for their first three albums (Love's So Tough, Have a Good Time But Get Out Alive and Blood On The Bricks). Associated with the heartland rock
Heartland rock
Heartland rock is a genre of rock music that developed in the 1970s and reached its commercial peak in the 1980s, when it became one of the best-selling genres in the United States. It was characterized by a straightforward musical style, a concern with the average, blue collar American life, and a...
subgenre and with artists like Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, Bob Seger
Bob Seger
Robert Clark "Bob" Seger is an American rock and roll singer-songwriter, guitarist and pianist.As a locally successful Detroit-area artist, he performed and recorded as Bob Seger and the Last Heard and Bob Seger System throughout the 1960s...
, John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp
John Mellencamp, previously known by the stage names Johnny Cougar, John Cougar, and John Cougar Mellencamp, is an American rock singer-songwriter, musician, painter and occasional actor known for his catchy, populist brand of heartland rock that eschews synthesizers and other artificial sounds...
and Tom Petty
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
, the Houserockers were regarded by many as both grittier and more kinetic. Although commercial success eluded the group, leader Joe Grushecky and the later incarnation of the band remain popular regional artists. In the Houserockers' wake came a number of other Pittsburgh area bands, including Norman Nardini and the Tigers, whose minor hit "If You Don't Love Me (Someone Will)" put the band briefly on the pop map. More recent entries in the heartland rock scene (sometimes counted as Grushecky proteges) include Bill Toms and Hard Rain and Tom Breiding
Tom Breiding
Tom Breiding is a musician originally from Wheeling, West Virginia who now resides in McMurray, Pennsylvania. He is a popular draw in the Pittsburgh area music scene. His musical styles range from country music to heartland rock...
who have strong local followings.
Donnie Iris
Donnie Iris
Donnie Iris is an American rock musician known for his work with The Jaggerz and Wild Cherry during the 1970s, and for his solo albums during the 1980s...
, former member of The Jaggerz, had national success in 1980 with "Ah! Leah!" and a string of subsequent minor hits from 1980 to 1984.
The Hooters
The Hooters
The Hooters is an American rock band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. By combining a mix of rock and roll, reggae, ska and folk music, The Hooters first gained major commercial success in the United States in the mid 1980s due to heavy radio and MTV airplay of several songs including "All You...
from Philadelphia broke into nationwide attention when they became the opening band at Live Aid
Live Aid
Live Aid was a dual-venue concert that was held on 13 July 1985. The event was organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise funds for relief of the ongoing Ethiopian famine. Billed as the "global jukebox", the event was held simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, United Kingdom ...
where they performed "All You Zombies
All You Zombies (song)
"All You Zombies" is a song by The Hooters. It was first recorded live and released as a single in 1982. It was subsequently included on the band's debut album Amore and an extended version of the song was included on their second album Nervous Night . This version was released as a single in 1985...
," soon to become their first hit single. The album Nervous Night followed with several more major hits like "And We Danced" and "Day By Day" in 1985 and 1986.
Metal band Poison
Poison (band)
Poison is an American glam metal band that achieved great success in the mid-1980s to mid-1990s. To date, Poison has sold over 30 million records worldwide and have sold 15 million records in the United States alone. The band has also charted ten singles to the Top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100,...
were originally from the Harrisburg area, but as was common with glam metal
Glam metal
Glam metal is a subgenre of hard rock and heavy metal that arose in the late 1970s and early 1980s in the United States, particularly on the Los Angeles Sunset Strip music scene...
bands, relocated to Los Angeles before becoming successful.
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails
Nine Inch Nails is an American industrial rock project, founded in 1988 by Trent Reznor in Cleveland, Ohio. As its main producer, singer, songwriter, and instrumentalist, Reznor is the only official member of Nine Inch Nails and remains solely responsible for its direction...
frontman Trent Reznor
Trent Reznor
Michael Trent Reznor is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, record producer, and leader of industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails. Reznor is also a member of How to Destroy Angels alongside his wife, Mariqueen Maandig, and Atticus Ross. He was previously associated with bands Option 30,...
hails from Mercer, Pennsylvania
Mercer, Pennsylvania
Mercer is a borough in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 2,391 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Mercer County. Mercer is part of the Youngstown–Warren–Boardman, OH-PA Metropolitan Statistical Area....
and drummer Chris Vrenna is from Erie
Erie
Erie is a city in Pennsylvania, United States.Erie may also refer to:*Erie , a tribe of Native Americans-Places:*Lake Erie, one of the five Great Lakes of North America*Erie Canal, a canal running from the Hudson River to Lake Erie...
.
Live
Live (band)
Live is an American rock band from York, Pennsylvania, composed of Chad Taylor , Patrick Dahlheimer , and Chad Gracey . Lead singer and principal songwriter Ed Kowalczyk left the band in November 2009....
, who achieved major success with their second album Throwing Copper
Throwing Copper
-Outtakes and B-sides:*"Hold Me Up"*"Susquehanna"*"We Deal in Dreams" -Album:-End-of-decade charts:-Singles:-Personnel:*Ed Kowalczyk: Vocals, Rhythm Guitar*Chad Taylor: Lead Guitar, Backing Vocal...
, hail from York
York, Pennsylvania
York, known as the White Rose City , is a city located in York County, Pennsylvania, United States which is in the South Central region of the state. The population within the city limits was 43,718 at the 2010 census, which was a 7.0% increase from the 2000 count of 40,862...
.
The pop singer Jeffrey Gaines
Jeffrey Gaines
Jeffrey Gaines is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, he was signed to the Chrysalis Records label in 1990 and released his debut album, Jeffrey Gaines, in 1992 ....
is also from Harrisburg.
The alternative band, The Ocean Blue
The Ocean Blue
The Ocean Blue, formed in Hershey, Pennsylvania in 1986, is an American indie pop band that combines melodic guitars and synthesizers. Its core original members included David Schelzel on lead vocals/guitar, Steve Lau on keyboards/saxophone, Bobby Mittan on bass guitar and Rob Minnig on drums and...
formed in Hershey
Hershey, Pennsylvania
Hershey is a census-designated place in Derry Township, Dauphin County in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The community is located 14 miles east of Harrisburg and is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area. Hershey has no legal status as an incorporated municipality...
.
Death metal band Incantation
Incantation (band)
Incantation is an American death metal band that was formed by John McEntee and Paul Ledney in 1989. They are one of the leaders in the New York Death Metal scene along with fellow bands Suffocation and Immolation, even though the band is currently located in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.The band has...
are from Johnstown
Johnstown, Pennsylvania
Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States, west-southwest of Altoona, Pennsylvania and east of Pittsburgh. The population was 20,978 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Cambria County...
.
The Clarks, a rock/pop band who achieved major success in the 1990s with the songs "Born too late", "Penny on the floor", "Cigarette", "Better Off", are native to Pittsburgh.
Rusted Root, a jam band who has also had a prolific music career with the songs "Ecstasy", "Heaven", and "Free my soul", also call Pittsburgh home.
Train
Train (band)
Train is an American pop rock band from San Francisco, California, formed in 1994. The band currently comprises a core trio of Patrick Monahan , Jimmy Stafford and Scott Underwood ....
lead singer, Patrick Monahan
Patrick Monahan
Patrick Monahan is the lead singer and songwriter for the Grammy award winning band Train. He also has recorded a solo album, and has collaborated with multiple artists.-Life and career:...
, hails from Erie
Erie
Erie is a city in Pennsylvania, United States.Erie may also refer to:*Erie , a tribe of Native Americans-Places:*Lake Erie, one of the five Great Lakes of North America*Erie Canal, a canal running from the Hudson River to Lake Erie...
.
G. Love and Special Sauce, who has had a string of successes with songs like "Stepping Stone" and "Recipe", is from Philadelphia.
CKY
CKY (band)
CKY is an American alternative metal band that formed in West Chester, Pennsylvania in 1998. Centred around core members Deron Miller , Chad I Ginsburg and Jess Margera , the band shares its name with a skateboarding and stunt video series produced by Bam Margera, brother of drummer Jess...
and The Bloodhound Gang
The Bloodhound Gang
The Bloodhound Gang may be a reference to:*The Bloodhound Gang , a segment on the program 3-2-1 Contact*The Bloodhound Gang, a band that took its name from the TV show segment...
are from the Philadelphia area.
Ween
Ween
Ween is an American alternative rock group. They formed in 1984 in New Hope, Pennsylvania when central members Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo met in an eighth grade typing class. Ween has a large cult underground fanbase despite being generally unknown in American pop music...
is from New Hope, Pennsylvania.
Critically acclaimed hard rock sensation Breaking Benjamin
Breaking Benjamin
Breaking Benjamin is an American rock band from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, currently consisting of Benjamin Burnley and Chad Szeliga. The band has released four studio albums to date and a greatest hits album that was released on August 16, 2011. The group initially went on indefinite hiatus due...
are based out of Wilkes-Barre
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania
Wilkes-Barre is a city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, the county seat of Luzerne County. It is at the center of the Wyoming Valley area and is one of the principal cities in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area, which had a population of 563,631 as of the 2010 Census...
.
Country and pop artist Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
hails from Wyomissing, Pennsylvania.
Punk rock
Philadelphia had a flourishing New WaveNew Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
scene that included local acts The Vels
The Vels
The Vels were an American New wave band, formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Career:The Vels began when Charles Hanson, former member of the 1970s New Orleans punk group, The Normals, invited Chris Larkin and Alice Desoto to join him for a show at the now defunct Love Club in Philadelphia. The...
, Executive Slacks and Regressive Aid
Regressive Aid
Regressive Aid was an instrumental band consisting of Simeon Cain , William Tucker , and Andrew Weiss , managed by Tom Burka. Cain and Weiss later played in the bands Gone, a three pieced punk instrumental rock outfit and in the Rollins Band...
. Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
had a significant scene as well, led by Sadistic Exploits
Sadistic Exploits
Sadistic Exploits was an American hardcore punk band which existed from 1980 through 1985. They released a 45 titled Apathy b/w Freedom in 1980. Inspired by UK anarchists Crass, the Philadelphia based band formed in late 1980 during the formative years of Philly's hardcore punk scene...
along with MCRAD, Electric Love Muffin
Electric Love Muffin
Electric Love Muffin was a Philadelphia-based hard rocking quartet of the late 1980s that spiked the melodic thrash-pop of The Replacements, Soul Asylum and other indie bands of the period with touches of country/western, classic rock and prog-rock.-History:...
, Autistic Behavior, dresden and Informed Sources. Later bands like Zen Guerilla and Dead Milkmen
Dead Milkmen
The Dead Milkmen is an American satirical punk rock band formed in 1983 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They consisted of vocalist and keyboardist Rodney Linderman , guitarist and vocalist Joe Genaro , bassist Dave Schulthise and drummer Dean Sabatino .Beginning within the local underground...
gained some national success. Flag of Democracy
Flag of Democracy
Flag of Democracy is an American hardcore punk band formed in 1982 and originally from Ambler, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. The group plays a mixture of melodic punk, frequently with two-part vocal lines, and noisy, dissonant hardcore, often at extreme speeds – many F.O.D. songs push...
have released seven albums since 1982 and toured the world.
Harrisburg
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
's The Outrage
The Outrage
The Outrage is a remake of the 1950 Japanese film Rashomon, reformulated as a Western. Like the original Akira Kurosawa film, four people give contradictory accounts of a rape and murder. Kurosawa is credited with the screenplay. It was directed by Martin Ritt and is based on stories by Ryūnosuke...
and Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
's Real Enemy, Necracedia and Anti-Flag
Anti-Flag
Anti-Flag is a punk rock band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States, formed in 1988. The band is well known for its outspoken political views. Much of the band's lyrics have focused on fervent anti-war activism, criticism of United States foreign policy, corporatism, U.S. wealth...
had a local hardcore following as well. Metalcore band, August Burns Red
August Burns Red
August Burns Red is an American metal band, from Manheim, Pennsylvania. Formed in 2003, the group began their first performances while a majority of the members were attending their senior year of high school, and soon began playing shows around Lancaster, before being signed to CI Records, and...
, is from Lancaster.
Friction
Friction
Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and/or material elements sliding against each other. There are several types of friction:...
was a punk rock band from Lewistown
Lewistown, Pennsylvania
Lewistown is a borough in and the county seat of Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, United States. It lies along the Juniata River, northwest of Harrisburg. The number of people living in the borough in 1900 was 4,451; in 1910, 8,166; and in 1940, 13,017. The population was 8,998 at the 2000 census,...
, Pennsylvania, which eventually morphed into New York City-based Caesar Pink and The Imperial Orgy
The Imperial Orgy
The Imperial Orgy is an artist collective founded in 1993 by artist Caeser Pink. Known primarily for their multimedia performances, music recordings, and film works, the group's creative work expresses an underlying philosophy of personal, spiritual, and political liberation based on independent...
. Although Friction enjoyed a large and dedicated following in Pennsylvania, they disbanded while on the verge of signing with a major label, but not before their music was played to a world-wide audience on Radio Moscow
Voice of Russia
Voice of Russia is the Russian government's international radio broadcasting service owned by the All-Russia State Television and Radio Company. Its predecessor Radio Moscow was the official international broadcasting station of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.-Early years:Radio Moscow...
in 1987.
Another band to hail from Pittsburgh's punk/rock/pop scene was Damaged Pies. The Pies started at such clubs as The Electric Banana
The Electric Banana
The Electric Banana was a nightclub in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Beginning as a disco in the 1970s, it was a punk rock music venue from 1980 until 2000, and helped establish a place in alternative culture for the city of Pittsburgh....
, and The Decade and have gone on to play some of the world's most legendary rock venues, including the Cavern in Liverpool, CBGB in NYC, The Whisky A Go Go in Los Angeles, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and even the Wheeling Jamboree in Wheeling, West Virginia. The band has recorded at the legendary Sun Studio in Memphis and Trident Studio in London. In addition to these the band has been on the road at venues all over North America and the United Kingdom for the past twenty years.
Hip hop, R&B, and Nu Soul
Hip hop musicHip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
, R&B music, and Nu soul music are popular elements of entertainment in Pennsylvania, and have earned many different performers within said genres.
- Asher RothAsher RothAsher Paul Roth is an American rapper.-Early life:Asher Roth was born and raised in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, a small town about 20 miles northeast of Philadelphia. His mother, Elizabeth , is a yoga instructor, and his father, David Roth, is the executive director of a design firm...
, is from Morrisville, PennsylvaniaMorrisville, PennsylvaniaMorrisville is the name of some places in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania:*Morrisville, Bucks County, Pennsylvania *Morrisville, Greene County, Pennsylvania...
. - Beanie SigelBeanie SigelDwight Grant , also known as Beanie Sigel, is a American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,most recently he was in talks with 50 Cent to sign with G-Unit Records and is a former member/artist of Dame Dash Music Group and Roc-A-Fella Records where he had formed a close association with rappers...
, is from Philadelphia. - Boyz II MenBoyz II MenBoyz II Men is an American R&B vocal group best known for emotional ballads and a cappella harmonies. They are the most successful R&B group of all time, having sold more than albums worldwide. In the 1990s, Boyz II Men found fame on Motown Records as a quartet, but original member Michael McCary...
, the soulful, gospel-tinged, R&B act from the 1990s are from Philadelphia. - Cassidy, is from Philadelphia.
- Chiddy BangChiddy BangChiddy Bang is an American alternative hip hop band from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The group consists of Chidera "Chiddy" Anamege and Noah "Xaphoon Jones" Beresin. The duo was introduced through former band member Zachary Sewall in late 2008 during their freshman year at Drexel University, in...
, is from Philadelphia. - Da Youngsta'sDa Youngsta'sDa Youngstas were a hip-hop trio that consisted of two brothers, Taji "Taj Mahal" Goodman and Qu'ran Goodman, and their cousin Tarik Dawson, hailing from Philadelphia....
, are from Philadelphia. - Eve, is from Philadelphia.
- FreewayFreeway (rapper)Leslie Edward Pridgen , better known by his stage name Freeway, is an American rapper. Best known for his tenure on Roc-A-Fella Records and his affiliation with Jay-Z and Beanie Sigel, he is recognized by his high-pitched delivery and for the long beard he keeps due to his Muslim faith...
, is from Philadelphia. - Jazzy JeffJazzy JeffJazzy Jeff may refer to:* DJ Jazzy Jeff , American hip-hop and R&B record producer, turntablist; former instrumentalist in DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince...
, is from Philadelphia. - Jedi Mind TricksJedi Mind TricksJedi Mind Tricks is a hip hop duo with Vinnie Paz from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Jus Allah from Camden, New Jersey. The group was founded by two high school friends, rapper Vinnie Paz and former producer/DJ Stoupe the Enemy of Mankind...
, are from Philadelphia. - Meek Mill, is from Philadelphia.
- Mac MillerMac MillerMalcolm McCormick , known by his stage name Mac Miller , is an American rapper from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
, is from Pittsburgh. - Ms. JadeMs. JadeMs. Jade is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.In 2002 she released her only album to date, Girl Interrupted, which featured the singles "Big Head", "Feel The Girl" and "Ching Ching"....
, is from Philadelphia. - Reef the Lost CauzeReef the Lost CauzeSharif Talib Lacey, better known as Reef The Lost Cauze, is a prominent underground hip hop artist based in Philadelphia. Aside from being a solo artist, Reef is a member of the hip hop group The JuJu Mob as well as the hip-hop collective, Army of the Pharaohs.-Career:Reef started battling other...
, is from Philadelphia. - Schoolly DSchoolly DJesse B. Weaver Jr. , better known by the stage name Schoolly D, is an American rapper from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.- Career :...
, is from Philadelphia. - Will SmithWill SmithWillard Christopher "Will" Smith, Jr. , also known by his stage name The Fresh Prince, is an American actor, producer, and rapper. He has enjoyed success in television, film and music. In April 2007, Newsweek called him the most powerful actor in Hollywood...
, and his hip-hop partnership DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh PrinceDJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh PrinceDJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince is a hip hop duo from West Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Vocalist Will Smith met Jeff Townes while trying to make a name for himself in West Philadelphia's local hip hop scene. After joining forces with Clarence Holmes the team members became local celebrities...
is from Philadelphia. - The RootsThe RootsThe Roots is an American hip hop/neo soul band formed in 1987 by Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter and Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are famed for beginning with a jazzy, eclectic approach to hip hop which still includes live instrumentals...
, are from Philadelphia. - Wiz KhalifaWiz KhalifaCameron Jibril Thomaz , better known by the stage name Wiz Khalifa , is an American rapper. He released his debut album, Show and Prove, in 2006, and signed to Warner Bros. Records in 2007...
, is from Pittsburgh. - Young GunzYoung GunzThe Young Gunz is an American rap duo from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania composed of Young Chris and Neef Buck . The group is part of Beanie Sigel's State Property collective and was signed to Roc-A-Fella Records...
are from Philadelphia.