![](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/hiphop.jpg?quality=85&w=2400)
Ask most country fans where in the U.S. you should go to hear the best music and they’ll likely say Nashville. Latin music fans might say Miami, and hip hop fans might opt for New York. Sure, these towns have vibrant live music scenes, but which areas are truly home to the most dedicated and active fans? Global news site Vocativ set out to answer that, determining where you can find the most diehard fans of the following genres: pop, country, rock, R&B/hip hop, dance/electronic, Latin, Christian/Gospel, blues, jazz and reggae.
Vocativ’s data analysts considered two key data sets. First, they turned to Twitter to determine the intensity of various artists’ fan bases. They used Billboard’s top artists of 2013 and then examined where the majority of their followers are based. Second, and perhaps more importantly, the data analysts simply looked at what music is being (illegally) downloaded where.
“Illegal downloading is something that’s very much part of the music scene today but hasn’t been monitored as closely,” Vocativ data analyst Ryan Walsh tells TIME. “So we saw an opportunity to look at things a little differently.”
When assessing people’s music tastes — and the extent of their fandom — factoring in illegal downloads adds a level of purity, explains Vocativ senior editor Adam Laukhuf. When people aren’t limited by how much money they’re able to spend, “they’re letting their curiosity run the gamut.”
Vocativ compiled its findings into a Deep Web Guide to America’s Taste in Music, complete with taste profiles for 100 cities and a quiz that tells you which city most closely matches your personal tastes. (For example: Love pop and country but hate blues and jazz? You’ll fit in well in Corpus Christi, TX. All about hip hop and reggae but can’t stand electronic or Gospel? Hartford’s the place for you.)
See the overall taste profiles for Nashville, Bakersfield and New York City:
![](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/nashvillemap2.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/bakersfield2.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/newyork.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
The index also determines the top 10 cities for each individual genre:
![](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/hiphop.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/country.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/blues.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
Remember: this doesn’t mean that Wichita, for example, is home to the best blues scene — it means that according to the data, Wichita is home to the most passionate blues fans. Head over to the complete index to explore more cities and genres.
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Breaking Down the 2024 Election Calendar
- How Nayib Bukele’s ‘Iron Fist’ Has Transformed El Salvador
- What if Ultra-Processed Foods Aren’t as Bad as You Think?
- How Ukraine Beat Russia in the Battle of the Black Sea
- Long COVID Looks Different in Kids
- How Project 2025 Would Jeopardize Americans’ Health
- What a $129 Frying Pan Says About America’s Eating Habits
- The 32 Most Anticipated Books of Fall 2024
Contact us at letters@time.com