Music Meccas

From Memphis' Sun Studios to Hitsville, USA, and across the pond to Liverpool's legendary Cavern Club, follow your muse to these shrines to the power of music.

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Sun Studio, Memphis, Tennessee

Rock 'n' roll, country and rockabilly artists, including Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Charlie Feathers, Ray Harris, Warren Smith, Charlie Rich and Jerry Lee Lewis, recorded at Memphis' legendary Sun Studio.

Cavern Club, Liverpool

Between Feb. 1961 and Aug. 1963, the Beatles brought rock ‘n' roll in England to new heights, playing nearly 300 shows at the Cavern Club, a tiny cellar club on Mathew Street in downtown Liverpool. After performing at the Cavern Club, the boys would head over to the Jacaranda Club on Slater Street for a nightcap. The club was owned by the Beatles first manager, Allan Williams. The club still operates seven days a week, and hosts an array of live performances. It also is the final destination on London's Magical Mystery Tour.

CBGB, New York City

CBGB OMFUG (which stands for Country, Bluegrass, Blues and Other Music for Uplifting Gormandizers) had its heyday in the 1970s and '80s when it helped define the punk and new wave sound. The Ramones, Misfits, Television, Patti Smith, Mink DeVille, The Fleshtones, The Voidoids, The Cramps, Blondie and Talking Heads started their careers at the club. It now serves as a retail store and destination for loyal music fans.

Seattle, Washington

The Seattle-based grunge music scene fused heavy metal, punk and alternative rock to produce a unique sound in the early 1990s. In this photo, the late Kurt Cobain (1967-1994) performs on stage with Nirvana at the MTV Video Music Awards, September 10, 1992.

Cafe Wha? in Greenwich Village

Cafe Wha? in Greenwich Village, New York City, launched many young musicians to stardom. Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, The Velvet Underground, Kool and the Gang, and Peter Paul & Mary, among others, performed at this club in their formative years.

Cotton Club, New York City

The Cotton Club was a famous jazz club in Harlem, New York City, during the 1920s and '30s. The club featured many of the greatest African-American entertainers of the era, such as Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Bessie Smith, Cab Calloway, Ella Fitzgerald, Fats Waller, Louis Armstrong, Dizzy Gillespie, Nat King Cole and Billie Holiday.

Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee

American country music singer and guitarist Loretta Lynn performs on stage at the Grand Ole Opry in the 1960s. The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly country music stage concert in Nashville that has presented the biggest stars of the genre since 1925.

Stax Records, Memphis, Tennessee

Stax Records of Memphis was a major force in the creation of soul and funk music. Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Wilson Pickett, Sam & Dave, Booker T. & the MGs, and the Staple Singers recorded for the label in the 1960s and '70s.

Austin, Texas

Austin has a vibrant live music scene with more venues per capita than any other U.S. city. For example, the city hosts the annual South by Southwest (SXSW) music festival which features over 2,000 acts in four days. Shown here, Taylor Swift performs her only full concert of 2016 during the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas.

Hitsville U.S.A. in Detroit, Michigan

Fans pay their respects to pop star Michael Jackson at the Motown Historical Museum "Hitsville U.S.A." The legendary Motown sound produced dozens of mega hits for artists such as The Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, The Supremes, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson.

Whisky a Go Go, Los Angeles

The Byrds, Alice Cooper, Buffalo Springfield, Love and The Doors were regulars at the club in the 1960s. In the '70s and '80s it spawned many punk, new wave and heavy metal bands.

Georgia Theatre, Athens, Georgia

Though the historic Georgia Theatre was mostly damaged by fire in 2009, it has been newly renovated with state-of-the-art facilities. The venue has been host to numerous bands including REM, the B-52's, Ghostface Killah and Widespread Panic.

Chess Records, Chicago

James "JY" Young and Tommy Shaw of Styx jam with Chuck Berry's piano player Johnnie Johnson at Chess Records. The studio specialized in blues and R&B in the 1950s and '60s. Famous Chess artists include Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Chuck Berry, Etta James, John Lee Hooker and Sonny Boy Williamson II.

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Music Meccas

Related To:

Sun Studio, Memphis, Tennessee

Cavern Club, Liverpool

CBGB, New York City

Seattle, Washington

Cafe Wha? in Greenwich Village

Cotton Club, New York City

Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee

Stax Records, Memphis, Tennessee

Austin, Texas

Hitsville U.S.A. in Detroit, Michigan

Whisky a Go Go, Los Angeles

Georgia Theatre, Athens, Georgia

Chess Records, Chicago

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