Florida sounds. What are the global cultural imprints that originate from Florida? What are the original, local sounds that Florida people would recommend to a visitor? These can give us some context as we think about exploring the sounds of other cultures. Florida has much diversity – geographically, culturally, and musically. These 22 songs represent multiple genres (rock, hip hop, country, pop, etc) and also different regions within Florida, including 7 that connect to Gainesville. Note that seven kids who grew up in our little ol’ town are now enshrined in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Seven! These include Tom Petty and three of the original Heartbreakers (Benmont Tench, Stan Lynch, and Ron Blair), two members of the Eagles (Bernie Leadon and Don Felder), and Stephen Stills (of Crosby, Stills, and Nash). Legendary Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell is from Jacksonville and frequently played with Tom Petty in Gainesville before they all moved to LA.
The songs below are from a variety of genres and eras, including the 70s (4), 80s (2), 90s (4), 00s (5), 10s (6), and 20s (1). The songs are listed below in chronological order. I included the title, artist, year of release, and genre. I also added a sentence or two of background and context. Finally, I also embedded video links.
You can find the Spotify playlist here.
Love the One You’re With Stephen Stills 1970 Folk rock
As a kid he sold sodas at football games at Florida Field and he grew up to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – twice! He was inducted both for Buffalo Springfield and for Crosby, Stills, and Nash. Rolling Stone ranked him in the top 50 guitarists of all time. This song is his biggest hit as a solo artist. David Crosby and Graham Nash sing backup vocals. In the early 2000s he returned to visit Gainesville to become a donor for the UF music program and in his nostalgic mood, he bought a house – on the next block over from me! He received an honorary doctorate from UF in 2018.
Free Bird Lynyrd Skynyrd 1973 Swamp rock
These Jacksonville natives are perhaps the most iconic Southern rockers of all time, and this one is as iconic as they come. The magazine ‘Guitar World’ ranked this as the 3rd greatest guitar solo ever. This concert footage from the 4th of July 1977 was only three months before the plane crash that killed lead singer Ronnie Van Zant and two other members of the band. This was the closing number of the show that day and helped cement this song as one of the most classic rock closers of all time.
American Girl Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers 1977 Rock
Gainesville’s most famous sons. This was not a big hit when it came out, but is widely considered their best song. It remained the band’s live show encore closing number to the end.
Hotel California Eagles 1977 Soft rock
I can see why you would be skeptical about this song being on a Florida list. But, two of the original Eagles are from Gainesville!! By the time this song was recorded, Bernie Leadon had left the band – but Don Felder co-wrote it (with Don Henley and Glenn Frey). This song is an icon of international popular culture. This live video from 1977 highlights the dual guitar solo between Felder on the 12-string and Joe Walsh, which has been voted by ‘Guitarist’ magazine as the best solo of all time.
Give It Up KC & The Sunshine Band 1983 Post-Disco
These Miami boys were huge when disco was king. Following the disco backlash in the late 1970s, this was part of their comeback. It’s still got the disco horns, the funk, and the falsetto, but the synthesizer intro gives it away as early 80s. It hit number one in the UK. Gotta love the Miami Vice pastel chic in this video.
Rhythm is Gonna Get You Gloria Estefan and the Miami Sound Machine 1987 Pop
Born in Havana, her family moved to Miami following the Cuban Revolution. She graduated from the University of Miami, and now she is in the Songwriters Hall of Fame. This one was a top 10 hit, and while not their most famous, it’s representative of their 80s sound.
Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) Marilyn Manson 1995 Goth
They formed in Ft. Lauderdale in 1989, and ever since they have been considered to be a bad influence on young people. They toured with Nine Inch Nails and were a big part of the 90s Goth scene. This cover of the Eurythmics 1983 smash was their first big hit. Their videos are even darker than their music. He was once engaged to Rose McGowan.
Push Matchbox Twenty 1997 Post-grunge
They formed in Orlando in 1995 and this song from their first album was one of their biggest hits, hitting number 1 on the Modern Rock chart.
All For You Sister Hazel 1997 Alternative rock
Gainesville boys who formed the band in 1994 and named it after a nun who ran a local homeless shelter. This is their most popular song; it reached number 11 in the main charts, but number 1 on the Adult Contemporary charts.
I Want it that Way Backstreet Boys 1999 Boy band
The best-selling boy band of all time. Formed in Orlando in 1995 by infamous impresario Lou Pearlman. This song is the band’s signature, and it reached number 1 around the world.
Bye Bye Bye *NSYNC 2000 Boy band
Some of the guys who just missed the cut to be in the Backstreet Boys convinced Pearlman to start a second boy band. Among the things they did right was recruit Justin Timberlake. This song was a top 10 hit all over the world.
Gainesville Rock City Less Than Jake 2000 Ska punk
There aren’t too many songs out there that are as directly about Gainesville as this one. Certainly none that rock like this one. The group formed in Gainesville in 1994. On the tour to promote this album they opened for Bon Jovi.
Lochloosa JJ Grey & Mofro 2004 Swamp rock
Jacksonville natives, they started the band in 2001. They haven’t had much chart success, but they are very popular as a live act and routinely play the big festivals like Bonnaroo. This bluesy song is an ode to the lake just south of Gainesville.
Thrash Unreal Against Me! 2007 Post-punk
Maybe the only punk band fronted by someone who has come out as transgender. Laura Jane Grace moved to Gainesville at 17 because of the punk scene here and formed the band in 1997. This song was their first chart hit.
Buy U a Drank T-Pain 2007 Hip-hop
The “T” is for Tallahassee, and the “pain” is based on his rough childhood. He is the one who introduced Auto-Tune to hip hop and his widely copied style remains hugely influential to this day. He was raised as a Muslim but his music is mostly about a party lifestyle. He is also noted for collaborating with many of the greats in the mid-2000s, as everyone was curious to experiment with Auto-Tune, even if the tides may have eventually turned on that one. He was the featured artist on Flo Rida’s first hit, “Low”, and he also had a very interesting collaboration in 2011’s “5 O’Clock” with Lily Allen (whose “LDN” is on our London list), making for a nice crossover.
I See the Light Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi 2010 Disney
She grew up in Orlando and in her early days she opened for both NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys. She is also an accomplished actress. Sticking with the Orlando theme, this song is from the Disney film “Tangled”. Zachary Levi is an actor from LA and he later played one of Thor’s crew in the Marvel films.
Timber Pitbull, Ke$ha 2013 Dance-pop
This song was everywhere, hard to believe how long it’s been already… This song reached #1 around the world. Pitbull was born and raised in Miami, while Kesha is from LA.
Want to Want Me Jason Derulo 2015 Pop
From the Miami area, of Haitian descent, he has sold millions and rose to enough fame that he was cast as Rum Tum Tugger in the notorious 2019 film Cats. Apparently there was some discrepancy about body parts getting airbrushed… This song reached number 5 on the charts.
My House Flo Rida 2015 Pop-rap
In case his stage name didn’t give it away, he’s from Florida (the Miami area). His career was launched when he was noticed by infamous Miami rappers 2 Live Crew. His breakout ‘Low’ in 2010 was massive globally, and this party song was the second-biggest selling song of 2015.
Meant to Be Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line 2017 Country pop
Brian Kelley is from the Daytona Beach area and he went to FSU before moving to Nashville, where he met Georgia native Tyler Hubbard. They have had a lot of big hits, but on this one they are the featured artists with New Yorker Bebe Rexha. This song spent 50 weeks (!!) at the number one spot on the Country charts.
SAD! XXXTENTACION 2018 Emo rap
From the Ft. Lauderdale area, he led a troubled life and was shot dead at the age of 20. He became the first artist since The Notorious B.I.G. to posthumously top the charts.
Suwannee Pillbox Patti 2022 Country
Nicolette Hayford grew up in not-so-lovely Starke, just a few miles from Gainesville and her new album expresses the joys, disappointments, and traumas of such an upbringing. This song references the famous official folk song of Florida (“Way down upon the Suwannee river…”), and thus may seem to superficially celebrate Southern ‘heritage’ (Freebird etc), but it’s really a mournful lament about dead end lifestyles that can emerge from poor country towns. “Yankees took the beach and left us with the swamp.”