The most famous band of all time from every state

To determine the most famous band from every state, Business Insider looked at reputation, record sales, and awards, considering each band within its own era, so just because a band is popular now doesn't mean it's nudged out the biggest band from another decade.

We stuck to bands only — no solo artists here — but used the term "band" loosely, including any musical act consisting of more than one person. We focused mostly on the state where each band originally formed, but also considered where their music was popularized, as well as artists' hometowns.

Check out which band is making your state proud.

Christi Danner contributed to a previous version of this article.

ALABAMA: Alabama

One of the most successful bands of all time, Alabama has sold over 73 million records and has seven multiplatinum albums and two Grammys. The band sold more records during the '80s than any other band.

ALASKA: Portugal. The Man

Portugal. The Man released their debut album, "Waiter: You Vultures!" in 2006 and booked their first headlining tour the next year. The rock band released three more albums — including breakout record "The Satanic Satanist" — before signing with Atlantic Records in 2009. Danger Mouse, known for working with artists like Beck and The Black Keys, produced Portugal. The Man's 2013 album, "Evil Friends."

ARIZONA: Alice Cooper

The first of the many shock-rock bands of the '70s, Alice Cooper kept fans entranced with their gender-bending outfits and dark onstage theatrics — concert-goers could expect performances to include stunts like Cooper's faux-beheading via guillotine. But it's the music that kept fans coming back for more, and their riff-heavy brand of hard rock produced a string of hits including "School's Out" and "Be My Lover." Alice Cooper was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2011.

ARKANSAS: Evanescence

Despite the goth-metal style that now defines Evanescence, they got their start as a Christian rock band. In fact, their 2003 debut album, "Fallen," which produced hits "Bring Me to Life" and "My Immortal" and won the band two Grammys, was released during their religious days, reaching No. 1 on Billboard's Top Contemporary Christian chart.

However, following a profanity-laden article in Entertainment Weekly in which band founders Amy Lee and Ben Moody renounced their affiliation with Christian music, polarizing many Christian fans, Evanescence turned toward a more secular fan base.

CALIFORNIA: The Grateful Dead

The Dead popularized the concept of the jam band, performing long, free-flowing shows to legions of dedicated fans that followed them across the country in the '60s and '70s. Their most popular songs include "Truckin'," "Box of Rain," and "Uncle John's Band."

COLORADO: OneRepublic

In 2015, OneRepublic's third album, "Native," reached a million records sold, following the example of their 2007 debut, "Dreaming Out Loud," which also hit the 1 million mark. The band is best recognized for singles "Stop and Stare," "Good Life," and "Counting Stars," all of which became Top 40 hits.

CONNECTICUT: The Carpenters

Brother and sister team Richard and Karen Carpenter endeared themselves to the world with classic hits like "Top of the World" and "Rainy Days and Mondays." The pair went on to win three Grammys and an Oscar, and they hosted their own variety show on NBC for a short period. Though Karen died in 1983, her legacy lives on through a previously unreleased solo album, which came out in 1996.

DELAWARE: George Thorogood and the Destroyers

Though often looked down on by blues purists, George Thorogood and the Destroyers' catchy blues-pop sound earned them widespread popularity and five gold albums throughout the '80s, including 1982's "Bad to the Bone." And they can thank their home state for launching their career — the band's first gig together was a show at the University of Delaware in 1973.

FLORIDA: Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' career spans almost 40 years and includes classic hits like "American Girl," "Refugee," and "Don't Do Me Like That." Their third album, "Damn the Torpedoes," went platinum and cemented the band as bona-fide rock stars.

Petty himself is also known for taking a stand against the music industry, most notably by declaring bankruptcy to get out of a contract in 1979 and later threatening to withhold his new album until the label lowered the price of it.

GEORGIA: OutKast

OutKast helped put the Atlanta hip-hop scene on the map in 1994 with their debut album "Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik," which hit No. 3 on Billboard's R&B chart. The duo, comprised of Big Boi and André 3000, went on to sell millions of records and take home six Grammys, including album of the year for "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below" in 2004.

HAWAII: Pepper

Pepper might be from Hawaii, but don't expect any classic Hawaiian tunes from them. The alt-rock band combines elements of pop, reggae, and punk for a raw yet lively sound. They released their first full-length album, "Give'n It," in 2000, but found mainstream success with 2002's "Kona Town" and its breakout hit "Give It Up."

IDAHO: Built to Spill

Built to Spill formed in Boise in 1992, and first gained critical attention with 1994's "There's Nothing Wrong with Love." After signing with Warner Brothers in 1995, they released "Perfect from Now On," which diverged from the band's signature short, poppy sound. But the band continued to plug away, and, despite a rotating cast of members and a short hiatus, they're still making music. In 2015, they released their eighth album, "Untethered Moon."

ILLINOIS: Earth, Wind & Fire

Earth, Wind & Fire is one of the most popular and critically acclaimed bands of the '70s. The band's breakthrough album, "That’s the Way of the World," released in 1975, introduced the hit single "Shining Star" and was followed by a stream of five consecutive multiplatinum albums. Earth, Wind & Fire has also taken home six Grammys out of an impressive 17 nominations.

INDIANA: Jackson 5

Composed of five brothers — Jackie, Jermaine, Marlon, Tito, and Michael — the Jackson 5 made music history in 1970 when their first four Motown singles all became No. 1 hits. The brothers immediately fell into stardom, and were selling out 20,000-seat venues within the year, performing hits like "ABC," "I Want You Back," and "I'll Be There."

IOWA: Slipknot

One of the most prominent nu-metal bands of the '90s, Slipknot was known as much for its image as its music. The band performed in matching black jumpsuits and horror-themed Halloween masks and used numbers as stage names. Their self-titled debut album went platinum in 2000, making them the first band on their label, Roadrunner Records, to do so.

KANSAS: Kansas

Best known for hits "Carry on Wayward Son" and "Dust in the Wind," Kansas formed in Topeka in 1973. Throughout their 40-year career, the rock legends have sold over 15.5 million albums and produced eight gold albums, three sextuple-platinum albums, and a gold single that sold over a million copies.

KENTUCKY: My Morning Jacket

My Morning Jacket formed in Louisville in 1998 and released their alt-country debut album the next year. After sticking to the same formula for their next few albums, the band began to branch out and experiment with their sound. They made history for performing a four-hour show at Bonnaroo in 2008, and they have since become legends for their live performances.

LOUISIANA: The Neville Brothers

The Neville Brothers are an R&B group famously known for embracing their hometown of New Orleans. They won a Grammy in 1990 for best pop instrumental performance and closed out the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival for years. Though their last record together was released in 2004, the brothers reunited for a farewell show in NOLA in 2015.

MAINE: Rustic Overtones

All Portland natives, the Rustic Overtones formed over 20 years ago and released their debut album, "Rooms by the Hour," in 1998. The band makes its own take on indie rock with blends of soul music, punk, and jazz, and they have worked with an array of artists over the years, including Imogen Heap and Funkmaster Flex.

MARYLAND: The Orioles

Often credited as the first ever R&B vocal group, The Orioles perfected their smooth, soulful harmonies throughout the '40s and '50s, as evident on their many hits, including "It's Too Soon to Know," "Crying in the Chapel," and "Tell Me So." The group's early influence on rock and roll earned them an induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1995.

MASSACHUSETTS: Boston

Aerosmith might be known as the "bad boys from Boston," but considering that they actually got their start in New Hampshire, arena-rock band Boston stands as the most famous band formed in Massachusetts.

The group released their eponymous debut album in 1976, which jumped straight to the top of the charts and spawned several hits, including "More Than a Feeling" and "Peace of Mind."

MICHIGAN: The Temptations

One of the most successful black vocal groups of all time, the Temptations — originally known as the Elgins — formed in Detroit in 1961 when two flailing groups merged. Now considered a classic example of Motown's signature sound, the group rose to prominence with hits like "My Girl" and "Since I Lost My Baby," produced under the inimitable Smokey Robinson.

MINNESOTA: Prince and the Revolution

Though Prince and the Revolution achieved veritable success beforehand, it was the 1984 film release of "Purple Rain" — and Prince's coinciding soundtrack — that launched the group into superstardom. The "Purple Rain" album sold over 13 million copies, spent 24 weeks at the top of the charts, and produced hits "When Doves Cry," "Purple Rain," and "Take Me with U."

MISSISSIPPI: 3 Doors Down

Three Doors Down hit it big in the early 2000s with radio-friendly singles "Here Without You," "Kryptonite," and "When I'm Gone." The post-grunge band saw three albums go multiplatinum, and 2000's "The Better Life" became one of the best-selling albums of the year.

MISSOURI: Ike & Tina Turner

Ike & Tina Turner were a wildly successful duo for nearly 20 years, as they topped R&B and pop charts, toured with the Rolling Stones, and won a Grammy for their song "Proud Mary." In 1976, Tina left what she described as an abusive relationship with Ike and went on to build her own successful solo career.

MONTANA: Silkworm

NEBRASKA: Bright Eyes

NEVADA: Imagine Dragons

NEW HAMPSHIRE: Aerosmith

NEW JERSEY: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

NEW MEXICO: The Shins

NEW YORK: The Ramones

NORTH CAROLINA: The Charlie Daniels Band

NORTH DAKOTA: Bobby Vee & The Strangers

OHIO: The Isley Brothers

If you've ever been to a wedding, or a bar mitzvah, or, really, any celebration with a DJ, you're familiar with The Isley Brothers' "Shout." In addition to "Shout," the Cincinnati band is also known for hits "Twist and Shout" and "For the Love of You." Since forming in the early '50s, they've earned four Grammy awards, including a lifetime achievement award in 2014. They were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1992.

OKLAHOMA: The Flaming Lips

OREGON: The Decemberists

PENNSYLVANIA: Hall & Oates

Duo Daryl Hall and John Oates formed aptly named Hall & Oates in the early '70s and released their debut album, "Abandoned Luncheonette," in 1973. Hailing from Philadelphia, the pair went on to garner national attention throughout the '70s and '80s with hits such as "Maneater" and "Sara Smile." The band won three American Music Awards in the early '80s, and more recently, both members released solo albums.

RHODE ISLAND: Talking Heads

SOUTH CAROLINA: Hootie and the Blowfish

SOUTH DAKOTA: The Spill Canvas

TENNESSEE: Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Three

TEXAS: ZZ Top

UTAH: The Osmonds

VERMONT: Phish

VIRGINIA: Dave Matthews Band

WASHINGTON: Nirvana

WASHINGTON, DC: Minor Threat

WEST VIRGINIA: Asleep at the Wheel

WISCONSIN: Violent Femmes