Music
The Best Musical Artists From Massachusetts
List Rules
Only artists born or raised in Massachusetts or bands formed in Massachusetts.
Here are the best artists and bands from Massachusetts. This may come as a surprise to some of you, but the band Boston actually comes from Boston. That's only the tip of the iceberg when you're looking at all of the outstanding singers, bands, and rappers that have come out of Massachusetts. In particular, the state has seen a great presence of rock, folk, hip hop, and classical acts. Once you see for yourself the best musical artists from Massachusetts, you will be amazed at how one state has been so influential in the music industry.
One of the bands that best encapsulates everything about the Boston attitude is Dropkick Murphys. In fact, the band's first live album was titled Live on St. Patrick's Day from Boston, MA. It does not get much more Irish than that. However, the city has launched the careers of more than just Celtic punk bands. Aerosmith, New Kids on the Block, and Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch also came from the city. Other popular Massachusetts artists include Pixies, Meghan Trainor, Passion Pit, New Edition, and Godsmack.
The most famous Massachusetts musical artists come from all over the state and not just Boston. They represent everything great about the state. If you're looking for some new playlists, then this list is the best place to start. Don't forget to vote for the acts you like best, and add other good Massachusetts artists missing from the list.
Ranked by
- 1Glam metal, Blues-rock, Rock music
- Albums: Toys in the Attic, Pump, Permanent Vacation, Aerosmith, Get a Grip
Aerosmith are an American rock band formed in Boston in 1970. The group consists of Steven Tyler (lead vocals), Joe Perry (guitar), Tom Hamilton (bass), Joey Kramer (drums) and Brad Whitford ...more - 2Hard rock, Progressive rock, Arena rock
- Albums: Boston, Greatest Hits, Third Stage, Don't Look Back, Walk On
Boston are an American rock band from namesake Boston, Massachusetts, that had its most commercial successes during the 1970s and '80s. The band's core members on their most popular recordings ...more - 3Bubblegum pop, Synthpop, New Wave
- Albums: Candy-O, The Cars, Just What I Needed: The Cars Anthology, Heartbeat City, Panorama
The Cars were an American rock band that emerged from the new wave scene in the late 1970s. The band originated in Boston in 1976, with singer, rhythm guitarist, and songwriter Ric Ocasek; bassist ...more - 4Experimental rock, Grunge, Noise
- Albums: Doolittle, Surfer Rosa, Bossanova, Trompe le Monde, Come On Pilgrim
The Pixies are an American rock band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1986. The group currently consists of founders Black Francis, Joey Santiago, and David Lovering. Co-founder Kim Deal left in ...more - 5Celtic rock, Celtic punk, Folk rock
- Albums: The Warrior's Code, Unity, The Singles Collection, Volume 2: 1998-2004, Mob Mentality
Dropkick Murphys are an American Celtic punk band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts, in 1996. The band was initially signed to independent punk record label Hellcat Records, releasing five albums for ...more - 6New Wave, Disco, Pop music
- Albums: Bad Girls, Christmas Spirit, The Summer Collection: Greatest Hits, Donna Summer, Once Upon a Time...
LaDonna Adrian Gaines (December 31, 1948 – May 17, 2012), widely known by her stage name based on her married name Donna Summer, was an American singer, songwriter and actress. She gained prominence ...more - 7Blues-rock, Disco, Pop music
- Albums: Sweet Baby James, A Christmas Album, James Taylor at Christmas, Never Die Young, Hourglass
James Vernon Taylor (born March 12, 1948) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. He is one of ...more - 8Noise rock, Ska punk, Third-wave of ska
- Albums: Let's Face It, Question the Answers, Live From the Middle East, Pay Attention, More Noise and Other Disturbances
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones (informally referred to as The Bosstones) is an American ska punk band from Boston, Massachusetts, formed in 1983. Since the band's inception, lead vocalist Dicky Barrett, ...more - 9Classical music
- Albums: Around the World in 77 Minutes, Cello Sonatas, Yo-Yo Ma Plays the Music of John Williams, Yo-Yo Ma: 30 Years Outside the Box, Beyond the Horizons
Yo-Yo Ma (born October 7, 1955) is a Chinese-American cellist. Born in Paris, he spent his schooling years in New York City and was a child prodigy, performing from the age of four and a half. He ...more - 10Hip hop music, Old-school hip hop, New Wave
- Albums: Christmas All Over the World, Candy Girl, Heart Break, Home Again, New Edition
New Edition is an R&B and pop group formed in Boston in 1978. The group reached its height of popularity during the 1980s. They were the progenitors of the boy band movement of the 1980s and 1990s ...more - 11Experimental rock, Children's music, Alternative rock
- Albums: Flood, Apollo 18, John Henry, Join Us, O Tannenbaum
They Might Be Giants is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as a duo, often ...more - 12Horror punk, Noise rock, Nu metal
- Albums: The Sinister Urge, Past, Present & Future, Hellbilly Deluxe, American Made Music to Strip By
Rob Zombie (born Robert Bartleh Cummings; January 12, 1965) is an American musician and filmmaker. He is a founding member of the heavy metal band White Zombie, releasing four studio albums with the ...more - 13Alternative rock, Punk rock, Indie rock
- Albums: It's a Shame About Ray, Car Button Cloth, Mrs. Robinson & Being Around, If I Could Talk I'd Tell You, Hate Your Friends
The Lemonheads are an American alternative rock band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1986 by Evan Dando, Ben Deily, and Jesse Peretz. Dando has remained the band's only constant member. After ...more - 14Blue-eyed soul, Rhythm and blues, Rock and roll
- Albums: Long Line, Come as You Are, Midnight Souvenirs, Sleepless, Fool's Parade
Peter Wolf (born Peter W. Blankfield, March 7, 1946) is an American musician best known as the lead vocalist of the J. Geils Band from 1967 to 1983 and for a successful solo career with writing ...more - 15Nu metal, Groove metal, Rock music
- Albums: Faceless, IV, Awake, All Wound Up…, Godsmack
Godsmack is an American rock band from Lawrence, Massachusetts, formed in 1995. The band is composed of founder, frontman and songwriter Sully Erna, guitarist Tony Rombola, bassist Robbie Merrill, ...more - 16Glam metal, Blues-rock, Progressive metal
- Albums: III Sides to Every Story, Pornograffitti, Extreme, Take Us Alive, Waiting for the Punchline
- 17Progressive metal, Metalcore, Heavy metal
- Albums: Alive or Just Breathing, The End of Heartache, As Daylight Dies, Killswitch Engage, (Set This) World Ablaze
Killswitch Engage is an American metalcore band from Westfield, Massachusetts, formed in 1999 after the disbanding of Overcast and Aftershock. Killswitch Engage's current lineup consists of vocalist ...more - 18Alternative rock, Indie rock
- Albums: Last Splash, Pod, Title TK, Mountain Battles, Climbing the Sun
The Breeders are an American alternative rock band formed in 1990 by Kim Deal of the Pixies and Tanya Donelly of Throwing Muses. The band has experienced a number of lineup changes; Kim Deal has been ...more - 19Rock music, Folk music
- Albums: I'm With Stupid, Bachelor No. 2, Lost in Space, @&*! Smilers, Live at St. Ann's Warehouse
Aimee Mann (born September 8, 1960) is an American singer-songwriter. Mann began her career in the 1980s as the bassist and a vocalist for 'Til Tuesday, and wrote their top-ten single "Voices Carry". ...more - 20Indie pop, Synthpop, New Wave
- Albums: Gossamer, Manners, Chunk of Change, Sleepyhead / Better Things, The Reeling (Remixes)
Passion Pit is an American indietronica band from Cambridge, Massachusetts, formed in 2007. The band consists solely of Michael Angelakos. He is joined live by Jeff Apruzzese and Chris Hartz. The ...more - 21Rock music, World music, Alternative rock
- Albums: Teenager of the Year, Hang On to Your Ego, Everything Is New, Christmass, Threshold Apprehension
Charles Thompson IV (born April 6, 1965) is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He is best known as the frontman of the influential alternative rock band Pixies, with whom he performs ...more - 22Rock music, Grunge, Power pop
- Albums: Go!, Wholesale Meats and Fish, Aurora Gory Alice, Sister, From Boston Massachusetts
Letters to Cleo was an alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts, best known for the 1993 single "Here & Now", from their full-length debut album Aurora Gory Alice. The band's members were ...more - 23Hip hopGary Maurice "Joyner" Lucas, Jr. (born August 17, 1988) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, poet, and actor from Worcester, Massachusetts. Lucas gained widespread exposure and ...more
- 24Hip hop music, Bubblegum pop, Pop music
- Albums: Merry, Merry Christmas, Face the Music, Hangin' Tough, Step by Step
New Kids on the Block (also initialized as NKOTB) is an American boy band from Dorchester, Massachusetts. The band currently consists of brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Donnie ...more - 25Rock music, Alternative rock, Indie rock
- Albums: Sleeper, Abort, Here at the Home
Tribe was an alternative rock band from Boston, Massachusetts which was active in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They released three albums, two on Slash Records/Warner Bros. Records, but did not ...more
