BSR Beats: Home is where the music is

Tori Scheaffer and Halle Marchetta|November 18, 2014

Most people think of Ohio as only farmland, but some of the most influential artists over time have come out of this great buckeye state.

	Michael Stanley Band – “He Can’t Love You” Can’t get much more Ohio than this… Michael Stanley plays at the Canton Rib Fest every summer and has his own radio show on 98.5 FM. The single, “He Can’t Love You”, was released in 1981, in which the band reached their peak of national popularity. Stanley sings about the classic Midwestern love triangle, so give this song a listen while you’re pining for that special someone.
	The Black Keys – “Tighten Up” We can’t talk about Ohio music without talking about The Black Keys. From Akron Ohio, The Black Keys have been compared to influential bands such as Led Zeppelin and The White Stripes and appear at some of the biggest musical festivals in our generation. The first single Tighten Up off their 2010 album, Brothers, lead to The Black Keys commercial breakthrough.
	Dean Martin – “You Belong To Me” Even though Dean Martin is associated with Italian culture, he was born in Steubenville, Ohio. He spent his younger years running errands for the speakeasies in Akron during Prohibition, and prized fighting for extra cash. It wasn’t until he met Frank Sinatra that he made it big with his singing. In This song, Martin sings about a girl who left him to travel the world. This song is perfect for those who are about to graduate and are headed in different directions.
	Kid Cudi – “Cleveland Is The Reason” Kid Cudi put the Cleveland rap scene on the map with the release of his 2009 album, Man On The Moon. Growing up in Shaker Heights, a suburb of Cleveland, Cudi often refers to his hometown. In this song off of one of his earlier mixtapes, Cleveland Is The Reason, Cudi lists off the reasons why Cleveland is so “cool”, including our adorable accent.
	Joe Walsh – “Life’s Been Good” As a previous Kent State student, Joe Walsh paints us the picture of what life should be like post graduation; money, success and a lot of inappropriate stories. He’s on The Rolling Stones “100 Greatest Guitarist of All Times” list and is an inductee of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. With a solo career that is as big as his Eagles career, Joe Walsh may be one of the most influential artists, and it all started here in Kent Ohio.