KENNEWICK — It feels like some people are impossible to shop for. Some people buy themselves everything they want, others won’t ask for anything, and sometimes, no matter the scenario, you just can’t think of anything good to gift them.
If you’re running down the clock on a gift for a friend, consider their interests and daily activities. If they always drink IPAs, you might get them high-quality local brews. If they’re a movie buff, you might get them a copy of a classic they don’t have.
What about your friend constantly blasting music? What can you get them? How do you get them something meaningful but not cliche? Music they’d like but don’t already have?
There are shops across the state carrying music by artists from Washington state — you can find a new artist for anybody by going through the history of music out of the state.
Over the years, many iconic, influential and unique bands and artists have come out of Washington state. With the influx of stars from California and New York, it’s easy to forget that talent often comes right out of the Evergreen State.
Going back nearly 100 years, you can find a consistent string of musicians making it big after growing up in the Evergreen State. Here are some of them, listed by the decade they broke into relative success.
However, some artists from Washington have had musical careers spanning decades, like William Bolcom and composer Mateo Messina. There are far too many successful artists to come out of Washington to list them all, but here are 20 you simply can’t miss:
1940s
A saxophonist from Wenatchee, Don Lanphere became known as a patriarch in the Seattle jazz scene. While he saw success in the ‘40s while playing with other prominent names, Lanphere returned to music several times in the following decades. By the end of his life, he was a jazz educator in the Pacific Northwest.
1950s
A Seattle-born country singer who shot to the top of the charts in the ‘50s, Bonnie Guitar continued her career in the industry for decades, doing everything from recording to scouting talent to running a record label. In the years she ran the label with fellow entrepreneurs, the record company popularized West Coast doo-wop.
Unrelated to the pivotal country singer of the same name, Jimmie Rodgers was a pop artist from Camas. He had a number-one hit in the late ‘50s and continued to have successful releases after, moving to a contemporary sound in later years. He even had a summer TV series before a tragic head injury restricted his physical abilities.
1960s
Jazz bassist Buddy Catlett was born in Long Beach, California, but raised in Seattle, where he ultimately became a notable player in the local jazz scene. The musician played many instruments over the years before making his name as a bassist. Catlett played for many bands, including the band of his childhood inspiration, Louis Armstrong, until the trumpeter’s death.
- The Wailers, aka The Fabulous Wailers — Rock
Considered one of the first American garage bands, the Wailers were integral in cementing the Northwest rock scene. The group saw success relatively quickly after its formation and was signed to a New York record label while the members were still teenagers. Returning home after recording an album, the young men started a record label in Tacoma. They released several albums through this label and hosted shows aimed at the young crowds in western Washington.
Likely one of the first artists you think of when considering musicians out of Washington, Jimi Hendrix saw massive success in his approximate short career. He played in several bands and with big names like Ike and Tina Turner, Little Richard and Sam Cooke, all leading to the creation of The Jimi Hendrix Experience. The group’s first album, “Are You Experienced,” was a major hit upon its release and has remained a staple rock album since.
A keystone in the surf genre, Tacoma band The Ventures was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008. The induction from John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival noted just how prolific the band’s influence was — 37 albums in 12 years. With changes in members, the band is still active and touring today, more than 50 years after its formation.
1970s
Credited as the first successful female-fronted hard rock band, Heart was formed by two sisters in Seattle who were determined to prove women could be just as successful as men in rock music. Since its formation in 1974, the band has sold over 35 million records, earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The group hasn’t backed down since its initial success, continuing to tour and release music for decades to follow.
- Lavender Country — Country
Lavender Country’s self-titled album is an institutional piece in queer art, dubbed the first openly-gay country music album. The band performed for several years across the Pacific Northwest until frontman Patrick Haggerty of Port Angeles dove into activism and politics over music. It wasn’t until a resurgence of the album in the digital age that the work was reissued, leading to another album in 2019.
1980s
Grammy Award-winning saxophonist Kenny G, from Seattle, has released 19 studio albums throughout his career. His first few albums were relatively successful, but he shot into the mainstream spotlight with his fourth album in 1986. Kenny G has amassed over 75 million album sales across his works, earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and has been the subject of an HBO documentary.
Progressive metal band Queensrÿche originated in Bellevue and has released 16 studio albums over the decades following their successful debut self-titled EP. The band boasts one of the top ten best-selling concept records of all time and has released successful rock operas. Queensrÿche has continued its high-energy performances for decades.
1990s
The ‘90s were easily the most successful decade for Washington-based music, with the local grunge scene skyrocketing to national airwaves, making it difficult to narrow down mentions for this decade without leaving out massively influential artists. Honorable mentions for the decade include Alice in Chains, Kid Sensation, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden.
A pioneer in the ‘riot grrrl’ subgenre of rock, Bikini Kill is a feminist punk band from Olympia that encouraged cultural change through female-led music. Their live shows focused on female fans, calling all girls to the front and confronting men who seemed problematic. The band broke up in 1997, but has since returned to the performance circuit with tours in recent years. Bikini Kill put politics at the forefront of their experience, something that hasn’t changed over the decades. The group is holding a benefit show on Jan. 27 at the Capitol Theater in Olympia, with proceeds going to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund.
Another obvious listing when it comes to Washington state music, Nirvana is often considered the band that put the state’s grunge scene on the map and dethroned the reigning hair rock and heavy metal sounds. Kurt Cobain, from Aberdeen, led the band to its status as a pioneering grunge band and one of the best-selling bands of all time. Nirvana received numerous awards and praise and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as soon as they were eligible in 2014. The band dissolved after Cobain’s death in ‘94.
Thought to have kickstarted waves of hip-hop into the Seattle culture, Sir Mix-A-Lot founded his own record label in order to record, promote and produce his music in a city with little hip-hop infrastructure. While primarily known for “Baby Got Back,” Sir Mix-A-Lot collaborated with many artists across different genres and was particularly fond of rap-rock tracks.
2000s
- Charlie Albright — Classical
Concert piano prodigy Charlie Albright was born in Centralia and has been deemed “among the most gifted musicians of his generation” by the Washington Post. He has won awards worldwide and founded scholarships where he went to school. The distinguished pianist has performed with stars across genres all over the world, including renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
The indie band based out of Issaquah, Modest Mouse, was established in the ‘90s and hit commercial success in the 2000s after “Float On” did well on the charts, sending the album “Good News for People Who Love Bad News” to platinum status. Their following record did even better commercially, and the band has continued to tour and record music since. One of the founding members, drummer Jeremiah Green, grew up in Moxee before heading to the west side and founding the rest of the band. He died in late December 2022 due to oral cancer.
2010s
Macklemore, formerly partnered with producer Ryan Lewis, is from Seattle and regularly pays homage to his home state. The duo topped the charts in the early 2010s with “Thrift Shop,” considered the first song in nearly 20 years to top the Hot 100 without the support of a major label, followed by several other successes in following years. In 2014, they received four Grammy Awards. The rapper has since returned to the music scene as a solo artist.
An indie electronica duo from Bellingham, odesza received a Grammy nomination early in their musical career, a pattern that has held with subsequent releases. Their third studio album reached number three on the Billboard 200, and the duo owns and operates a record label. They went on a sold-out tour in 2015 and have continued influencing the scene through new music, tours and a music collective.
2020s
Making it into the spotlight just before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Seattle rapper Lil Mosey has remained determined to keep the momentum going since his first Hot 100 in 2018. His second album includes a Gunna feature and “Blueberry Faygo,” the rapper’s biggest success thus far. Mosey began on SoundCloud, where he received millions of streams, and moved to live competitions to grow his brand. His music videos have hundreds of millions of views since his mainstream break in 2020.
- Yahritza y Su Esencia — Urban sierreño
A trio of siblings from Yakima creates modern Mexican music that is taking the industry by storm. Two are still teenagers, with the eldest in his mid-20s, but the group has performed on NPR’s Tiny Desk series and topped charts thanks to TikTok popularity. Yahritza y Su Esencia have been on a successful tour following their viral status. In just a few years of taking their music together seriously, the group has released two albums, and Yahritza has become one of the youngest performers to debut on the Hot 100.
