8 music landmarks you need to visit in America
16 April 2021, 14:43 | Updated: 16 April 2021, 15:02
Promoted by Aer Lingus
The USA is filled to the brim with some of music's most iconic locations from Elvis Presley's mansion to Nashville's Music Row.
There never needs to be much excuse to pack a suitcase and go on a roadtrip across America, but if it fuses with our love for music it's even better.
There are countless historical US landmarks out there that all music lovers should visit, and here is a definitive list of some of the best to tick off your bucket list...
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Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee
Music Row is the heart of Nashville's country music scene. Picture: Getty If Nashville, Tennessee is considered the home of America's country music, then the city's Music Row is its heart.
The Music Row area is centered southwest of downtown on 16th and 17th Avenues South, known as Music Square East and West respectively.
The top sights in Music Row include the famous Grand Ole Opry, The Country Music Hall of Fame and The Johnny Cash Museum and Cafe all centred around numerous country music bars and clubs.
Keep your eye out for famous singers who live in the city including Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift and Kelly Clarkson.
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Motown Museum in Detroit, Michigan
What may look like a modest 1950's bungalow is in fact the birthplace of America's Motown Music as we know it.
Situated in the heart of Detroit, Michigan, 2648 W. Grand Blvd was founded by a 27-year-old Berry Gordy Jr as home of Motown Records in 1959.
The Motown Museum (pictured) is the original home of Motown Records in Detroit. Picture: Getty The modest record label – also known as 'Hitsville USA' – went on to hire over over 450 employees and have a gross income of $20 million, changing the face of music forever.
Michael Jackson donated a fedora, glove and $125,000 to the museum in 1988 and and to keep things fresh for their visitors, Motown Museum changes its main gallery exhibit 1-2 times per year.
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Elvis Presley's Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee
Elvis Presley pictured in front of Graceland, photographed in circa 1957. Picture: Getty One of the most famous addresses in the world, no music lover's trip to the USA would be complete without a visit to Elvis Presley's famous mansion, Graceland.
Situated in Memphis on 14 acres of land, the impressive 17,500 house was Elvis's place of solace before his untimely death in the property on August 16, 1977.
Graceland is one of America's most visited properties, with over 500,000 people visiting The King's home every year.
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Apollo Theatre in New York City, New York
Situated at 253 West 125th Street (pictured) just off New York City's famous Seventh Avenue, the Apollo Theatre has hosted some the greatest performers of all time. Picture: Getty Situated at 253 West 125th Street just off New York City's famous Seventh Avenue, the Apollo Theatre has hosted some the greatest performers of all time.
Opened in 1914, the Apollo welcomes an estimated 1.3 million visitors through its doors and is even a designated New York City Landmark.
Artists who have played at the 1,506 capacity theatre include Bob Marley and the Wailers, James Brown, Patti LaBelle, Diana Ross, Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston and Aretha Franklin.
The Apollo was also famously the location of a free performance by Michael Jackson for his fans in 2002, his last ever on-stage performance before his death.
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Strawberry Fields in New York City, New York
No music lover's trip to New York would be complete without visiting the memorial to John Lennon in the city's Central Park. Picture: Getty No music lover's trip to New York would be complete without visiting the memorial to John Lennon in the city's Central Park.
Named after the song 'Strawberry Fields Forever' written by the Beatle, the tribute was dedicated on what would have been Lennon's 45th birthday, October 9, 1985 by his wife Yoko Ono and Major Ed Koch.
Fans of Lennon travel from all over the world to pay homage to the star and the site is often overflowing with flowers and candles. Pictured: Lennon and Ono in 1968. Picture: Getty Fans of Lennon travel from all over the world to pay homage to the star and the site is often overflowing with flowers and candles.
On Lennon's birthday and on the anniversary of his death (December 8), people gather to sing Beatles songs and pay tribute to the star, staying late into what is often a very cold New York night.
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The French Quarter in New Orleans, Louisiana
Bourbon Street (pictured) and Decatur Street are at the heart of the French Quarter of New Orleans. Picture: Getty A visit to the South's party city, New Orleans, wouldn't be complete without exploring the famous French Quarter.
From piano bars and jazz clubs to taverns and music halls, there is a huge variety of live music to satisfy any musical tastebuds.
Head to the town's infamous Bourbon Street for Cajun and zydeco rhythms and stop off at the Kerry Irish Pub for live celtic and bluegrass hits.
House of Blues on Decatur Street is regularly tipped as one of the best live music venues in the city and you can never go far wrong with a visit to B. B. King's famous Blues Club for some famous southern hospitality.
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The Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, California
Situated in L.A. Live, an entertainment complex in Downtown Los Angeles next to the famous Staples Centre, lies the Grammy Museum. Picture: The Grammy Museum Situated in L.A. Live, an entertainment complex in downtown Los Angeles next to the famous Staples Centre, lies the world famous Grammy Museum.
Home of everything Grammy, the museum has interactive touch-screens, videos and recording booths to musical artifacts including famous hand-written lyrics, records, and audio/video recordings from the history of the Awards.
As well as meet-and-greets and behind-the-scenes performances, the Museum regularly holds special exhibits throughout the year.
Previous exhibitions have included Say it loud: The Genius of James Brown, Ringo: Peace and Love, The Taylor Swift Experience and most recently Beyond Black - The Style of Amy Winehouse.
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Prince's Paisley Park in Chanhassen, Minnesota
Described as "an active museum, state-of-the-art recording studio, and concert venue", Prince reportedly always wanted his home to be opened to the public. Picture: Paisley Park The star's home, studio and sanctuary for 30 years, Paisley Park is a mecca for all things Prince.
A visitor centre since 2016, fans can attend tours, concerts, and events at the famous property and experience for themselves where some of Prince's most famous songs were written and produced.
Described as "an active museum, state-of-the-art recording studio, and concert venue", Prince reportedly always wanted his home to be opened to the public.
In a statement Paisley Park said the star "envisioned a place of love and peace, where there aren’t any rules or limitations for creativity."
Feeling inspired to visit one of America's top music landmarks, or perhaps you want to book a long awaited trip somewhere special?
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