The Geography of Pop Music Superstars

This Sunday marks the 32nd anniversary of the VMAs, an event by now as legendary for its controversial stunts as its iconic performances. But no matter what crazy antics may appear on the stage each year, pop music has always been at the heart of the award show. VMA performances have helped catapult artists like Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, and Miley Cyrus to the highest echelons of pop stardom. And yet long before “vogueing” or “twerking,” the original pop stars—Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Elvis, and the Beatles of course—were as, or even more, dominant on the pop music scene.

These artists all came from different times and different backgrounds, but an interesting question remains: To what degree is pop stardom propelled by a select set of cities? Have pop music’s centers changed since the old school days of crooners and rock and roll? Or are there cities that continue to produce the world’s leading pop stars?