Spotify has curated playlists reflecting the local flavor of each stop on HuffPost’s “Listen to America” tour using location-based data to find out what people are really listening to in 20-plus cities. Check back for more from Sept. 12 through Oct. 30.
Indiana’s second-largest metropolis is a sweet spot for music lovers: It’s home to Sweetwater, which bills itself as the world’s leading online music gear shop, large enough to host its own festival. But that’s not the only time of year music nerds can gather in Fort Wayne ― on the quirkier side, the city hosts an annual Buskerfest, a celebration of street musicians. (Does Stars Hollow really exist?)
Local acts hailing from this Eden of fall foliage run the gamut of genres. Old-school soul artists Sonny Charles and Sweet Louie Smith of the Checkmates come from here, along with one-hit wonder Troy Shondell, rapper Nyzzy Nice, singer-songwriters The Ready Set and Amanda Perez, and rockers Left Lane Cruiser.
More than other places around the U.S., people in Fort Wayne like a healthy pop-country mix, with Chance the Rapper thrown in for good measure. Pop group R5 and singer-songwriter Kelsea Ballerni get more play here, and so do country artists Dan and Shay, and blues artist Cody Simpson. Miley Cyrus, Panic at the Disco and the Swedish singer Zara Larsson are also beloved around these parts. Some of Fort Wayne’s favorite Top 40 completes our list, which you can listen to below:
Spotify playlists for the “Listen to America” campaign were created by looking at each location’s most popular songs (streaming in the highest numbers at time of publication), distinctive songs (currently being streamed more in this city compared to all other cities in the world) and tracks from local artists. While many picks are data-driven, some songs are handpicked from data lists to assure the playlists reflect a variety of genres and decades, as well as a healthy gender balance.