Amidst the beautiful chaos of food, family, and friends, it can be easy to forget the unique place that Thanksgiving holds in our culture: an opportunity to slow down and take a moment to appreciate everything that is good and right with the world. In that spirit, we wanted to send some love to 10 of the things that make Memphis the greatest music city on earth. Happy Thanksgiving, ya’ll, and don’t forget to lift your cup in appreciation for all of the people, places, and organizations that make this city what it is.
The Artists
When it comes to homegrown talent, Memphis has been one of the world’s greatest musical hotbeds for the better part of a century. From all-time greats such as Aretha Franklin, Elvis Presley, and Isaac Hayes to cult heroes such as Big Star and Furry Lewis, there does indeed seem to be something in the water.
But while our rich history is always a reason to be thankful, you don’t have to jump into a time machine to find world-class artists. At this particular point in time, Glorilla may be the biggest female star on earth not named Taylor or Beyonce, and artists such as IMAKEMADBEATS, Taliba Safiyah, Marcella Simmien, Southern Avenue, MonoNeon, Valerie June, and Pooh Sheisty have become nationally-recognized figures. That said, some of the city’s greatest art has always been created quietly in the shadows, which remains true to this day.
Radio Stations
In this era of streaming, bluetooth, and other technological advancements that have made listening to music easier than ever, tuning in to terrestrial radio can often feel like a relic of a bygone era. In fact, for many places–especially those who are lacking in community stations– the radio is basically obsolete (unless you just have an affinity for hearing the same 7 songs on repeat ad nauseum).
Memphis radio, however, is just built different. This is particularly true of community stations such as WEVL and WYXR who allow amateur DJs to share their own favorite tunes, disrupting the monotony of corporate radio and putting unique, strange, and local music back on the airwaves.
Museums
The Stax Museum of American Soul Music, Sun Studios, the Memphis Rock N Soul Museum, the Blues Hall of Fame, Graceland, the Memphis Music Hall of Fame…the sheer number of music-focused museums in Memphis alone is staggering, but even more so when considering their quality.
Seriously folks, people travel from all across the world to visit our cultural heritage sites, especially those that sit on hallowed ground, like Sun and Stax. If you’ve never been–or if it’s been since that 6th grade field trip–do yourself a favor and take a visit. We can guarantee that you won’t regret it.
Record Stores
Although Memphis has lost several beloved record stores in the past couple of decades (RIP Cats, Spin Street, Pop Tunes, Audiomania, River Records, and all of our other fallen comrades), the city still boasts two of the nation’s best in Shangri-La and Goner Records, each of which has been recognized by national publications such as Rolling Stone, NPR, Paste, and others. Add the new kid on the block River City Records to the list and Memphis truly has a wealth of music-buying options in quality if not quantity. Keep all three in mind this year as you begin your holiday shopping, because shopping local is always in vogue.
Venues
Speaking of quality over quantity, Memphis’ live music scene could undoubtedly use a few more live music venues, especially when considering our overabundance of great talent. This, however, is a piece about what we’re thankful for, and that certainly applies to the many great venues that we do have. Whether you prefer catching a headlining superstar at the FedEx Forum or an experimental show at the Lamplighter with 7 other lucky strangers, Memphis has a bit of something for everyone, you just have to be willing to put yourself out there.
Non-Profits
Aside from a very lucky few, most musicians are not able to sustain themselves on creating music alone, at least not without a little help. Thankfully, Memphis has seen a plethora of excellent organizations spring up over the past few years whose mission is to help give our musicians the support and resources that they need. Chief amongst them are Music Export Memphis, the Memphis Slim Collaboratory, and the Soulsville Foundation, all of whom work tirelessly to ensure that Memphis remains a world-class music city. Like all non-profits, all of these organizations depend on the support of the community to continue their missions, so consider supporting them this holiday season if you can.
Recording Studios
From iconic studios such as Royal, Ardent, and Sam Phillips to newer ventures such as High/Low, Electraphonic, and Southern Grooves, Memphis has once again become a world-class studio town that attracts talent from both near and far. Although they often go unnoticed by the general public, studios are the life-blood of any vigorous music scene. So whether you are looking for a state-of-the-art modern facility or a charmingly dusty analog set-up, Memphis has got the goods.
Festivals and Series
With all due respect to the Beale Street Music Festival, who we hope to see make a triumphant return in 2025, Memphis was sorely lacking in large-scale music festivals and similar events for decades. Thankfully, things are certainly trending in the right direction, thanks in large part to the emergence of Mempho, who have introduced both the Mempho Music Fest and Riverbeat in the past several years. They are certainly not alone in introducing or continuing great live music series, though. The Overton Park Shell’s Orion Free Concert Series, the Botanic Garden’s Live at the Garden series, Gonerfest, WYXR’s Raised by Sound Fest, Tone’s annual Juneteenth celebration, and Cooper-Young’s Porch Fest are all beloved institutions that help bring excellent live music to Memphians throughout the year.
Memphis Record Pressing
Did you know that Memphis is the home to the fastest-growing vinyl manufacturer in the United States and one of the largest producers of vinyl on earth? If not, then consider this something new to be thankful for. MRP, which is located on a sprawling complex in Bartlett, has taken advantage of the vinyl resurgence to become the go-to pressing plant for many of the world’s biggest artists. In addition to the many new jobs that they’ve added to the community, there is something undeniably special about pulling out your favorite records and seeing the words “Memphis Record Pressing” etched into the dead wax.
The Memphis Listening Lab
So far, we’ve tried to keep this list pretty general, focusing on larger communities rather than individual entities. When it comes to the Memphis Listening Lab, however, that’s just not possible, because there is nothing quite like it anywhere else on earth. A massive free music library boasting 12,000 LPs, 30,000 45s, 20,000 CDs, and upwards of a thousand music books, the MLL is one of the city’s most distinctive spaces and an invaluable resource for music lovers. In addition to their vast library, the Lab also has a gorgeous, ultramodern sound room that regularly hosts album listening events, release parties, artist Q&As, and much more.
