Ask any New Jerseyan why the state is number one and you’ll get a variety of responses. Its beaches — there’s Stone Harbor, Cape May, Point Pleasant, Ocean City and Sea Bright, to name just a few. Why, you can drive down practically the entire 130 miles of the state’s coastline and call it “the Jersey Shore.” Its produce — blueberries, corn, tomatoes, apples, asparagus and anything else that grows from the ground (there’s a reason New Jersey is called “the Garden State”). And the state has not one, but two football teams. Okay, technically they’re the New York Giants and the New York Jets, but they play at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, so New Jerseyans can rightfully claim dibs. BTW, the same goes for the New York Red Bulls, the local Major League Soccer team that, of course, plays in Harrison.
In terms of sheer geography, New Jersey isn’t large — it accounts for only 7,352.9 square miles, making it the 46th largest state by area. But in terms of its impact on modern music, it’s enormous. Hoboken’s own Frank Sinatra got his start singing in New Jersey social clubs, and over the years the state has been a breeding ground for the sounds of doo-wop, garage rock, soul, jazz, punk, funk, hip-hop, blues and heavy metal.
This story is from the July 2024 edition of Guitar World.
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This story is from the July 2024 edition of Guitar World.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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