Colorado Music Experience and The Colorado Sun observe Colorado’s sesquicentennial—the 150th anniversary of statehood—with 150 events celebrating our shared musical history.
Billy Murray - 1903
1/150
Dubbed “the Denver Nightingale,” Billy Murray secures an engagement with Thomas Edison’s National Phonograph Company and becomes the first singer ever to make a living solely from recording.
Elizabeth Spencer - 1905
2/150
Elizabeth Spencer, the stepdaughter of the first governor of the Territory of Colorado, makes her professional debut at Denver’s Orpheum Theatre before becoming the most prolific vocalist on Thomas Edison’s staff.
George Morrison Sr. - 1917
3/150
A classically trained violinist and composer raised in Boulder, George Morrison Sr. pioneers one of Colorado’s first jazz orchestras; he achieves international renown by the mid-1920s.
Paul Whiteman - 1918
4/150
Born in Denver and raised in serious music by his father Wilberforce—the director of music for the Denver Public Schools—Paul Whiteman forms a dance band. He soon becomes the “King of Jazz,” the biggest name in the music business.
Glenn Miller - 1923
5/150
Fort Morgan native Glenn Miller, a music student at the University of Colorado, drops out and goes on to become the most successful of all big band leaders.
Judy Collins - 1949
6/150
At age 10, Judy Collins begins classical piano study with Dr. Antonia Brico, a woman conductor; in her teens, Collins trades the keyboard for the fretboard of a second-hand guitar and emerges as a renowned star of the folk genre, claiming Colorado as her home state.
Charles Burrell - 1950
7/150
Excelling in both the classical and jazz musical worlds, Charles Burrell lands a job with the Denver Symphony Orchestra, making him the first person of color under contract with a major orchestra.
Chuck Berry - 1957
8/150
Rock ’n’ roll pioneer Chuck Berry writes “Sweet Little Sixteen,” his highest-ranking hit of the decade, after being inspired by a young autograph-seeker at the Denver Coliseum.
Dean Reed - 1959
9/150
After graduating from Wheat Ridge High, Dean Reed makes “The Search,” a marginally successful folk-pop single. He then fell in love with leftist politics, settling in Communist bloc countries and electrifying kids as “the Red Elvis.”
Gary Stites - 1959
10/150
Gary Stites, a Wheat Ridge High School rock ’n’ roller who dominates the local scene, scores a big national hit when the teen sound of “Lonely for You” peaks on the Billboard singles chart.
New Christy Minstrels - 1963
11/150
“Denver” by the New Christy Minstrels, a slick, commercial folk-pop group, hits No. 1 on KIMN, the Mile High City’s legendary AM Top 40 radio station.
The Astronauts - 1963
12/150
The Astronauts occupy the Billboard Hot 100 with “Baja,” a surf instrumental—a remarkable feat in that they are from Boulder, Colorado, 1,000 miles away from the nearest ocean.
The Serendipity Singers - 1964
13/150
The Serendipity Singers, a well-scrubbed folk-pop ensemble organized at the University of Colorado, reach the national Top 10 with “Don’t Let the Rain Come Down (Crooked Little Man).”
The Beatles - 1964
14/150
The Beatles perform at Red Rocks Amphitheater, the only one of the initial dates on the band’s tour that doesn’t sell out—at least officially. It is well-known in Denver high schools that there are hardly any gates, ticket takers and bouncers, and a few thousand enthusiasts manage to sneak into the event.
Bob Lind - 1966
15/150
Bob Lind, a folk musician who takes Denver coffeehouses such as the Exodus, the Green Spider and the Analyst by storm, finds pop music success recording “Elusive Butterfly,” a #5 national hit.
The Rainy Daze - 1967
16/150
The Rainy Daze’ “That Acapulco Gold,” an ode to marijuana crooned in Roaring Twenties vaudeville style, is unceremoniously yanked from national radio playlists once word gets around about the Colorado-based hit’s inspiration.
Canned Heat - 1967
17/150
The Family Dog is the center of Denver’s musical universe during a short time in the ’60s, but the police hate the idea of having a hippie club in their city—they bust Canned Heat, a drama immortalized in the song “My Crime.”
Led Zeppelin - 1968
18/150
The day after Christmas, the members of Led Zeppelin perform their first U.S. concert, at Denver’s Auditorium Arena.
Jimi Hendrix Experience - 1969
19/150
On the final day of the first and only Denver Pop Festival, the Jimi Hendrix Experience play its last concert. During the gig, Mile High Stadium is in an uproar.
The Rolling Stones - 1969
20/150
The Rolling Stones move from theaters filled with shrieking teens to arenas, assembling a traveling rock ’n’ roll circus. The opening gig is scheduled at the Forum in Los Angeles, but the tour actually starts the day before with a “break-in” concert at Colorado State University’s Moby Gym in Fort Collins—a rehearsal, though no one calls it that.
Zephyr - 1969
21/150
Colorado’s hottest band, Zephyr releases a self-titled album, also known as the “rainbow in the bathtub” record for its cover, and reaches the Top 50, establishing Tommy Bolin as one of the premier young guitarists in the country.
Sugarloaf - 1970
22/150
Rising from Denver as the cream of several bands, Sugarloaf delivers the big national smash “Green-Eyed Lady.”
Stephen Stills - 1970
23/150
Searching for some peace from the supergroup Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Stephen Stills finds his muse in Colorado, flying in a Lear Jet to airports in Boulder County that are close to his cabin near Gold Hill.
Jethro Tull - 1971
24/150
Jethro Tull’s concert at Red Rocks results in a riot, a debacle that convinces Denver officials to ban rock events at the outdoor venue—a ruling that holds until 1975.
The Eagles - 1971
25/150
The Eagles leave California to get their act together rather than develop in front of Hollywood’s eyes, getting their first gigs—in Colorado, playing two stints at the Gallery in Aspen, and five nights at Tulagi, the 3.2 beer nightclub on Boulder’s University Hill.
Jimmy Buffett - 1971
26/150
Jimmy Buffett, who spends his summers touring in the mountains of Colorado, goes out to San Francisco and leaves his girlfriend (later his wife) in Aspen. He writes “Come Monday” about her, and it becomes Buffett’s first hit single in 1974.
Rick Roberts - 1971
27/150
Serving as a de facto spark of the “second edition” of the Flying Burrito Brothers after Gram Parsons leaves the band, singer-songwriter Rick Roberts contributes his composition “Colorado.”
Danny Holien - 1972
28/150
Tumbleweed Records, a small independent Denver-based label co-owned by Bill Szymczyk, scores a minor hit with Danny Holien’s “Colorado,” a quiet protest against the rape of the land that gets heavy play on FM radio stations.
Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - 1972
29/150
A period of residing in Colorado gives the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band its best-known success: Will the Circle Be Unbroken, an unprecedented, groundbreaking three-LP set of traditional country numbers performed in conjunction with the original musicians who had greatly influenced them.
John Denver - 1972
30/150
Inspired by his move to Aspen, venerable singer-songwriter John Denver begins the commercially potent phase of his career on a “Rocky Mountain High,” which later becomes an official state song of Colorado.
Joe Walsh - 1973
31/150
Accompanied at Caribou Ranch by his band Barnstorm, Joe Walsh records “Rocky Mountain Way,” a song inspired by his move to Colorado. The classic-rock mainstay becomes his signature tune.
Poco - 1973
32/150
Having moved with fellow band members to Colorado, Richie Furay writes Poco’s most distinctive composition, “A Good Feeling to Know,” while walking down a road to his house near Nederland.
Flash Cadillac - 1973
33/150
Flash Cadillac, the beloved 1950s oldies band formed at the University of Colorado, earns acclaim in the movies, portraying the sock-hop band Herby & the Heartbeats in American Graffiti, George Lucas’ Academy Award-nominated classic.
REO Speedwagon - 1973
34/150
In Boulder to play Tulagi, REO Speedwagon writes “Ridin’ the Storm Out,” a classic rock staple, after getting caught in a wintry blizzard while hiking in the Flatirons.
Chicago - 1973
35/150
The band Chicago films Chicago: High in the Rockies, the first of two network television specials, near the Boulder County foothills hamlet of Caribou Ranch, the members pretending they are cowboys.
Queen - 1974
36/150
Queen begins its first American tour by opening for Mott the Hoople at Regis College in Denver.
Bob Seger - 1974
37/150
Bob Seger’s “Get Out of Denver” makes its way to the Billboard chart; the song becomes a classic, covered in the next decade by Dave Edmunds, Eddie & the Hot Rods and Dr. Feelgood.
Elton John - 1974
38/150
Caribou Ranch, the legendary recording complex near Nederland, Colorado, gains prominence when Elton John records the gratefully titled Caribou, the first of several chart-topping albums he makes there.
Emmylou Harris - 1975
39/150
Emmylou Harris’ debut album, Pieces of the Sky, yields the achingly beautiful “Boulder to Birmingham,” her heartbroken paean to her mentor, the late Gram Parsons.
Michael Murphey - 1975
40/150
Michael Murphey’s Colorado journey begins with the classy, heartfelt ballad “Wildfire”—“the song about the horse,” recorded at Caribou Ranch—which shoots to #3.
C.W. McCall - 1975
41/150
Bill Fries’ character C.W. McCall reaches No. 1 with the surprise hit “Convoy.” Eleven years later, Fries retires to the town of Ouray, Colorado (pop. 684), where he is elected mayor.
Sam Bush - 1975
42/150
Sam Bush plays his first Telluride Bluegrass Festival with his band New Grass Revival; he guests at every festival for 50 consecutive years, becoming so well-loved and respected that he earns the title “the King of Telluride.”
Elvis Presley - 1976
43/150
Elvis Presley, the anointed King of Rock ’n’ Roll, takes his private jet from Memphis to Denver to fetch the Fool’s Gold Loaf—a $37.95 concoction from the Colorado Mine Company restaurant featuring a butter-smeared sourdough loaf hollowed out and filled with a jar of smooth peanut butter, a jar of blueberry preserves and one pound of crisp lean bacon.
Bob Dylan - 1976
44/150
Bob Dylan and his Rolling Thunder Revue film a concert under stormy skies at Hughes Stadium in Fort Collins; a one-hour television special, appropriately titled Hard Rain, airs on NBC.
Billy Joel - 1976
45/150
For Turnstiles, his third album, Billy Joel puts together his own band and does most of the vocals, overdubs, mixing and production at Caribou Ranch; the group, which remains mostly intact to back Joel on his greatest hits through the next decade, plays its first gigs at the Good Earth, a Boulder nightclub.
Firefall - 1976
46/150
Firefall’s soft-rock blend of country and pop defines the “Colorado sound” with three singles—the Top 10 “You Are the Woman,” “Livin’ Ain’t Livin’” and “Cinderella”—and the band’s debut album turns the magic platinum mark.
Tommy Bolin - 1976
47/150
On his way to becoming a rock music legend from the Denver-Boulder area, where his exceptional talent and versatility led to success as a solo artist as well as gigs with Zephyr, James Gang and Deep Purple, guitarist Tommy Bolin dies at the age of 25.
Dan Fogelberg - 1977
48/150
Singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg spills out songs from his new Colorado hideaway, a 9,000-foot perch in the Rockies, and Nether Lands is a platinum seller.
Carole King - 1977
49/150
Carole King enlists Boulder’s Navarro as her “side-by-side” band for the Simple Things album, which goes gold.
Mary MacGregor - 1977
50/150
While living in Steamboat Springs, Mary MacGregor simultaneously tops the pop, country and easy listening charts with “Torn Between Two Lovers.”
Michael Johnson - 1978
51/150
Singer-songwriter Michael Johnson, who grew up in Denver and was expelled from his Catholic family high school for mooning a nun, scores his first big pop and adult contemporary hit, “Bluer Than Blue.”
Steve Martin - 1978
52/150
Aspen resident Steve Martin records the second side of A Wild and Crazy Guy at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in front of a roaring audience; it wins the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album.
Bruce Springsteen - 1978
53/150
After weeks of cajoling by his manager and booking agents, Bruce Springsteen agrees to do his first-ever outdoor show, making his Colorado debut at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
Earth, Wind & Fire - 1978
54/150
Earth, Wind & Fire reworks the Beatles’ “Got to Get You into My Life” at Northstar Studios in Boulder and then performs the funky Top 10 single in the ill-fated Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band movie as themselves.
David Bowie - 1980
55/150
David Bowie, rock’s ultimate chameleon, makes his theatrical debut playing the title role in The Elephant Man, opening its run in Denver before taking over the New York production.
Van Halen - 1980
56/150
Early on a tour, at the University of Southern Colorado in Pueblo, Van Halen decides that a provision in their contract rider—that meals always include servings of M&M candies with the brown ones removed—is not met, and the school claims that the band causes thousands of dollars’ worth of damage trashing the facilities.
Mojo Nixon - 1980
57/150
Rock eccentric Mojo Nixon, still appearing under his birthname Kirby McMillan, is questioned by the U.S. Secret Service for his band Zebra 123’s part in the Assassination Ball at the notorious Malfunction Junction in Denver’s Capitol Hill area.
Warren Zevon - 1980
58/150
Eager to tour after a temporary setback from alcoholism, Warren Zevon meets a little-known Colorado group called Boulder and takes to the road, cutting a live recording, Stand in the Fire.
Gary Morris - 1980
59/150
Gary Morris sustains a string of smash country singles, crediting Colorado as the place where he gained his most valuable experience.
Dave Grusin - 1981
60/150
Pianist, conductor, arranger, composer and producer Dave Grusin runs GRP Records, a classy mainstream jazz label, and the Colorado native records Mountain Dance, the most successful of his own albums to crack the charts.
U2 - 1983
61/150
On a cold, rainy night at the mystical Red Rocks Amphitheatre, U2 performs a 19-song concert that goes down as one of the band’s defining moments and is immortalized in a video, Under a Blood Red Sky.
Rare Silk - 1983
62/150
Boulder-based, Rare Silk emerges as a Grammy-nominated vocal group as New Weave makes its way to #2 on Billboard’s Jazz Albums chart.
The Nails - 1984
63/150
Having begun their musical life as the Ravers—Colorado’s punk rock forefathers—the Nails re-record the sardonic “88 Lines About 44 Women,” which continues to appear on new wave compilations over the years.
Chris Daniels & the Kings - 1984
64/150
Chris Daniels forms a rhythm & blues horn band as a “one-night party” at the Blue Note in Boulder; more than four decades later, Chris Daniels & the Kings have produced 20 albums, toured Europe 24 times and remain a top local concert draw.
Steve Taylor - 1984
65/150
Steve Taylor, a Northglenn High School graduate (class of 1976), emerges as perhaps the most intriguing artist in the contemporary Christian genre; Newsweek calls him “evangelical rock’s court jester.”
Jello Biafra - 1985
66/150
Born and raised in hippie-happy Boulder, punk-rock frontman Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys becomes the target of one of rock music’s most spectacular censorship trials.
Chuck Pyle - 1985
67/150
The title track to Colorado resident Chuck Pyle’s album Drifter’s Wind peaks on Billboard’s country singles chart, and the accomplished songwriter—labeled the “Zen cowboy” by a reviewer—emerges as a celebrated artist in his own right.
Stevie Nicks - 1986
68/150
Stevie Nicks films her performance at Red Rocks Amphitheatre for a Showtime cable network special and the Stevie: Live at Red Rocks concert video.
Rob Mullins - 1986
69/150
Rising to international acclaim as a composer and performer, Denver’s Rob Mullins starts his own RMC Records, and Soulscape peaks on Billboard’s jazz albums chart, propelled by the Grammy-nominated single “Making Love.”
The Samples - 1987
70/150
The Samples play their first show in front of a handful of people at Tulagi nightclub in Boulder on Easter Sunday, growing a solid grassroots following to become one of the most popular touring bands.
Def Leppard - 1988
71/150
To commemorate the 227-date “Hysteria” world tour, Def Leppard films a concert video at Denver’s McNichols Arena, titled In the Round-In Your Face.
Winger - 1988
72/150
Denver native Kip Winger’s chiseled good looks are seen on MTV, and his band Winger’s self-titled debut album of stylish pop-metal is certified platinum for one million sales.
The Subdudes - 1988
73/150
The Subdudes’ stint in Colorado kicks off the Americana genre before the term becomes clichéd; Atlantic Records signs the foursome at an official ceremony in Governor Roy Romer’s office.
Phish - 1988
74/150
The determinedly eccentric Vermont quartet Phish drives cross-country on its first real road trip as a band and plays its inaugural shows outside of New England—in Colorado.
Medeski Martin & Wood - 1988
75/150
Chris Wood is voted “Most Musical” by his senior class of Boulder High School and, after graduating, heads to the East Coast to form Medeski Martin & Wood, one of America’s hottest instrumental groove bands and a surprising pop phenomenon.
Wind Machine - 1990
76/150
Proud to live in Louisville, Colorado, the bandmates in Wind Machine reach the Top 5 in the major new adult contemporary and related radio airplay charts with Road to Freedom.
Hot Rize - 1990
77/150
The talented, innovative Hot Rize records the Grammy-nominated Take It Home, not only inspiring artists within the progressive bluegrass genre but also fueling the rise of the Colorado jam-band scene.
Willie Nelson - 1990
78/150
Venerable country singer Willie Nelson maintains a mountain home in Evergreen, Colorado, until it is seized by IRS agents who nab him for $16.7 million in “unpaid back taxes” for the years 1975 through 1982.
Guns N' Roses - 1990
79/150
Known from his performances in Colorado with local bands like Bootleg and Gauntlet, keyboardist Dizzy Reed is recruited by Guns N’ Roses to give some additional color to their sound.
Warlock Pinchers - 1991
80/150
The Denver-based musical pranksters Warlock Pinchers record a hard-core punk-rap song, “Morrissey Rides a Cockhorse,” a minor U.K. indie hit satirizing the flightiness and outrageously neurotic fantasies of the former lead singer of the Smiths.
Jinx Jones - 1992
81/150
Jinx Jones, who grew up in Colorado and was ubiquitous in the original music scene, is recruited to play everything but the drum machine on “Free Your Mind,” one of En Vogue’s biggest smashes.
Spinal Tap - 1992
82/150
A tour celebrating Spinal Tap’s 25-year reunion opens at the Air Force Academy’s Arnold Hall in Colorado Springs (in the 1984 “mockumentary” This is Spinal Tap, the band was mistakenly booked at an Air Force base).
Blues Traveler - 1992
83/150
Devotees follow Blues Traveler to Colorado, where the New York-based blues-rock quartet opens for the Allman Brothers Band, marking the beginning of the group’s tradition of Fourth of July dates at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
The Moody Blues - 1992
84/150
The Moody Blues bring the majesty of their studio sound to the stage for the first time, recording a live album and television special, A Night at Red Rocks with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra.
James Brown - 1993
85/150
The residents of Steamboat Springs vote and overwhelmingly select a name for an otherwise unnoticeable highway bridge north of the Colorado mountain town, “The James Brown Soul Center of the Universe Bridge.”
Tag Team - 1993
86/150
Having met while attending Manual High School during the early ’80s, Tag Team—partners Cecil “DC” Glenn and Steve “Roll’n” Gibson—catch fire with “Whoomp! (There It Is),” becoming a pop culture phenomenon.
The Fluid - 1993
87/150
The Fluid, rooted in Denver’s early ’80s hardcore punk scene, captures a wonderful, ugly roar on Purplemetalflakemusic, a debut on Hollywood Records, a Disney-backed label.
Big Head Todd & the Monsters - 1993
88/150
Listeners across the country catch on to what Colorado already knows, as tracks like “Broken Hearted Savior,” “Circle” and “Bittersweet” make Big Head Todd & the Monsters’ Sister Sweetly the eighth most-played album on rock radio.
Dave Matthews Band - 1994
89/150
Dave Matthews Band choose to film the video for “What Would You Say,” the group’s first smash, at three sold-out shows at the Fox Theatre in Boulder.
Michael Jackson - 1995
90/150
A songwriter files her lawsuit in federal court in Denver against pop superstar Michael Jackson, who captures the attention of court spectators and possibly boosts his defense by breaking into song. The jury rules that Jackson hadn’t swiped her tune.
Gretchen Peters - 1995
91/150
Having honed her singer-songwriter chops in Boulder before heading to Nashville, Gretchen Peters hits a sweet spot with “Independence Day,” an anthem that wins honors as the Country Music Association’s Song of the Year.
Jill Sobule - 1995
92/150
Denver native Jill Sobule garners national publicity thanks to “I Kissed a Girl,” her innocent yet seditious ode to sexual experimentation.
John Tesh - 1995
93/150
A household name as the co-host of television’s Entertainment Tonight, John Tesh becomes a new age musical icon with Live at Red Rocks, a hugely successful PBS broadcast.
Sixteen Horsepower - 1995
94/150
Denver-based Sixteen Horsepower builds up its following in Europe, as Sackcloth ’n’ Ashes reaches #4 in the annual best-of list in OOR, the Dutch equivalent of Rolling Stone magazine.
All - 1995
95/150
A spinoff of near-legendary punk rock group Descendents, All signs with Interscope Records, a major label that buys out the band’s contract after one album; the money is used to build the Blasting Room, a 48-track recording studio in Fort Collins, Colorado.
311 - 1996
96/150
Alternative-rock upstarts 311 release a long-form home video, Enlarged to Show Detail, that captures a moment at a sold-out show at Red Rocks and is certified platinum.
Lothar & the Hand People - 1997
97/150
On Dig Your Own Hole, a U.K. No. 1 album, Britain’s Chemical Brothers, the reigning kings of electronica, “sample” a passage from “It Comes On Anyhow,” a 30-year-old song by Lothar & the Hand People, musicians who came together in Denver in 1965.
Leftover Salmon - 1997
98/150
Euphoria, Leftover Salmon’s major-label debut of “polyethnic Cajun slamgrass from Boulder,” released on Disney’s Hollywood Records, peaks at #3 on Billboard’s Mountain Regional roundup.
Five Iron Frenzy - 1997
99/150
The Denver band Five Iron Frenzy’s album Our Newest Album Ever! breaks into Billboard’s Top 200, combining the sound of ska with a horn section and catchy alternative pop-rock songs—and the positive message unified by the Christian band’s shared faith.
Joe Cocker - 1997
100/150
Having moved to tiny Crawford, Colorado, a self-proclaimed cowtown of 250, gruff-voiced singer Joe Cocker opens and runs the Mad Dog Ranch Fountain Café and Trading Post, transforming his adopted hometown into a holiday extravaganza at Christmastime.
Matt Stone & Trey Parker - 1998
101/150
Matt Stone & Trey Parker, who met at the University of Colorado and created South Park for Comedy Central, see the song “Chocolate Salty Balls (P.S. I Love You),” written by Parker and voiced by Isaac Hayes, become a No. 1 hit in the U.K.
Dotsero - 1998
102/150
The contemporary jazz ensemble Dotsero designs the Denver venue Jazz@Jack’s to serve as a home base in the heart of downtown Denver, and the club proves to be a mainstay in the city’s nightlife.
Stacie Orrico - 1998
103/150
12-year-old Stacie Orrico gets her start when her family, then living in Louisville, Colorado, attends “Praise in the Rockies,” a Christian-music seminar holding a competition; she wins, and a major label debut introduces the songstress to pop stardom.
Ginger Baker - 1999
104/150
Having secured a spot on Denver’s jazz scene, legendary British drummer Ginger Baker hooks up with his own group, the DJQ2O—the Denver Jazz Quintet to Octet, a unit of local musicians known to perform following games he organizes at the Denver Polo Club.
Neil Diamond - 1999
105/150
Preparing for big Y2K/Millennium coverage, ABC plans a marathon broadcast that girdles the globe and carries dozens of musical performances, including one from Neil Diamond in Colorado, where he’s lived in Roaring Fork Valley for more than 20 years.
Dianne Reeves - 2000
106/150
Pre-eminent jazz singer Dianne Reeves, a Denver resident, receives the first of her five Grammy Awards, for Best Jazz Vocal Performance on In the Moment: Live in Concert.
Kitaro - 2000
107/150
Japanese composer and synthesizer player Kitaro records in his Mochi House studio, a 180-acre spread in Ward, Colorado, nearly 10,000 feet above sea level, and Thinking of You wins the Grammy for Best New Age album.
String Cheese Incident - 2001
108/150
String Cheese Incident’s Outside Inside, a studio release recorded with producer Steve Berlin (Los Lobos), debuts at #5 on the Billboard Independent Band Chart, and the title track climbs the AAA charts.
Bubba Sparxxx - 2001
109/150
Denver Broncos offensive lineman Steve Herndon is front and center in the raucous music video for “Ugly,” Georgia rapper Bubba Sparxxx’s hick-hop anthem that receives heavy rotation on MTV.
India.Arie - 2002
110/150
Soul singer India.Arie, the daughter of former Denver Nuggets star Ralph Simpson, receives seven Grammy Award nominations, including Best New Artist and Album of the Year for Acoustic Soul and Record of the Year and Song of the Year for “Video.”
Otis Taylor - 2002
111/150
Otis Taylor sings about the lynching of his grandfather on White African, and the buzz lands him some national exposure, leading to the 53-year-old performer winning the prestigious W.C. Handy award (the blues equivalent of the Grammys) for Best New Artist.
The Procussions - 2002
112/150
A hip-hop group formed in Colorado Springs, the Procussions perform throughout Colorado and release two 12-inch singles, “All That It Takes” and “Leave Her Alone.”
Kenny Vaughan - 2002
113/150
A member of the Colorado punk band Jonny III in the late ’70s and early ’80s, acclaimed Denver guitarist Kenny Vaughan moves to Nashville and joins the Fabulous Superlatives, country music singer Marty Stuart’s supporting band.
Corey Harris - 2003
114/150
Denver native Corey Harris serves as the guide in the first episode of Martin Scorsese’s PBS series The Blues.
The Fray - 2005
115/150
“Over My Head (Cable Car)” breaks nationally and pushes the Fray beyond its Colorado fan base; the single is certified double platinum, selling more than 2 million digital downloads.
Dressy Bessy - 2005
116/150
The Denver group Dressy Bessy issues Electrified, which catches people’s attention when the album receives high praise from a National Public Radio rock critic, who proclaims it a “far more efficient pleasure machine” than Coldplay’s massively advertised X&Y.
Gerald Albright - 2006
117/150
Inspired by his relocation to Castle Pines, Colorado, Los Angeles native Gerald Albright’s New Beginnings reaches the Top 5 on Billboard’s Jazz Albums chart and receives a Grammy Award nomination.
Devotchka - 2006
118/150
Colorado’s Devotchka is asked to compose and perform the majority of the music for Little Miss Sunshine, an indie film that becomes the surprise hit of the year, garnering four Academy Award nominations.
Rose Hill Drive - 2006
119/150
Hailing from Boulder’s University Hill neighborhood, Rose Hill Drive records its self-titled debut album, which debuts at No. 1 on Billboard’s regional Heatseekers (Mountain) chart for up-and-coming artists.
The Apples in Stereo - 2006
120/150
The Apples in Stereo, outsiders in Denver’s music community, get a boost by the appearance of founder Robert Schneider on the infamous “Green Screen Challenge” episode of The Colbert Report, singing a typically tuneful ode to Stephen Colbert’s attractiveness and his “number-one TV show.”
Katie Herzig - 2006
121/150
Hailing from Fort Collins and having enrolled at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Newcomers Home’s Katie Herzig releases her second solo endeavor, Weightless, and two songs are featured on the popular television series Grey’s Anatomy.
Lannie Garrett - 2006
122/150
Entertainer Lannie Garrett opens Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret in downtown Denver, hosting top talent and taking the stage herself with a succession of themed shows, from the big band “Anything Goes” to her comedy chops in “The Patsy DeCline Show.”
Keith Miller - 2006
123/150
Born in Ovid, Colorado, and a three-year starter for the University of Colorado football team, acclaimed bass-baritone Keith Miller joins the Metropolitan Opera and performs in more than 350 productions with the company.
Yonder Mountain String Band - 2008
124/150
Yonder Mountain String Band performs at the Democratic National Convention in Denver at Invesco Field at Mile High, opening for Barack Obama, who accepts the nomination for President in a speech before a record-setting crowd of 84,000 people in attendance.
Widespread Panic - 2008
125/150
Mayor John Hickenlooper proclaims “Widespread Panic Day” in Denver, marking the group’s 32nd sold-out show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, more than any other band in the venue’s history.
Single File - 2007
126/150
Reuniting in Denver, after “Zombies Ate My Neighbors” becomes a smash on local modern rock stations, the likeable power-pop punks of Single File play packed clubs and theaters across Colorado and ink a deal with Reprise Records.
Cephalic Carnage - 2007
127/150
A death metal band formed in Denver, Cephalic Carnage sees Xenosapien, its fifth studio album of “Rocky Mountain hydro grind,” peak at #13 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart.
OneRepublic - 2007
128/150
The remix version of Denver-based OneRepublic’s “Apologize” reigns as the most popular digital download in history; frontman Ryan Tedder had written the breakout single in his dad’s house in Colorado Springs in 2003.
Tickle Me Pink - 2008
129/150
Formed in Fort Collins, Tickle Me Pink breaks on an alternative rock station with “Typical” and draws the attention of Wind-Up Records—but on the day of the release of Madeline, the pop-punk quartet’s debut album, bassist Johnny Shou is found dead in his bedroom by his bandmates.
Flobots - 2008
130/150
The Denver collective Flobots goes from an underground local band to one of the most buzzed-about national acts, fueled by “Handlebars,” which becomes popular on alternative rock radio.
3OH!3 - 2008
131/150
Having met while attending the University of Colorado, Sean Foreman and Nathaniel Motte—the joke-hop jesters 3OH!3—issue the raucous “Don’t Trust Me,” a breakout electro-rap hit that sells 3 million digital copies in the US.
Ace Young - 2008
132/150
Ace Young, who grew up in Boulder, Colorado, earns national recognition during the fifth season of American Idol. Eliminated from the competition in the sixth week of the finals, he collaborates on his self-titled debut album with veteran songwriter and producer Desmond Child.
Slim Cessna’s Auto Club - 2008
133/150
Slim Cessna’s Auto Club release a fourth studio album titled Cipher on the Alternative Tentacles label, and the Colorado band’s blend of gothic Americana and outlaw country receives the highest critical acclaim.
Meese - 2009
134/150
Widely admired on the local scene, Meese signs with Atlantic Records and releases Broadcast, the Denver-based quartet’s first major studio album of melodic pop-rock.
Pretty Lights - 2010
135/150
Colorado’s Pretty Lights—the creation of electronic dance music hero Derek Vincent Smith—builds a following by releasing three albums posted as free downloads and taking the production of his live show to a full-scale, mind-bending, psychedelic visual experience.
Matt Morris - 2010
136/150
Colorado’s Matt Morris makes an indelible mark on pop culture with a breakout performance in front of millions of TV viewers, presenting an impassioned rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” with pop star Justin Timberlake on the Hope for Haiti Now telethon.
John Grant - 2010
137/150
Known as the co-founder, lead singer, pianist and primary songwriter for the Czars, a Denver-based alternative rock band, John Grant starts a solo career, and his debut, Queen of Denmark, is named the best album of the year by the British music magazine Mojo.
Tyler Ward - 2011
138/150
With no assistance from a record label, Colorado’s Tyler Ward builds a fervid fan base with a savvy use of social media, ranking on Billboard’s Social 50 chart and landing a top spot on the iTunes singer-songwriter chart.
Tennis - 2011
139/150
Tennis, from landlocked Denver, fills its debut album with moony, beach-worthy songs inspired by a sailing trip, and Cape Dory enters the Billboard Top 200 and receives coverage on NPR.
The Lumineers - 2012
140/150
Taking up residence in Denver, the perfect music scene to nurture its Americana sound, the Lumineers catapult into ubiquity with the international crossover hit “Ho Hey.”
Keller Williams - 2012
141/150
Colorado resident Keller Williams, whose skills at live phase looping generate buzz as a “one-man jam band,” teams up with the venerable Travelin’ McCourys for Pick, which reaches #3 on Billboard’s Top Bluegrass Albums chart.
Churchill - 2013
142/150
Gaining a loyal audience in their Denver hometown, the members of Churchill sign with a major label, A&M Octone, and “Change” makes its way to #17 on Billboard’s Hot Modern Rock Tracks chart—and the group abruptly calls it quits, brought on by intraband turmoil.
Hard Working Americans - 2013
143/150
The Colorado Flood impacts communities all over the state; to get them back on track, Hard Working Americans, a collaboration of all-star musical lifers from the jam-band scene, debut their project at a sold-out benefit performance at the Boulder Theater.
Gregory Alan Isakov - 2013
144/150
An indie-folk treasure who patiently cultivates a loyal following in much the same way he tends his four-acre Colorado garden, Gregory Alan Isakov sees his fifth album, The Weatherman, peak at No. 1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart for new or developing acts.
Elephant Revival - 2013
145/150
Having ultimately settled in Colorado, Elephant Revival’s third album of “transcendental folk,” These Changing Skies, peaks at #8 on Billboard’s Top Heatseekers chart.
Bill Frisell - 2014
146/150
In a career that spans more than 100 recordings, Bill Frisell reaches #2 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart with Guitar in the Space Age!, a recording paying joyous tribute to the guitar music that inspired him growing up in Denver in the late ’50s and early ’60s.
Air Dubai - 2014
147/150
A six-piece hip-hop band from Denver, Air Dubai releases the album Be Calm, and “Warning (feat. Patricia Lynn)” receives respectable radio play throughout the nation.
Nathaniel Rateliff - 2015
148/150
Based in Denver, singer-songwriter Nathaniel Rateliff performs with a backing band called the Night Sweats for a project, and the song “S.O.B.” gains national exposure after they perform it on Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show.
Ron Miles - 2020
149/150
Denver-based jazz cornetist and composer Ron Miles’ Rainbow Sign, which reconvenes longtime collaborator Bill Frisell on guitar and drummer Brian Blade, is released by Blue Note Records, the renowned jazz label, two years prior to Miles’ death.
Illenium - 2021
150/150
Residing in Denver, Illenium releases Fallen Embers, his fourth studio album, and the musician, DJ, producer and songwriter earns his first Grammy nomination for Best Electronic/Dance album.
