'Firework' by Katy Perry or 'Party in the U.S.A.' by Miley Cyrus? Which belongs on your 4th of July playlist?
Jordan GreenWhen it comes to fireworks, nobody does a party quite like the United States on its birthday.
Even though there are thousands of songs to listen to about America, there are a few key songs favored across the country. Songs celebrating the United States go back to the very beginning with songs like the "Star-Spangled Banner," "America the Beautiful," "My Country 'Tis of Thee," and many others.
Despite these classics, some of the biggest songs played on the fourth of July were made in the past 60 years. Two prominent ones were made in the past fifteen years − yes fifteen years.
'Firework' by Katy Perry or 'Party in the U.S.A.' by Miley Cyrus?
These two songs came out within a year of each other and have been on the 4th of July playlist ever since. Miley Cyrus released her hit song in 2009, and Katy Perry followed with her release in 2010.
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Despite these two songs being widely favored across the country, Katy Perry's "Firework" is searched for more in 25 states, including Washington D.C. There were only 19 states that favored Miley Cyrus' "Party in the U.S.A." Seven states couldn't make up their mind and tied.
Tennessee favored Cyrus' song 53% to Perry's 47%. The state that searched the most for Perry's song was Utah at 57%. Cyrus' song was most searched for in Ohio at 55%.
Who's got the American spirit: Bruce Springsteen or John Mellencamp?
You can't quite make an American playlist without including at least one song by each of these iconic artists.
Both Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp have a number of songs that bring about the American spirit. Each one focuses on the pride that comes with being an American and the traditional working class that helped create this country.
- "Born to Run" by Springsteen − 1975
- "Born in the U.S.A." by Springsteen − 1984
- "Glory Days" by Springsteen − 1984
- "American Land" by Springsteen − 2006
- "Jack & Diane" by Mellencamp − 1982
- "Pink Houses" by Mellencamp − 1983
- "Small Town" by Mellencamp − 1985
- "R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A. (A Salute to 60's Rock)" by Mellencamp − 1985
Songs to play during the 4th of July
'60s anthems
"Route 66" by Chuck Berry − 1961
"Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival − 1969
'70s anthems
"Take Me Home, Country Roads" by John Denver − 1971
"Saturday in the Park" by Chicago − 1972
"American Girl" by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers − 1976
'80s anthems
"Kids in America" by Kim Wilde − 1981
"Living in America" by James Brown − 1985
'90s anthems
"Star-Spangled Banner" by Whitney Houston − 1991
"American Woman" by Lenny Kravitz − 1998
'00s anthems
"Travelin' Soldier" by The Chicks − 2002
"Chicken Fried" by Zac Brown Band − 2005
'10s anthems
"Made in the USA" by Demi Lovato − 2013
"Wagon Wheel" by Darius Rucker − 2013
"American Kids" by Kenny Chesney − 2014
'20s anthems
"Texas Hold 'Em" by Beyoncé − 2024