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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Entertainment
Adam Boult

Help us find a song for every US state

The Flaming Lips
Oklahoma state of mind … The Flaming Lips salute their home turf

Recent efforts to make Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers' song Roadrunner the official state song of Massachusetts – a movement inspired by an article by the Guardian's Laura Barton – made us wonder which other US states have rock numbers to their name.

If we're to believe Wikipedia, while every one of the 50 states has an official song, only a tiny handful have named an official rock song as well – Ohio has Hang On Sloopy by the McCoys, Oklahoma named The Flaming Lips' Do You Realize?? its official track in 2009, and Washington has an unofficial rock song in the shape of Louie Louie by Richard Berry.

Assuming Massachusetts picks either Roadrunner or the other song under consideration, Aerosmith's Dream On, that'll leave another 47 states in serious need of some officially sanctioned rock action. Can you help?

What would be the ideal rock song for Alaska, California, New York, New Jersey, Wyoming …? Help us put together a musical map of the US. Leave your suggestions in the thread below.

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