What's the best band from the smallest town?

?

I thought of this question while randomly listening to Catherine Wheel (Great Yarmouth) and they surely can't be the answer

Radiohead (abingdon, 35,000)

Ha, I was also spawned in Abingdon, I shoulda thought of that one

Nirvana was an American rock band formed in Aberdeen, Washington, in 1987.

The population was 17,013 at the 2020 census.[2]

fair shout

The Proclaimers were from Auchtermuchty (pop. 2,093) but I would argue that they are not the greatest band (sorry Steve)

this becomes tricky because places smaller than that are often not considered towns, but villages or hamlets

e.g. there's Crass who lived in a farmhouse in the countryside, nearest settlement is Toot Hill, Essex pop. 817

dude the proclaimers could walk 500 miles, no way thom yorke can walk 500 miles

Gorky's Zygotic Mynci (Carmarthen, 16,285)

I think the total claimed was 1,000 miles but I'm gonna need a Strava link before I'm buying that tbh xp

(xp) ... maybe not a "great band", but pretty good.

I would rather listen to them than Radiohead, I can't lie

EMF's hometown cinderford (pop 8777) is smaller than camarthen (pop 8777)

(method of research: crass are from epping forest so i thought what are some other forests? that will generate nice small places, well EMF are from the forest of dean QED)

Asbury Park NJ, population 16,500 in 1970, spawned Springsteen & the E St Band

lol shd read carmarthen (pop 14185)

toot hill is still running away this pop-wise tbf

The Bee Gees were born in Douglas IOM, moved to Chorlton-cum-Hardy, emigrated to Redcliffe in Queensland but seemed to have formed in, or on, Cribb Island in Queensland, which is now the site of Brisbane Airport. Before the airport was built its population in 1970 was 900.

Debatably best or biggest band but Mr Bungle were from Eureka, California (current population 26,512, probably roughly the same in 1985).

Amazed to find that Canvey Island - home of Dr Feelgood - has a population of 38k, i mean surely it would sink?

universally-beloved rock titans greta van fleet are from frankenmuth, michigan, pop 4,987

Cinderford also birthplace of Jimmy Young and John McAfee, and deathplace of two circus bears.

Witton Gilbert (pop. 2,419) home to Prefab Sprout, or at least some of them.

Cocteau Twins from Grangemouth, current population 16,120

Cinderford also birthplace of Jimmy Young and John McAfee, and deathplace of two circus bears.

― This is Dance Anthems, have some respect (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Friday, 21 June 2024

But who killed the bear?

(In all seriousness, this is the easiest way to start an actual fist fight in a pub in the Forest to this day and even as far as Forest-adjacent places like Ross-on-wye.)

Actually that leads to Mott The Hoople, Ross-on-Wye (pop 10,700).

controversial provenance imo

I think it would be more interesting to stipulate popular artists that remained in those remote and barely populated places, which would be a much smaller number, rather than those who immediately moved to a big city where they hit it big. I mean, how many bands "from" Brooklyn are from Brooklyn? Is there anyone who does not associate Nirvana with Seattle?

I always thought it was cool that Wayne Coyne seemed content to remain in Norman, Oklahoma, where, as far as I know, he still resides. Surely he could have moved to LA by now. Same with Will Oldham in Louisville, though I realize Louisville is not exactly a small town.

same with Low and Duluth

Biota have remained in their origin town of Fort Collins CO for 42 years now

Muse originate from Teignmouth, Devon (pop. 14,932), although unfortunately they plundered further afield. Matt Bellamy appears to live in LA nowadays though, clearly Teignmouth's status as Devon's first Fairtrade Town was not enough to hold the boy.

xp Low is another great example

I don't like Nightwish but there's a Nightwish museum in Kitee, Finland, where they're from. Pop 9,689

Front 242, Aarschot, Belgium, population 30K (ok that's more than I thought)

Not sure I can think of a town much smaller than Maces Spring, Virginia, home of the Carter Family.

Nickelback is from Hanna, Alberta, population 2,559.

Are they actually the best band from Hanna, Alberta, population 2,559 though?

Not a band, per se, but Derrick May, Kevin Saunderson and Juan Atkins all hail from Belleville, Michigan, population 4,000.

good one

Black Oak, Arkansas' population was 262 as of 2010, so sayeth Wikipedia

Oh wait, I assumed the thread was asking for bands named after their town. I think my answer's still a good one though.

it is!

Ween are from New Hope, Pennsylvania. Pop 2,612.

Felt were from Water Orton, population 3,487.

Lou Reed/Cale did that excellent Small Town song about Warhol's formative years, who was from Pittsburgh. I too don't seem have a grip on what really constitutes a "small town" in terms of population!

The Shaggs from Fremont, New Hampshire, population in 1970 = 993

wow, some great shouts here

Dolly Parton was born in Pittman Center, Tennessee...

Pittman Center is a town in Sevier County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 454 at the 2020 census and 502 at the 2010 census...

Jesus Jones :) :) :)

Okay apparently there are 10k people there now. It's still a small town though honest.

Bradford on Avon this is (I'll ignore anything about them actually forming in London or whatever. That's a BAD thing to say.)

Lee Hazlewood, born in Mannford, Oklahoma, pop 3,262

Roy Orbison formed the Wink Westerners in 1949 when Wink, Texas had a population of 1500 or so. Wink is down to 915 now.

not a band but bill withers was originally from slab fork wv, still an unincorporated community today.

I mean, Bob Dylan is from Hibbing, MN, with a population of 16,385 in 1940.

And Jewel is from Homer, AK, with a population of 2,209 in 1980 (she was born in '74).