The Music of Washington, DC: It Kind of Stinks

The music of Washington, DC.

What can I say?

Listen, the capital of the US has a ton going for it. Like the federal government. Iconic monuments. A ludicrous number of museums. Foreign embassies. Countless international organizations. Restaurants. Really smart people. The five major professional sports. Cherry blossoms.

But you can’t have it all.

Especially not in a government town.

Think about state capitals—does anyone actually go to Hartford, Albany, or Harrisburg to have fun?

Where the populace is forced to contend with the minutiae of governing, the result is inside-the-box thinking.

And let’s just say that ain’t great for a music scene, unless you’re pumped to catch the opera at the Kennedy Center.

Sure, DC did produce some legends—sort of.

John Philip Sousa—he’s the dude who was big into military marches.

Duke Ellington—the jazz great grew up in the District, but he hit it big in Harlem (New York City).

Marvin Gaye—he was another local product, though it was Motown (Detroit) that put him over the top.

Dave Grohl—he worked the region’s punk rock circuit, but Seattle made him famous.

DC can, however, lay sole claim to something called go-go. Have you heard of it?

Speaking of not having heard of stuff, take a look at Ranker’s lists of famous musicians from the major East Coast cities. We can quibble over the actual rankings, but you’re at least familiar with the top five from each locale. That is, until you get to DC.

Boston (an overachieving state capital!): Aerosmith, Boston, Pixies, Godsmack, The Cars

New York City: The Strokes, Blondie, Ella Fitzgerald, Billy Joel, Simon and Garfunkel

Philadelphia: The Roots, Joan Jett, Patti LaBelle, Eve, Will Smith

Washington, DC: Bad Brains, Minor Threat, Fugazi, Ginuwine, Amerie

Who?

Let’s take a listen.

 

“Banned in DC” by Bad Brains

As the 1970s became the 1980s, Bad Brains played a vital role in DC’s punk rock scene (and punk rock in general). Apparently, their shows could get a bit rowdy—so much so that the group was unofficially banned from the capital, a temporary reality captured by the title of this tune. The hilarious video is from a few hours up I-95, namely the once-iconic CBGB in New York City.

 

“Minor Threat” by Minor Threat

Minor Threat had a short run but played a similarly key role in DC’s punk movement. This equally hilarious video is also from somewhere up I-95, specifically the far-less-refined city of Baltimore.

 

“Waiting Room” by Fugazi

More punk, this time from Fugazi, yet another band you might not have heard of until two minutes ago. That said, unlike the preceding entries, there’s a decent chance you’ll recognize this jam.

 

“Differences” by Ginuwine

Outside of punk, Washingtonians have also dabbled in R&B, and Ginuwine is one of the more successful of the batch. You should know this song.

 

“1 Thing” by Amerie

And finally, Amerie, whose biggest hit fused R&B, hip hop, and the aforementioned go-go. Just don’t call her a “1 hit” wonder—you’ll irritate someone on Reddit.

 

To be fair, if we were talking about a no-name city—say Rochester, NY—this soundtrack could raise a few eyebrows.

But considering we’re talking about the sixth-largest metropolitan area in the US—no less than 6.3 million potential musicians—the music of Washington, DC, gets a D or C.

Hey, at least that’s better than its grade in governing.