Ready to step up to the mic? We’re seeking some monumental feedback on local music history.
As you’ve probably heard, tuneful talent is kind of Seattle’s thing. From the hopping jazz age through the groovy 60s, the early days of hip-hop, the rise of grunge, and the chart toppers of today, there is no shortage of local icons who have carved their legacies onto Emerald City stages.
But who would go on your own Seattle Music Mt. Rushmore? (Or Mt. Rainier, if you’d prefer.)
The finalists
Rock on, Emerald City. You gave us great choices.
Here are the 10 finalists you all can choose from.
- Jimi Hendrix
- Kurt Cobain
- Heart
- Quincy Jones
- Brandi Carlile
- Chris Cornell
- Sir Mix-a-Lot
- Macklemore
- Ben Gibbard
- Kenny G
Time to cast your ballot. We’ll end the vote at midnight on Tuesday, July 4.
The challenge
With summer concert season in full swing, we’re looking to find out which four local music legends you would immortalize above all others in our imaginary sculpture, replacing the likes of Thomas Jefferson and Teddy Roosevelt (who, truth be told, had no rhythm at all).
A few loose rules before you jot down your list:
- Each nominee should have strong Seattle roots (either they were born and raised here like Jimi Hendrix, or made their name locally like Kurt Cobain).
- Though individual performers are preferred, you can nominate a full band if you feel like the group had a major collective impact. Composers like Quincy Jones count, too.
- Feel free to submit more than one list if so inspired (perhaps by genre) — just know we’re going to eventually chisel things down.
We’ll open the nominees until Sunday, June 25, and then put the top 10 names submitted into a ballot.
The top four vote-getters from that ballot will then be featured in a special newsletter celebrating their achievements, with — of course — visuals of what we think their mountain would look like.
If you need help brainstorming, go ahead and consult online lists of various local musicians (we won’t tell).
