Forty songs that give a glimpse of Doc Watson’s life and legacy as an Appalachian folk singer, gifted musician, and pioneering flat-picker who created a distinctly signature North Carolina sound.
elizabeth cotten
An Our State Playlist: Music Out of Chapel Hill
Gone to Carolina in your mind? Listen to 20 songs that represent this college town’s long-thriving music scene.
An Our State Playlist: North Carolina Folk Music
Take a deep dive into our state’s folk music with our curated Spotify playlist featuring 25 songs — from old standards to contemporary tunes.
Rock, Roll, & Remember
Across North Carolina and through the years, artists of all stripes have contributed to an ever-evolving genre of music that’s defined by its edginess and energy.
Walls of Fame: 17 Musical Murals
A muralist set out to honor North Carolina’s musical heritage by painting portraits of notable artists — some famous rockers and others musicians who inspired them — in the towns and cities that they once called home.
Fearless in the Foothills
Hidden away in the hollers just west of the Piedmont, where the land begins to rise, our ancestors learned to enjoy themselves with homemade whiskey, music, car racing, and other activities that provided relief from the arduous work of farming and laboring in mills.
A Q&A with Our State’s Resident Playlist Maker: Mark Kemp
Each month, our senior editor, a former music editor of Rolling Stone, curates one-of-a-kind Spotify playlists featuring North Carolina songs and musicians. We sat down with him to find out more about his love of music.
An Our State Playlist: The North Carolina Music Primer
Our curated Spotify playlist features a selection of 10 songs about North Carolina that every North Carolinian should know.