Cover Photo by Bruce Mars

While the US city of Nashville is nicknamed "Music City," which country might lay claim to a similar title? A new data-driven study set out to investigate, drawing up a list of the world's most influential countries in the music industry. It turns out that the USA leads the way, followed by the UK, then France and Germany.

The study, from Momox, compiles statistical data to analyze and compare music influence and music infrastructure in 30 countries worldwide. It is based on indicators such as the number of globally renowned artists, record label headquarters and the percentage of people employed in the arts. 

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The USA tops the list with high scores in categories such as top music schools and music label HQs in the country. Next comes the UK, with a respectable score of 75.3 out of 100, followed by France and Germany, which share equal overall scores of 62.7. France stands out from its neighbour on the number of live performances by top global artists on major tours between 2015 and 2019. 

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Above Photo by Jamakassi

Although Ireland gave the industry artists such as Sinéad O'Connor, U2 and The Cranberries, the country takes 10th position in the list of countries with the most musical influence. It does, however, stand out on arts employment, with 2.3 per cent compared to 2 per cent for the USA. 

Top 10 countries with the most musical influence: 

  1. USA
  2. UK
  3. France
  4. Germany
  5. Canada
  6. Japan
  7. Italy
  8. Sweden
  9. Australia
  10. Ireland