All about US states in the top 40 topics

There are 50 states in the United States. We've now seen 13 of those top 40 titles. Beyonce's Texas Hold 'em adds another state to the list. It's time to dive into these 'stat hits'.

is in the top 40
The first state we encountered in the Dutch Top 40 was California. This followed California Girls by The Beach Boys, which charted for 4 weeks from September 11, 1965, and peaked at #28. It was the successor to Ronda's first Beach Boys hit, Help Me, in the Netherlands, which held exactly one spot in the top 40 for 7 weeks.

Most mentioned state
California is the most frequently mentioned topic in the top 40 appearing twelve times. Katy Perry scored her biggest 'state hit' ever with California Gurls, so she's got her biggest hit with 'California' in the title. The American singer spent 19 weeks on the list in 2010 and missed out on a No. 1: the summer hit We No Speak Americano! Yolanda B Cool and Digup put the California Gurls in 2nd place. Dante Thomas and Brass (2001), Danny California (2006) Red Hot Chili Peppers, California King Bed – Rihanna (2011), Hotel California – Eagles (1977) ), Californication of the Red Hot Chili Peppers (2000), California by Highlight (1977) ), California Love by 2Pac and Dr. Dre (1996), It Never Rains in Southern California by Albert Hammond (1972), California Girls by The Beach Boys (1965), California Calling by Fickle Pickle (1971), California Dreamin' The Royal Gigolos (2004) and California's Lenny Kravitz (2004) are the other top 40 hits, from largest to smallest, in the California state title.

Katy Perry's California Curls

Californication by red hot chili peppers

Smallest state
By population, California is the largest state in the United States. So it's no surprise that it's frequently mentioned in Top 40 hits titles. But what is the least populated state mentioned in a title from the top 40 history? With approximately 1,360,301 people, it is Hawaii. That state was in the top 40 twice, in 1996 via Hawaii 5-0 by Party Animals and in 2020 via Hawaii – Remix by Maluma and The Weeknd. Both of these wins put Anita Meyers in Idaho, which was 'slightly' higher with approximately 1,567,582. You should shake hands with all of them… The latest state to headline the Top 40 hits is Hawaii: it only became part of the United States on August 21, 1959. If we measure size in terms of area, Massachusetts, which The Bee Keys sang about in 1967, is only slightly smaller than Hawaii.

Hawaii – Remix of Maluma and The Week

Massachusetts by The Bee Keys

Smallest 'state wins'
Now we know the smallest states featured in the top 40 titles. But now if we examine the hit file and look at the first 40 point counts, we'll look for a small 'stat hit'. The Eurovision entry Colorado by Sandra (Sandra Reimer) from 1979 spent only two weeks in the Dutch Top 40 and never went above 37. It scored 6 points, the same as Lenny Kravitz's California. That hit dropped slightly to 38 and was only on the list for two weeks.

Sandra's Colorado

California by Lenny Kravitz

Number 1 hits
Two songs with a US state in the title managed to reach No. 1. The Bee Keys' Massachusetts was at number one for three weeks in 1967. It was the biggest 'state hit' ever in the Top 40 for more than 42 years, until Katy Perry's triumphant march on California Gurls. The iconic song spent 15 weeks on the chart and reached the top 40 spots of 453. In 2001, Dante Thomas and Brass achieved what seemed almost impossible after The Bee Keys: a No. 1 hit with US State in the title. Miss California, a song for the state's most attractive woman, was number one for one week and remained on the charts for a total of 14 weeks.

Miss California by Dante Thomas and Bras

Alarm discs
Only six times has a song been announced as an alarm disc in the title of the US government. It first happened in the days of overseas Radio Veronica in July 1970, when Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's Ohio ran away with a major disc. In the cold of November 1972, Albert Hammond's It Never Rains in Southern California became a wake-up call. There was a long wait after that, but in 2001, Dante Thomas and Brass broke the barrier at Miss California. Followed by Red Hot Chili Peppers' Danny California (2006), Katy Perry's California Gurls (2010) and Rihanna's California King Bed (2011). Rihanna still has the last Staten Alarm disc to her name.

Ohio by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Rihanna's California King bed

Check out more 'stat hits' on Instagram.

Editor's Note: This overview does not include Virginia: Two Top 40 titles sung about a girl's name. A New York title is included because other hits are about the city.

Photo: Cover single Texas Hold 'Em

(25/02/2024)