The music of Arizona began with Indigenous music of North America made by Indigenous peoples of Arizona. In the 20th century, Mexican immigrants popularized Banda, corridos, mariachi and conjunto. Other major influences come from styles popular throughout the rest of the United States.
Flagstaff
Flagstaff has a community (non-professional) orchestra, the Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra. The FSO includes both townspeople and faculty and students from Northern Arizona University. The Orpheum Theater is the largest performing venue in northern Arizona. The city hosts two music festivals, the Flagstaff Folk Festival and the Flagstaff Music Festival.
Native American flautist R. Carlos Nakai, of Navajo/Ute origin, was born in Flagstaff.
Navajo punk band Blackfire formed in Flagstaff.
Phoenix
Phoenix has been called a "rock mecca" by Jim Adkins of the Phoenix rock band Jimmy Eat World. Tempe (home of Arizona State University) and Mesa also coexist with Phoenix as part of the Arizona musical scene. Other Phoenix bands include the Meat Puppets, American Standards, Gin Blossoms (lead guitarist Doug Hopkins died in '93 in Tempe), Phunk Junkeez, Chronic Future, Dead Hot Workshop, The Jetzons, and Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers.
In the 1960s, rock and R&B bands inspired by British Invasion groups like The Beatles appeared in Phoenix. Musicians to emerge from this era include Alice Cooper, and Bill Spooner of The Tubes. The group Pages was formed by Phoenix residents Richard Page and Steve George, who later formed the nucleus of the Phoenix pop-rock group Mr. Mister (who had 2 #1 Hot 100 hits, including "Broken Wings" in 1985).
Dolan Ellis has lived in Phoenix most of his adult life. He moved to LA in the early 1960s, where he was an original member of the Grammy-winning folk group The New Christy Minstrels. Dolan returned to Phoenix while the group was still at its peak. In February 1966, Governor Sam Goddard appointed Dolan as Arizona's Official State Balladeer, which was renewed under ten consecutive governors. He was selected as the first Arizona Culture Keeper, and Senator John McCain read his accomplishments into the U.S. Congressional Record. Dolan spent a few years away from Phoenix from about 1993 through 2003, to found the Arizona Folklore Preserve in Ramsey Canyon. He still commutes to the AFP, where he continues to serve as Artist in Residence, about twice a month.
In the early 1980s, Phoenix hardcore punk bands included The Feederz, JFA (Jodie Foster's Army) and Meat Puppets, the latter of which had country influences and became a major influence on grunge. Other rock bands of the time included Flotsam and Jetsam, Sun City Girls, Sacred Reich, Caterwaul, and Mighty Sphincter.
During the 1990s, Chester Bennington (d.2017), lead singer for Linkin Park, spent several years in Phoenix as the lead singer for the post-grunge band Grey Daze. Bennington also collaborated with Phoenix musician DJ Z-Trip. This period also saw the formation and rise of pop punk/emo band Jimmy Eat World. Bob Stubbs, formerly of Social Distortion, played drums in local bands. In the mid 1990s independent punk rock record labels, Bad Stain Records and Dirty Records both formed, signing various local punk bands at the time. Dirty Records released albums from the punk bands Dirty Laundry, Mandingo, The Twits, and Adam's Alcoholic's. Bad Stain Records released albums from Subject Mad, D-I-X, Corrupt Citizen, and Dirty Laundry, and released a popular series of compilation CD's featuring various local punk and ska bands, as well as popular national bands including Less Than Jake, At The Drive In, Buckwild, The Weakerthans, Link 80, Yellowcard, and more!
The late 1990s and early 2000s saw an emerging rock scene in Phoenix and the surrounding areas. Indie rock bands included The Stiletto Formal, Gloritone, Fine China, Peachcake, and The Format. Punk influenced artists included Where Eagles Dare, Authority Zero, Bad Stain Recording artists Against The Majority (ATM) and Numbers On Napkins, and Hit and Run Jimmy, Haunted Cologne, and Andrew Jackson Jihad. Psychostick, a comedy style rock band, was formed in Tempe. In 1998 a band from Phoenix toured the midwest called Thee illuminatix, catching the attention of Jello Biafra.
There was also a post-hardcore scene including bands like Scary Kids Scaring Kids, Blessthefall, Eyes Set To Kill, The Word Alive, Greeley Estates, and American Standards. The middle years of the decade was marked by the transition from hardcore punk into death metal with bands such as The Irish Front, Knights of the Abyss and Job for a Cowboy.
Singer CeCe Peniston grew up in Phoenix and began her career in 1991.