Nashville's nickname is 'Music City' and for good reason! Music is everywhere, from live gigs at the pulsating honky tonks or big names playing at the Ryman Auditorium, to the mellow acoustic sets at the Bluebird Café. Add to that the famous recording studios, fascinating music museums, and legendary Grand Ole Opry and you’ve got one of the best music cities in the US.

As the home of Country, Nashville lays claim to many music legends including Dolly Parton and Johnny Cash. And speaking of legends - Elvis Presley recorded over 200 songs here in Nashville. It's often considered the music capital of America! 

Interesting fact: It was Queen Victoria who first used the phrase Music City to mean Nashville after hearing a performance of Nashville gospel singers!

For once Manhattan doesn't take the glory; hip hop was born in the Bronx with the likes of Grandmaster Flash and Run-DMC emerging from the streets to propel the genre into the mainstream.  

The heyday of breakdancing may be gone but the genre remains more dominant than ever, with modern-day icons like Jay Z and Cardi B carrying the New York hip hop mantle.

Alternatively: If you're more into Beauty & the Beast than the Beastie Boys then of course Broadway awaits with its many spellbinding show tunes. And let's face it New York is not exactly lacking in musical prowess – it's the birthplace of punk and is renowned for its jazz scene.

While New York lays claim to plenty of jazz history, it's Louis Armstrong's hometown, New Orleans that takes the crown as the birthplace of jazz, and live music permeates through the streets.  

If you're after that traditional jazz sound then you can't go wrong with a visit to Preservation Hall, a legendary establishment on Bourbon Street that hosts intimate gigs. Head down to Frenchman Street for a night on the tiles and to bar hop along the many jazz clubs that line the street.  

Alternatively: Cajun & Zydeco may not be as well-known as jazz but they too hail from Louisiana and you can catch live music of both these toe-tapping genres in New Orleans. Accordion, washboard and French lyrics await.

Seattle is intrinsically linked with the Grunge scene thanks to acts like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden and, most famously, Nirvana breaking into the mainstream in the early '90s. After a day of exploring this charismatic city’s sights, don your plaid shirt and ripped jeans, then head to the Crocodile Café to discover the alternative scene’s next big thing.  

Alternatively: While Seattle is synonymous with the grunge scene, it was also the hometown of an undisputed titan of the guitar, Jimi Hendrix. Visit Seattle's superb Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP) to see a vast collection of Hendrix memorabilia.

Whether you're rocking out at iconic venues on the Sunset Strip like The Roxy or Whisky a Go Go, or watching a big household name performing at the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles is synonymous with rock music.   

From the 1980s hair metal of Van Halen and Motley Crue to stadium-filling acts like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the City of Angels has been there, seen it and brought the overpriced t-shirt from the vendor outside. Scratch the surface and you’ll find a thriving underground scene performing at electric venues vying to ‘make it big’.  

Interesting Fact: Hollywood’s iconic Capital Records Building was built to resemble a stack of vinyl records.

When it comes to music Memphis has an embarrassment of riches and a music legacy that's hard to beat. Rock 'n' Roll was born here and of course, the King himself, Elvis Presley, made his home in Memphis making a visit to his Graceland mansion a must-do.  

Soul music is interwoven in Memphis history, with Stax Records and their 'Memphis Sound' at the forefront. Visit the Stax Museum of American Soul Music to learn about Otis Reading as well as many other soul icons like Aretha Franklin.  

Alternatively: It would be remiss to talk about Memphis and not mention the blues. The blues may have been born in Mississippi but they soon made Memphis their home. Head to Beale Street for some live music and you'll feel anything but blue.

Although Austin doesn't really have a musical genre that you instantly identify it with, what it does have is the title of 'Live Music Capital of the World'. With over 200 live music venues there is always a show playing at pretty much any time of the day. Make 6th Street Entertainment District your first port of call.   

And while you may associate Texas more with Country & Western music, in the state capital, anything goes. Sure, there's plenty of rock and indie but you'll find pop, world music, jazz, classical and everything in between!  

Interesting Fact: At Austin's famed film and music festival, SXSW (South by Southwest), bands only get a paltry payment of $250 per group. Or they can decline payment and opt to get a free access pass for the festival instead – which is what most groups choose to do.

Motor City is home to one of the iconic 1960s sounds, Motown. Fusing soul and pop, this joyful genre introduced the world to Diana Ross & the Supremes, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder to name but a few.   

Step back in time and get ready to sing, dance and ‘shoop shoop’ at 'Hitsville USA', the wonderful Motown Museum devoted to the history and legacy of Motown Records.  

Interesting Fact:  The Marvelettes' song 'Please Mr Postman' was the first Motown song to reach No.1 on the Billboard 100. The drummer on the track was none other than Marvin Gaye.

Whilst the blues originated in the Deep South, Chicago stakes its claim when the Southern blues artists headed north for work. The sound known as Chicago Blues was born. Renowned for its electric guitars and a more full-bodied sound than the Delta blues. Buddy Guy, Howlin' Wolf and Muddy Waters are some of the city's most iconic bluesmen.  

Today Chicago is still a hotbed for live blues music as the many blues clubs and bars attest to. Time your visit to coincide with the Chicago Blues Festival, held for 3 days every June.  

Alternatively: Chicago is also renowned for a somewhat more up-tempo genre; House Music. It hailed from Chicago in the 1980s and was pioneered by the Godfather of House, Frankie Knuckles.

OK, so Las Vegas may not immediately spring to mind on a list of iconic music cities of the US, but if its huge pop stars putting on an over-the-top, opulent show that you're after then there's no better place to come!  

Think Celine Dion's legendary residency at the Colosseum, the lavish production numbers of a Britney Spears show or the hit parade of an Elton John concert. Nowhere does glitz and glamour better than Vegas.  

Interesting fact: Whilst Elvis Presley’s Las Vegas residency is the stuff of legends, it was Liberace with his flamboyant piano concerts who was the first star to have a Vegas residency, all the way back in 1944.