FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 29, 2016

DEAR JERRY: I would like to put together a collection of original American 45s, with songs including state names.

Can you create a shopping list for me, with perhaps a few affordable suggestions for each state?
—Jeremy Dow, Birmingham, Ala.

DEAR JEREMY: One state song shopping list coming up, with over 150 titles. I've included label names and numbers to make your search easier.

Fortunately, none will break the bank.

This is by no means an attempt to be comprehensive, and to do so is definitely not in our plan. We know there are hundreds more.

With the states listed alphabetically, yours is where we begin:

ALABAMA
1956 "Stars Fell on Alabama" - Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong (Verve 2023)
1955 "Alabama Jubilee" - Ferko String Band (Media 1010)
1960 "Alabam" - Cowboy Copas (Starday 501) - Pat Boone (Dot 16152)
1968 "Alabama Wild Man" - Jerry Reed (RCA Victor 9623)
1974 "Sweet Home Alabama" - Lynyrd Skynyrd (MCA 40258)

ALASKA
1955 "Some Night in Alaska" - Cheers (Capitol 3219)
1959 "When It's Springtime in Alaska (It's Forty Below)" - Johnny Horton (Columbia 41308)
1960 "North to Alaska" - Johnny Horton (Columbia 41782)

ARIZONA
1951 "Arizona Moon" - Four Aces Featuring Al Alberts (Victoria 101)
1969 "Arizona" - Mark Lindsay (Columbia 45037)
1980 "Arizona Highway" - Tim Rex & Oklahoma (Dee Jay 103)
1981 "Arizona" - Rex Allen Jr. (Warner Bros. 49844)

ARKANSAS
1951 "The State of Arkansas" - Jimmy Durante (MGM 30333)
1969 "Arkansas" - Glen Campbell (Capitol 2494)
1972 "Arkansas" - Wilburn Brothers (Decca 32921)

CALIFORNIA
1964 "California Sun" - Rivieras (Riviera 1401)
1965 "California Girls" - Beach Boys (Capitol 5464)
1966 "California Dreamin'" - Mamas & the Papas (Dunhill 4020)
1967 "California Nights" - Lesley Gore (Mercury 72649)
1978 "California" - Debby Boone (Warner Bros. 8511)

COLORADO
1971 "I Guess He'd Rather Be in Colorado" - Mary Travers (Warner Bros. 7481)
1971 "Colorado" - Danny Holien (Tumblewood 1004)
1974 "Colorado" - Linda Ronstadt (Aslyum 11039)

CONNECTICUT
1965 "Connecticut River Song" - Iris Bala (TB 617)
1985 "The Wives Are in Connecticut" - Carly Simon (Epic 05596)

DELAWARE
1960 "Delaware" - Perry Como (RCA Victor 7670)

FLORIDA
1950 "The Florida Storm" Marie Knight & Sam Price Trio (Decca 48189)
1971 "Florida" - Lonnie Mack (Elektra 45761)
1988 "Florida" - Bertie Higgins (Southern Tracks 2000)

GEORGIA
1960 "Georgia on My Mind" - Ray Charles (ABC/Paramount 10135)
1967 "Georgia Pines" - Candymen (ABC/Paramount 10955)
1969 "Rainy Night in Georgia" - Brook Benton (Cotillion 44057)
1970 "Georgia Sunshine" - Jerry Reed (RCA Victor 9870)
1979 "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" - Charlie Daniels Band (Epic 50700)

HAWAII
1951 "Blue Hawaii" - Bing Crosby (Decca 25011)
1965 "Hawaii Tattoo" - Waikikis (Kapp 30)
1965 "Hawaii Honeymoon" - Waikikis (Kapp 52)
1968 "Hawaii Five-O" - Ventures (Liberty 56058)

IDAHO
1958 "Idaho" - Clovers (Poplar 111)
1966 "That's My Idaho" - Howard Garner (DC 1966)
1969 "Idaho" - 4 Seasons (Philips 40597)

ILLINOIS
1951 "Back Home in Illinois" - Lawrence Welk & His Orchestra (Decca 25316)
1956 "Illinois Waltz" - Bluegrass Jim (K-Ark 205)
1968 "Springfield, Illinois" - Bryan Hyland (Dot 17109)

INDIANA
1956 "Indiana" - Earl Bostic & Bill Doggett (King 4954)
1958 "Gary, Indiana" - Stan Freberg (Capitol 3892)
1970 "Indiana Wants Me" - R. Dean Taylor (Rare Earth 5013)
1973 "The Indiana Girl" - Marty Cooper (Barnaby 5013)
1975 "Indiana Girl" - Pat Boone (Melodyland 6005)

IOWA
1950 "The Iowa Indian Song (Io-Wuh)" - Bing Crosby (Decca 24800)
1957 "Iowa Rose" - Eddie Dean (Sage 249)
1973 "I Owe a Lot to Iowa" - Jerry Samuels (J.E.P. 1175)

KANSAS
1956 "Kansas Kapers" - Millionaires (Davis 441)
1971 "Across the Kansas Sky" - Cymarron (Entrance 7502)
1972 "Manhattan, Kansas" - Glen Campbell (Capitol 3305)

KENTUCKY
1962 "Kentucky Means Paradise" - Green River Boys With Glen Campbell (Capitol 4867)
1965 "Blue Kentucky Girl" - Loretta Lynn (Decca 31769)
1967 "Kentucky Woman" - Neil Diamond (Bang 551)
1970 "Kentucky Rain" - Elvis Presley (RCA Victor 9791)

LOUISIANA
1960 "Louisiana Man" - Rusty & Doug [Kershaw] (Hickory 1137)
1961 "Louisiana Mama" - Gene Pitney (Musicor 1006)

MAINE
1950 "Coast of Maine" - Dick Curless (Standard 35003)
1974 "Somewhere in Maine" - John Ineson (Rockland, not numbered)
1978 "From Maine to Mexico" - Leon Russell (Paradise 8719)

MARYLAND
1956 "Maryland, My Maryland" - Turk Murphy & His Band (Columbia 40586)
1960 "Maryland Waltz" - Eddie Lash (Jay Jay 210)
1983 "Maryland" - Moot (Moot 4229)

MASSACHUSETTS
1960 "Massachusetts My Home State" - Linda Bowe & the Neighborhood Kids (20th Fox 212)
1963 "Massachusetts" - Dakota Staton (United Artists 611)
1967 "(The Lights Went Out In) Massachusetts" - Bee Gees (Atco 6532)
1977 "Massachusetts" - Arlo Guthrie (Reprise 1388)

MICHIGAN
1957 "Michigan Bankroll" - Petticoats (RKO Unique 387)
1959 "Michigan Water Blues" - Cal "Caldonia" Palmer with Little Brother Montgomery's Blues Band (Ebony 1040)
1961 "Little Michigan Miss" - Lee Talboys (Royalty 104)
1963 "Saginaw, Michigan" - Lefty Frizzell (Columbia 42924)

MINNESOTA
1950 "My Little Old Shack in Minneapolis, Minnesota" - Yogi Yorgesson With Johnny Duffy & The Scandahoovians (Capitol 1216)
1971 "Minnesota Flatwoods Farm Boy" - Jeff Young (Rice 5042)
1975 "Minnesota"/"Theme From Minnesota" - Northern Light (Columbia 10136)

MISSISSIPPI
1950 "M-i-s-s-i-s-s-i-p-p-i" - Kay Starr (Capitol 1072)
1956 "Mississippi Dreamboat" - Dean Martin (Capitol 3521)
1970 "Mississippi" - John Phillips (Dunhill 4236)
1970 "Mississippi Queen" - Mountain (Windfall 532)
1976 "Mississippi Lady" - Jim Croce (Lifesong 45005)

MISSOURI
1972 "It Rains Just the Same in Missouri" - Ray Griff (Dot 17440)

MONTANA
1973 "Montana" - Mothers (Discreet 1180)
1977 "Montana Cowboy" - Jody Miller (Epic 50360)
1983 "Wild Montana Skies" - John Denver & Emmylou Harris (RCA Victor 13562)
1985 "Meet Me in Montana" - Marie Osmond & Dan Seals (Capitol 5478)

NEBRASKA
1952 "Omaha, Nebraska" - Groucho Marx & the Ken Lane Singers (Decca 28158)
1963 "All the Way Back to Nebraska" - Bill Post & Chorus (DJB 122)
1967 "Nebraska Is the State (That I Come From)" - Dallas Lee (Roto 10005)

NEVADA
1971 "Nevada Fighter" - Michael Nesmith & First National Band (RCA Victor 0453)
1971 "Reno, Nevada" - Ian Matthews (Vertigo 102)
1973 "Las Vegas, Nevada" - Marty Robbins (MCA 40067)

NEW HAMPSHIRE
1973 "Old New Hampshire" - Eddie Mottau (MCA 40052)
1984 "The Hills of New Hampshire" - Joe Durfee (Towering Oak 78402)

NEW JERSEY
1961 "I'm From New Jersey" (State Version)/"I'm From New Jersey (Instrumental)" - Chordblenders/Red Mascara (Anniversary 1002)
1971 "New Jersey" - England Dan & John Ford Coley (A&M 1278)
1993 "New Jersey" - Dambuilders (Rockville 6099)

NEW MEXICO
1961 "Old Love in New Mexico" - Red River Dave (CR 141)
1963 "New Mexico" - Faron Young (Mercury 11001)
1972 "Taos, New Mexico" - R. Dean Taylor (Rare Earth 5041)

NEW YORK
1968 "The Eyes of a New York Woman" - B.J. Thomas (Scepter 12219)
1977 "Native New Yorker - Oddyssey (RCA 11129)
1980 "New York, New York" - Frank Sinatra (Reprise 49233)

NORTH CAROLINA
1951 "Way Up in North Carolina" - Belltones (Mercury 5692)
1961 "North Carolina, My Home State" - Andy Griffith (Capitol 1174)
1969 "North Carolina (South Carolina)" - Inez Foxx (Dynamo 138)

NORTH DAKOTA
1952 "North Dakota, South Dakota" - Jerry Lewis (Capitol 1969)
1971 "Underneath the North Dakota Moon" - Ozzie Nelson (BH 9368)

OHIO
1953 "Ohio" - Bing Crosby (Decca 28610)
1970 "Ohio" - Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (Atlantic 2740)
1977 "O-h-i-o" - Ohio Players (Mercury 73932)

OKLAHOMA
1949 "The Everlasting Hills of Oklahoma" - Sons of the Pioneers (RCA Victor 0005)
1961 "Oklahoma Hills" - Hank Thompson & the Brazos Valley Boys (Capitol 4556)
1972 "Oklahoma Sunday Morning" - Glen Campbell (Capitol 3254)

OREGON
1959 "You're in Oregon My Friend" - Whippoorwils & Benny Cliff Trio (Drift 1446)
1959 "Oregon Home" - Evelyn Clark (Sage 298)
1974 "Oregon (I Can't Go Home)" - Blackhawk County (Seagull 5115)

PENNSYLVANIA
1950 "Pennsylvania Polka" - Andrews Sisters (Decca 23609)
1952 "Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania" - Guy Mitchell (Columbia 39663)
1956 "Pennsylvania Waltz" - Billy Vaughn & His Orchestra (Dot 15530)

RHODE ISLAND
1952 "Rhode Island Redhead (Here! Chick! Chick!)" - Teresa Brewer & the Mellomen (Coral 60775)
1960 "Poor Little Rhode Island" - Dale Hawkins (Checker 944)
1970 "Rhode Island Red" - Norman Greenbaum (Reprise 0956)

SOUTH CAROLINA
1969 "North Carolina (South Carolina)" - Inez Foxx (Dynamo 138)
1969 "South Carolina" - Flirtations (Deram 85048)
1976 "South Carolina" - Outlaws (Arista 0188)

SOUTH DAKOTA
1952 "North Dakota, South Dakota" - Jerry Lewis (Capitol 1969)

TENNESSEE
1951 "The Tennessee Waltz" - Patti Page (Mercury 5534)
1962 "Tennessee" - Jan & Dean (Liberty 55454)
1969 "Tennessee Bird Walk" - Jack Blanchard & Misty Morgan (Wayside 010)

TEXAS
1955 "The Yellow Rose of Texas" - Mitch Miller Orchestra & Chorus (Columbia 40540)
1963 "T for Texas" - Grandpa Jones (Monument 801)
1981 "Texas Women" - Hank Williams Jr. (Elektra 47102)
1987 "All My Ex's Live in Texas" - George Strait (MCA 53087)

UTAH
1961 "Utah Carl" - Ricky Riddle & Rocky's Raiders (Rio Grande 2620)
1962 "Utah, the Beehive State" - Sammy Marshall & the Sun-Rays (Roxie 307)
1981 "The Utah Song" - Donna Fargo (Warner Bros. 49757)

VERMONT
1951 "Moonlight in Vermont" - Margaret Whiting (Capitol 1671)
1976 "Vermont" - Randy Waters (Honcho 6122)
1992 "Long Vermont Roads" - Magnetic Fields (Harriet 017)

VIRGINIA
1958 "Down in Virginia" - Jimmy Reed (Vee-Jay 287)
1965 "Carry Me Back to Old Virginia" - Jerry Lee Lewis (Sun 396)
1968 "Virginia Girl" - Michael Rabon & Five Americans (Abnak 134)

WASHINGTON
1951 "My Beautiful Washington Rose" - Arkie Shibley & the Mountain Dew Boys (Gilt-Edge 5054)
1963 "Washington Waltz" - Jack Broadwell & His Country 5 (Clover 1002)
1964 "Bow Down to Washington" - Chuck Mahaffay & the Individuals (Jerden 722)

WEST VIRGINIA
1969 "West Virginia Woman" - Billy Edd Wheeler (United Artists 50507)
1976 "West Virginia Superstar" - Turley Richards (Epic 50259)
1971 "West Virginia Mine" - Jackie DeShannon (Capitol 3185)

WISCONSIN
1949 "On Wisconsin" - Tex Beneke & His Orchestra (RCA Victor 2825)
1950 "Beautiful Wisconsin" - Ken Griffin (Rondo 45192)
1963 "In Wisconsin" - Johnny Mathis (Columbia 42836)

WYOMING
1961 "Wyoming" - Ronnie Hayden (Camay 2002)
1965 "It's Wyoming" - Lee (Smokey) Garretson & the Rustic Ramblers
1980 "Jackson Hole, Wyoming" - Red Steagall (Elektra 46590)
1993 "Wyoming" - Dambuilders (Rockville 6099)

IZ ZAT SO? Today's topic drove me to the database provided by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).

I wondered how many songs in their vast Repertory include a state name in the title, and how many entries they have for each state.

Some of the results, like No. 4, are surprising, but the Top 3 are not.

Here are the 50 states listed in a way you have never seen:

2315 California
2035 New York
1669 Texas
808 Mississippi
601 Tennessee
514 Alabama
473 Alaska
467 Georgia
460 Arizona
447 Washington
440 Kentucky
421 Colorado
392 Louisiana
391 Hawaii
368 Virginia
303 Florida
299 Montana
297 Kansas
268 Oklahoma
232 Indiana
229 Arkansas
196 Ohio
167 Michigan
156 Maine
153 Oregon
146 Nevada
141 Wyoming
137 Utah
120 Missouri
117 Iowa
101 Minnesota
94 Pennsylvania
91 New Mexico
82 New Jersey
81 Idaho
75 Illinois
74 Maryland
65 Connecticut
63 West Virginia
60 Vermont
59 Nebraska
56 Delaware
53 Wisconsin
41 North Carolina
40 Rhode Island
36 South Carolina
30 South Dakota
29 North Dakota
27 New Hampshire
22 Massachusetts