Although you might instantly think of the greater Los Angeles area when brainstorming your favorite musicians, there’s a special state right next door that’s also produced some incredible talent. Nevada is often overshadowed by California since the Golden State often receives more media coverage whenever things are reported in the news.
Still, Nevada deserves to be acknowledged as a hub of true musical magic thanks to all of the incredible musicians born and raised there. With so many opportunities to perform on different stages across the Las Vegas strip, it makes sense that individuals who showcase true brilliance and confidence have been able to find their way. (Click here to find out more about the 10 biggest musicians to come from California.)
To compile the list of the ten biggest musicians from Nevada, 24/7 Tempo consulted sites such as Hello Music Theory and Singers Room. From there, we researched music award wins and popular hit singles to determine who was most successful and noteworthy for our list of the biggest musicians from Nevada.
Jena Malone
gageskidmore / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0
Source: Gageskidmore / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0
- Hometown: Sparks, Nevada
Jena Malone was born in Sparks, Nevada on Nov. 21, 1984. Many of her fans may recognize her as an actress, but she’s also made waves in the music industry over the years. Her acting career speaks volumes since she’s landed roles in projects like “Donnie Darko,” “Sucker Punch,” and “The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.”
As far as her music career goes, she released an album called “I’m Okay” in 2014 filled with heartfelt music that leaves a lasting impression on listeners. Some of the songs she dropped include “Dead Rabbit Hopes,” “His Gorgeousness,” and “Brokenhearted, Love Song.” In the music video for “Dead Rabbit Hopes,” she bares all by removing all of her clothing as she belts out lyrics that are dark and complicated.
Tana Mongeau
- Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
When you think of Tana Mongeau, the first thing that comes to mind is probably her YouTube channel. She was born on June 24, 1998 in Las Vegas, Nevada. She went viral on YouTube sharing story time videos about her personal experiences as a young woman growing up in Las Vegas. Her career has expanded beyond YouTube videos thanks to her decision to dive into the music industry.
In 2017, she released a song called “Hefner.” Her ex-girlfriend, Disney channel actress Bella Thorne, was featured in the music video for the track. Since they didn’t shy away from sharing PDA on camera, it’s pulled in almost 20,000,000 views since its publication. Other songs released by Tana include “FaceTime,” “Four Loko,” and “Kobe.”
Dan Reynolds (Imagine Dragons)
- Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
Dan Reynolds is the lead vocalist in a pop rock band called Imagine Dragons. He was born on July 14, 1987 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Along with being the lead vocalist, he’s also a talented songwriter who comes up with memorable lyrics. Imagine Dragons has been around since 2008 after Dan connected with a guitarist named Wayne Sermon, a bassist named Ben McKee, and a drum player named Daniel Platzman.
Las Vegas was the city where they first came together, but they’ve toured to many different places around the globe since then. Their first hit song was called “Radioactive,” which premiered in late 2012 as part of their multiplatinum selling debut album “Night Visions.” The song was such a global phenomenon that it put Dan and the rest of his band members on the map. Imagine Dragons has taken home several awards over the years including the Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance in 2014 and the Billboard Music Award for Top Rock Song in 2018.
Ronnie Radke (Falling In Reverse)
- Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
Ronnie Radke is the lead singer in a rock band called Falling In Reverse. When it comes to famous bands from Nevada, this group is highly respected. He was born in 1983 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Along with being a singer, Ronnie is also a rapper, record producer, and songwriter. Falling In Reverse has been around since 2008. They used to go by the name From Behind These Walls, but decided to make the name switch pretty early on.
Prior to taking on the leading vocalist position with his current band, Ronnie was part of another band called Escape the Fate from 2004 until 2008. Some of the biggest songs Ronnie has performed with Falling In Reverse include “I Am Not a Vampire,” “Good Girls Bad Guys,” and “The Drug in Me is You.” In 2012, Ronnie and the rest of his bandmates won the Kerrang! Award for Best International Newcomer.
Brandon Flowers (The Killers)
Source: Ethan Miller / Getty Images
- Hometown: Henderson, Nevada
Brandon Flowers was born in 1981 in Henderson Nevada. He’s the lead vocalist of a rock band called The Killers. He’s also a keyboardist and occasional bassist, depending on musical needs that must be met. The Killers have been around since 2001 with an abundance of popular songs for music lovers to sing along with. What music is Nevada known for? One of their biggest hits of all time is called “Mr. Brightside” from their 2004 album “Hot Fuss.”
This song is often played at sporting events, weddings, and any places that have lively crowds. Other songs music lovers have heard from The Killers include “All These Things That I’ve Done” and “Somebody Told Me.” The Killers have taken home several awards over the years including the MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist and World Music Award for World’s Best Selling New Group.
Jenny Lewis
Source: Jandy Stone / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0
- Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
Jenny Lewis was born in 1976 in Las Vegas, Nevada. She’s the lead singer of an indie rock band called Rilo Kiley. Along with using her vocals as the lead, she’s also a keyboardist and rhythm guitarist. Some of her biggest songs include “Barking at the Moon,” “Just One of the Guys,” and “Such Great Heights.” If you think you might also recognize Jenny from a movie or two, you’re not wrong!
In 2015, she starred in “A Very Murry Christmas” and in 1998, she starred in “Pleasantville.” She’s also done voice acting for the animated movie “Bolt,” which hit theaters in 2008. Although Jenny was born and raised in Nevada, she relocated to Los Angeles, California to be part of Rilo Kiley. The band has been around since 1998 and also consists of a few other members named Blake Sennett, Dave Rock, and Pierre de Reeder.
Sunny Ozell
- Hometown: Reno, Nevada
Sunny Ozell was born in 1978. The singer and songwriter now resides in Los Angeles, California much like many other celebrities, but that wasn’t always the case. She was born and raised in Reno, Nevada. Sunny always had a passion for music starting from when she was young. The first instrument she picked up was a violin at the age of four. When she was 11, she was ready to start vocal training so she’d be more comfortable singing on stage in front of audiences.
Her debut album was called “Take it With Me,” and it was is full of cover songs from other well-known artists who already walked this music path before her. Some of her biggest songs to date include “All That I Am” from 2020 and “Manhattan Island Serenade” from 2015. Another song music lovers have heard from Sunny is called “Driving Highways.” The thought-provoking ballad highlights her emotional journey from despair into hopefulness.
Meaghan Martin
- Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
Meaghan Martin was born in 1992 in Las Vegas, Nevada. There are several places you probably recognize her from as an actress. Her biggest role to date is in a movie called “Mean Girls 2″ from 2011. She also starred in both “Camp Rock” movies from the Disney Channel franchise in 2008 and 2010. In the “Camp Rock” movies, she had the chance to show off her incredible singing voice.
One of the songs she performed in the movie was called “Too Cool.” This song is all about a young woman full of confidence and self-love as she repeats the fact that she way too cool to deal with people below her level. A year after the first “Camp Rock” movie premiered on Disney Channel, Meaghan released a song called “When You Wish Upon a Star” with a magical music video to match.
Kameelah Williams
- Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
Kameelah Williams was born in 1978 in Las Vegas, Nevada. She was the lead singer of a Motown trio in the 90s called 702. For those unfamiliar with the Las Vegas area, 702 is the area code of the city. Anytime you dial someone’s phone number in Sin City, you’ll most likely start off with those three digits. 702 released their first official album in 1996 called “No Doubt.”
Half a million copies were sold, which encouraged them to continue on the path toward their goals. The trio isn’t together anymore, but that doesn’t mean Kameelah isn’t still passionate about music. In her Instagram bio, she refers to herself as a “global vocalist.” Some of the biggest songs from 702 are “Get It Together,” “You’ll Just Never Know,” and “Where My Girls At.”
Jim Root
- Hometown: Las Vegas, Nevada
Jim Root was born on October 2, 1971 in Las Vegas, Nevada. He’s a guitarist for a heavy metal band called Slipknot. Slipknot is such an intense band that they actually require two guitarists to be part of the team. Mick Thompson is the other. Jim has been part of the band since 1999 as someone who had an impact on several of the band’s later albums. He wrote most of the lead guitar parts for “The Gray Chapter” and “All Hope is Gone.”
The biggest song of all time to come from Slipknot is arguably “Psychosocial.” It was released in 2008 and currently has more than 505 million views on YouTube. Along with the rest of his Slipknot band members, Jim has been awarded loads of impressive accolades. This includes the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance and the NME Award for Best Band in the World. Along with Jim and these other Nevada-born musicians, meet some of the most impressive musicians who were born in Alaska.
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