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For a state with a relatively small population, Utah has a historically outsized presence in the national music industry. Most people know about the success of homegrown legends like The Osmonds, Imagine Dragons, Neon Trees, Brandon Flowers, Carmen Rasmusen and even David Archuleta.
In addition to the musicians who became household names, Utah has produced a bevy of other musical stars you might now know about. Here are some you should check out.
Kaskade
Kaskade is the stage name of Ryan Raddon, a world renowned DJ who has produced chart-topping dance hits of songs by Justin Timberlake, Seal, Nelly Furtado, LeAnn Rimes, Britney Spears and many more of the biggest names in popular music. In 2024, he became the first in-game DJ to perform at the Super Bowl.
Although he grew up in Chicago, Raddon attended BYU and Utah Valley University before earning a degree in communications from the University of Utah. For 30 years he has performed at some of the world's biggest venues where up to half a million people come to experience his musical vision.
A 2023 feature article in the Deseret News reported he does up to 200 concerts a year earning as much as $200,000 per gig. And in 2012, Rolling Stone ranked him #4 on a list of 25 DJs that rule the earth.
The National Parks
This band that began in Provo in 2013 has achieved a significant level of popularity. Spotify reports it averages more than 415,000 monthly listeners and it has performed in front of sell out crowds all over the U.S.
The National Parks is described as an indie folk band and their music is created to help people appreciate the outdoors and mountains. In 2023 The National Parks released its fifth album, 8th Wonder and in 2024 they released their sixth album Wild Spirit.
"Listening to songs like 'Great Sky,' 'Let's Go Outside,' 'Angels,' and 'Summer of Memories' is enough to make you want to feel the earth under your feet. It makes you want to splash in a river, then sit under the stars and experience the stillness that one can only find in nature," Outdoors.com states.
Their final tour date of 2025 is scheduled at the Delta Center on Nov.15.
The Used
This band formed in Orem in 2000 and found recognition with their first album released in 2002. They now have a global following and 10 studio albums to their credit including some that reached gold and platinum status.
It's tough to pin The Used to a specific genre. They have been classified as punk rock, emo, alternative rock and more. MTV.com describes them as "a tangled mass of thrillingly contradictory sounds and messages that will likely appeal to both headbangers and mopey, lovelorn rockers."
No matter their music genre, their music certainly resonates with some, because the official video of their song "I caught fire" has 12 million views on YouTube.
Akino
You might be surprised to learn that a Japanese pop star has strong Utah roots. Born in Utah to Japanese parents, Akino performs with brothers Akashi and Aiki and her sister Kanasa in the band Bless4.
In addition to being a multi-lingual pop star, Akino's talents are displayed on numerous soundtracks for anime series, movies and video games.
Ryan Innes
Innes discovered his musical soul at BYU, where he performed with Vocal Point and earned a bachelor's degree in music studies.
In 2014 Innes was a contestant on the fourth season of NBC's "The Voice" where he selected Usher as his mentor. Although he didn't win, his performances helped prepare him for bigger things to come.
"You may have heard of Ryan from being a 4-chair turn artist on NBC's The Voice or from landing a #1 iTunes song called "Long Way Home" on NBC's Songland. You can hear Ryan's songs on shows like Netflix's "The Punisher" or on the massively popular YouTube channel "Dude Perfect" and almost every TV broadcast network," Utahlivebands.com states.
Fictionist
Another band that hails from Provo, Fictionist has toured nationally and opened for bands like Imagine Dragons, Neon Trees, Young the Giant, Vampire Weekend and Shiny Toy Guns.
Fictionist has released five albums, including Fictionist-EP, which was released by Atlantic Records in 2011. They received an Independent Music Award for Best Pop/Rock Song for "Blue-Eyed Universe" from their second album, Lasting Echo. Their latest album, Sleep Machine, was released in 2017.
Caleb Chapman
You probably won't see Caleb Chapman doing many live performances, although he is a skilled musician and has performed and collaborated with many top musicians. Chapman's impact on Utah's music footprint comes primarily from his music education program, Caleb Chapman's Soundhouse.
Over the past 25-plus years, Chapman has provided instruction, music education and performance opportunities for thousands of Utah students. There are Soundhouse bands performing many music genres including jazz, pop, rock, blues, soul and even ska.
Earlier this month about 200 of his students performed at the Eccles Theater as rock legend Huey Lewis was the inaugural inductee into the People's Music Hall of Fame founded by Chapman and Adam Reader, known by his 1.23 million YouTube subscribers as the Professor of Rock.
Soundhouse students have earned full-ride scholarships to virtually every prestigious music program you can name such as Julliard, Berklee School of Music, Manhattan School of Music and the New England Conservatory to name a few. Each year his student bands perform at venues like the Telluride Jazz Festival, the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, the Puerto Vallarta Jazz & World Music Festival in Mexico, the Umbria Jazz Festival in Italy and many more.
Many Soundhouse students have gone on to find huge commercial success as members of bands like Neon Trees and Imagine Dragons. Others perform in local and regional bands. Many others have made music their life's work through teaching in schools or as private tutors.
Check out the Soundhouse YouTube channel if you want to be blown away by the quality of music performed by Utah musicians ages 11-18. Or take in one of the dozens of live performances Soundhouse bands perform each year.
Siegfried & Jensen
Since 1990, Siegfried & Jensen have been helping the people of Utah and surrounding states who have suffered needless injuries and death caused by car accidents, truck accidents, medical malpractice, defective drugs, dog bites, wrongful death, and other types of personal injury.
5 secure and secret Utah sites you aren't allowed to visit
From military installations to private facilities, doomsday communities and dangerous caves, Utah has plenty of mysterious locales to capture thrill seeker's imaginations. While the following places might sound tantalizing to the inner explorer in you, they are 100% off-limits, so don't even try to pay a visit.The firm is committed to keeping Utah families and communities safe by ensuring wrongdoers are held accountable. While a lawsuit isn't always the answer when it is needed having someone on your side can mean the difference between declaring bankruptcy and rebuilding your life and moving forward, especially when you're up against an insurance company or a hospital.
Siegfried & Jensen has represented more than 35,000 clients and recovered over $1.2 billion for them.
