XPN Is Honoring America’s 250th Philly Style
While we are celebrating the nation’s 250th anniversary in four ways, one requires listener and member input. We’re tasking you with submitting songs that are for, by, and about Philadelphia, as well as key Philly music moments to highlight on air.
The nation’s 250th anniversary celebration is upon us, and here at XPN we’re commemorating in four ways.
The Philly 250 is a special programming series celebrating Philadelphia’s extraordinary musical legacy in honor of America’s 250th anniversary. From the unmistakable soul of Philadelphia International Records, to Live Aid, American Bandstand, and the clubs, basements, studios, and stages where new generations keep pushing the city’s sound forward, Philly has always punched far above its weight.
This is where you members and listeners come in.
Your opinions on Philadelphia’s most pivotal music moments and songs that embody the City of Brotherly Love will help us shape our Philly 250 programming. We’re taking submissions for both topics now through March 19.
What do we mean by “Philly music moments?” David Bowie recording Young Americans at Sigma Sound Studios, the inaugural Roots Picnic in 2008, Sister Rosetta Tharpe moving to the city in 1957, and Pearl Jam closing out The Spectrum in 2009 are perfect examples.
For songs, we want tracks that are for, by, and about Philadelphia. Bruce Springsteen’s “Streets of Philadelphia,” G Love’s “I-76,” and Elton John’s “Philadelphia Freedom” come to mind easily. Songs from artists such as Patti Labelle, Japanese Breakfast, Hall & Oates, Ween, Joan Jett, and Dr. Dog all fit the bill. But we want to hear your picks.
If you think your submission counts as a key Philly music moment or a song meeting the above criteria, then it counts. We want to cover a diverse, thoughtful, creative swath of historical events and songs. That’s why we’re reaching out to you.
Drop your submissions for consideration using the form here:
We will compile a comprehensive list of submissions and whittle it down to a curated 250-song playlist running 4th of July weekend. Additionally, we will release a list of more than 40 essential “moments” in Philly music history, honored by audio vignettes running daily through May and June as a precursor to our 4th of July programming.
And get ready to celebrate with us when The Philly 250 kicks off in May, spotlighting 250 songs and defining moments that tell the story of how Philadelphia has shaped — and continues to shape — American music.
But the celebration doesn’t stop there. We’re honoring Philadelphia’s musical legacy while amplifying the voices shaping its future with three more events and projects rolling out this year.
Coming up we have:
- Philly Anthems — a new project inviting artists to write and record original music inspired by the spirit of independence, featuring Eric Bazilian (The Hooters), Eliza Hardy Jones (The War On Drugs), Devon Gilfillian, jazz bassist Christian McBride, and more to be announced soon.
- World Cafe Sense of Place — the popular series is back home for a deep dive into Philadelphia’s musical DNA.
- Sound of History — two Black Music City musicians, Zeek Burse and Laurin Talese, who will perform original pieces inspired by the American Revolution on Juneteenth.
Philly Anthems has been supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage.
WXPN’s Philly 250 is a special music programming feature celebrating Philadelphia’s musical legacy in honor of America’s 250th anniversary. It highlights 250 essential songs and moments that define the city’s influence on music — from the lush soul sound of Gamble and Huff’s Philadelphia International Records to the boundary-pushing creativity of contemporary artists shaping the city’s evolving scene. Spanning styles and decades, The Philly 250 captures how Philadelphia has inspired creativity and innovation and shaped American life. Listeners are invited to rediscover the city’s enduring musical rhythm and its pivotal place in music history through storytelling, archival material, and curated playlists.