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14 Classic Rockers from the Midwest

Some of classic rock’s biggest names and influencers we know and love hail from the Midwest.

Robin Zander of Cheap Trick performs onstage.
Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Some of classic rock's biggest names and influencers we know and love hail from the Midwest.

From Cheap Trick being the pride of Rockford, Ill. to John Mellencamp's deep roots in Indiana, rock and roll isn't just born on the coasts. You can find it in what some might dub "flyover country," but these names prove this area of the United States should be anything but ignored.

Scroll below to see just a sample of the incredible rock and roll talent that came from the Midwest.

John Mellencamp

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Seymour, Indiana


Cheap Trick

167734071-scaled.jpgNeilson Barnard/Getty Images for John Varvatos

Rockford, Illinois


Styx

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Chicago, Illinois


REO Speedwagon

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Champaign, Illinois


Three Members Of Guns N' Roses

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Three members of the American rock and roll group Guns N' Roses in front of a Hard Rock Cafe banner, Las Vegas, Nevada, 1992. From left, Duff McKagan, Gilby Clarke, and Izzy Stradlin. (Photo by Scott Harrison/Getty Images)


Axl Rose

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Lafayette, Indiana


Bob Seger

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Born in Detroit, Michigan. Grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan.


Iggy Pop

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Ypsilanti, Michigan


Bob Dylan

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Born in Duluth, Minnesota. Grew up in Hibbing, Minnesota.


Chuck Berry

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St. Louis, Missouri


Chrissie Hynde

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Akron, Ohio


Joe Walsh

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Born in Wichita, Kansas. Lived in Columbus, Ohio as a kid.


Steve Miller

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Milwaukee, Wisconsin.


Glenn Frey

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Born in Detroit, Michigan. Grew up in Royal Oak, Michigan.

Erica Banas is a news blogger who's been covering the rock/classic rock world since 2014. The coolest event she's ever covered in person was the 2021 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. (Sir Paul McCartney inducting Foo Fighters? C'mon now!) She's also well-versed in etiquette and extraordinarily nice. #TransRightsAreHumanRights