Listen to Louisiana Music 24/7
Where to find your Louisiana beat — wherever you are!
Louisiana is the birthplace of Cajun and zydeco music, swamp pop and, of course, jazz. These sounds are so distinctive that, when you hear a song from the Bayou State, there’s a decent chance you’ll recognize it almost immediately. You can bring a little bit of Louisiana into your home, car, earbuds or wherever you like via streaming services.
Want to know some great sources for listening to Louisiana tunes and which artists to check out? We can help with that!
Find Music on Louisiana Public Radio
Sure, many Louisiana radio stations play the same Top 40 hits you’ll hear anywhere else, but to get a real feel for what the Bayou State sounds like, check out a couple of the most popular locally run public radio stations streaming online.
KRVS Radio Acadie Lafayette
KRVS is a Lafayette-based public radio station that focuses on indigenous Louisiana music, supporting south Louisiana’s Creole and Cajun communities. Lafayette is frequently called the Capital of Cajun Country, and KRVS leans into the region’s rich history. Legendary zydeco and Cajun artists you might hear when you tune in to KRVS include Buckwheat Zydeco, Michael Doucet, Sonny Landreth, Red Stick Ramblers, Terrance Simien and Marcia Ball.
Find the station at KRVS.org.
WWOZ New Orleans
In New Orleans, WWOZ is the primary source for homegrown Louisiana music. Tune in any time of day, and you’re likely to hear deep cuts by any number of the city’s brass bands, or hits by Fats Domino, Dr. John, Lee Dorsey, Kermit Ruffins, Irma Thomas and James Booker. Though heavily New Orleans-focused, the Sunday morning Cajun and zydeco show spotlights the music of south Louisiana.
Listen now at wwoz.org.
KBON
Our Facebook friends weighed in and recommended KBON out of Eunice, Louisiana as their favorite spot on the dial for Cajun and zydeco music. Download their app from the Google Play Store or on Apple and have your own Saturday morning zydeco breakfast.
Check out all the ways to stream at KBON.com.
Hear jazz on WWOZ New Orleans.
Listen to Cajun and zydeco music on KBON from Eunice.
Louisiana Spotify and Apple Music Playlists
Spotify and Apple Music are by far the world’s most popular music streaming services. Check out our curated Spotify Playlists that will have you up and dancing in no time! If you're hungry for more tunes, browse the highly curated mixes that feature Louisiana music and musicians.
Visit Spotify or Apple Music, type “Louisiana” in the search bar and discover new playlists today.
Louisiana’s GRAMMY® Award Winners
Louisiana has a long list of GRAMMY® nominees and award winners!
Lifetime Achievement Award Winners
Begin your musical journey with Louisiana’s GRAMMY® Lifetime Achievement Award winners The Meters. This group pretty much wrote the book on New Orleans-style funk in the 1970s, both as a backing band for many artists produced by fellow New Orleans GRAMMY® Award winner Allen Touissant, and as recording artists themselves.
The Meters won the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018, but they’re not the only ones who’ve been bestowed the honor in recent years. 2015 winner Buddy Guy, whom music encyclopedia AllMusic.com called “contender for the title of greatest blues guitarist ever,” may be synonymous with Chicago blues, but aficionados of the genre know he was born in the central Louisiana town of Lettsworth.
Final Lifetime Achievement Award winner of note is Clifton Chenier. Dubbed the King of Zydeco, the Opelousas native defined the sound of the genre over a 40-year career. He first came to fame in 1955, covering a song by Bogalusa native Professor Longhair, “Ay Tete Fille (Hey, Little Girl).” His reputation as the ambassador of Louisiana zydeco only grew from there, and Chenier continued playing until just days before he passed in 1987.
Other GRAMMY® Award Winners
These Louisiana legends are representative of the state’s musical backbone. But there are many current GRAMMY® Award-winning artists producing new sounds today. Of great acclaim is Jon Batiste, a five-time GRAMMY® Award winner, 22-time nominee and native New Orleanian. Other award winners include PJ Morton (winner of Best R&B Song for “Say So”) and DJ Khaled (who won the Best Rap/Sung Performance award for “Higher”).
Among many other Louisiana nominees, check out songs by New Orleans R&B group Tank & the Bangas (nominated for Best New Artist), Rebirth Brass Band (nominated for Best Regional Roots Music Album) and the Branford Marsalis Quartet (nominated for Best Jazz Instrumental).
Other GRAMMY® Award winners include Lafayette native Lauren Daigle, who won awards for Best Contemporary Music Performance/Song and Best Contemporary Christian Music Album. Lifetime achiever Buddy Guy won the award for Best Traditional Blues Album, and fellow repeat winner PJ Morton won for Best Traditional R&B Performance, both in 2019.
For more information on Louisiana's music scene, we recommend checking out the Louisiana Music Trail. There, you'll take a deep dive on Louisiana's music history, popular artists and where to find live music.
