by Pat Jacobs

Created on: February 22, 2010

You could say that Detroit's Motown Sound (The city also had a thriving rock sound that included Bob Seger, Ted Nugent and The Amboy Dukes, Mitch Ryder and The Detroit Wheels, and The MC5) and the United Kingdom's British Invasion were (and still are) the '60s most famous examples of a regional sound that became an international sensation.

But there were several others that also made quite an impact; while perhaps not fully appreciated in the day, in retrospect these unique regional accents have come into their own.

Chicago Soul was a form of soul music that arose from 1960s Chicago. The Impressions (with lead singer Curtis Mayfield) embodied and were the essence of this sound. Others included: Jackie Wilson, The Artistics, The Radiants, The Esquires, Major Lance and Jan Bradley (both Mayfield proteges), Tyrone Davis, The Chi-Lites, Barbara Acklin, Jerry Butler (formerly sang with The Impressions), Lou Rawls, and Gene Chandler, among others. Producers Carl Davis and Johnny Pate are also associated with this sound.

This particular genre helped launch the album-oriented soul of the 1970s.

There was also a Chicago Sound that was more rock-oriented. The Buckinghams and The Cryin' Shames were the main proponents of this.

There's always been a rivalry between Chicago and New York City, and the music wasn't any different.

But New York may have an edge, music-wise. It's been long regarded as one of the world's major music centers, and covers many genres, particularly Latin music. The Drifters embodied this sound, as did Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers, Ben E. King, The Crystals, and The Shagri-Las, among others.

Philadelphia played a pivotal role in '60s rock and roll, twice. Dick Clark's American Bandstand took off in 1957, becoming a national phenomenon.

On the heels of Bandstand's success, many local talent were signed to regional labels, (most notably Cameo and Parkway) and became successful. Frankie Avalon, Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell, Fabian, and Dee Dee Sharp, among others, embodied the Philadelphia Sound.

In the late '60s, the beginnings of the new Philadelphia Sound, which would become the cornerstone of the 1970s "mellow soul" trend, were taking hold. Led by producer/songwriters Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff, the early proponents of this sound included The Intruders and The Delfonics.

The city also contributed to the world of jazz, via Nina Simone and John Coltrane.

There was also a Pittsburgh Sound, though not as prevalent as Philadelphia. The Vogues were

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