Taylor Swift performs during the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball concert at Madison Square Garden in the Manhattan borough of New York City, U.S., December 13, 2019. Picture taken December 13, 2019. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs

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Pennsylvania has some HUGE bands and artists reach national and international fame over the years, so narrowing the best to just a list of ten was not easy.

Hi, my name is Rocco Pallotto, host of the Merf Morning Show (weekdays, 5-10, powered by Mifflin County Wireless).

For kicks, I decided to come up with a be-all, end-all list of, what I think, are PA’s best artists and bands. Let me know what you think in the Comments section below.

10. Live (York, PA) – Live is probably best known for the hit “Lightning Crashes,’ but they had so many other great songs. Ed Kowalcyzk, lead singer of the band, actually played the band’s iconic “Throwing Copper” album from from to back at the State Theatre in State College a few years back.

9. Will Smith (West Philadelphia, born and raised) – He raps, he acts, he does it all. This list is all about music, though. “Parents Just Don’t Understand,” “Men In Black,” Will 2k,”  Will has had a ton of chart success. And you haven’t lived until you’ve heard “You Saw My Blinker,”

8. Halestorm (Red Lion, PA) – We have a soft spot for these Grammy winners. One of their very first radio appearances was on our station. Lzzy and Arejay, with help from their parents, would lug their gear up to our old third floor studios and jam out on our old Homegrown Show.

7. Joan Jett (Wynnewood, PA) – Joan could be Top 3 based on “I Love Rock and Roll” alone, amiright? What a career. From her time with The Runaways to rocking out with the Blackhearts, Joan had hit after hit after hit.

6. Cinderella (Philadelphia, PA) -I’ve never felt this band got enough credit for what they brought to the table back in the hair band era. The swagger of “Shake Me” to the bluesy “Shelter Me,” this band did it all. And we’d be remiss not to mention the recent passing of guitarist Jeff LeBar.

5. Pink (Doylestown, PA) – I don’t think, seriously, Pink has released one song I haven’t loved. An amazing singer and performer and mom/wife. And she even has her own wine company!

4. The Hooters (Philadelphia, PA) – When this band came out with “Nervous Night,” I was hooked. Airbanded to a couple of their songs for a group of special needs children. Got to see them, with The Outfield, at Lycoming College. I could listen to “Satellite” and “Brother, Don’t You Walk Away” on loop and never get bored. And can you imagine what it was like for the band to virtually open Live Aid in their hometown? Mind blowing.

3. Daryl Hall and john Oates (Philadelphia, PA) – When Hall and Oates are #3, you know this list is killer. “Rich Girl” was such a sing-a-long as a kid. And then along came “You Make My Dreams” and “Kiss On My List.” Seriously, how upbeat and fun are those two songs. And those three smashes don’t even scratch the surface of what these two have accomplished.

2. Taylor Swift (West Reading, PA) – Like Hall and Oates, I could argue Taylor should be number one. Her “1989” record alone could earn her a Top 5 berth. Country? Yup. Pop? Yup. Folk. Sho’ nuff.

1. Poison (Mechanicsburg, PA) – Arguably the greatest hair band of them all, Poison got its start not all that far from here. Bret Michaels, Rikki Rockett and Bobby Dall took their talents out to California where they hooked up with C. C. DeVille and, from there, they became stars, Huge stars. “Rolling Stone” magazine even named their debit album, Look What the Cat Dragged In” the second-best Hair Metal Album of All-Time!

Pink and Taylor Swift photos, courtesy Reuters.