Bars where the music is part of the experience.

Why it's here: Pouring since 1907, Capone's booth still in the corner, jazz seven nights — the most storied music bar in America, at 4.3 across 4,500+ Google reviews. What's good: Cash at the door, a stiff drink, and the late set; respect the listening-room rule when the band plays. Who should go: Anyone who wants jazz history that's still alive — Sunday's poetry slam is its own institution.

Why it's here: The cinder-block church of bluegrass since 1974, defiantly unchanged while The Gulch grew glass towers around it — 4.8 across 1,300+ Google reviews, the highest on this list. What's good: Cheap beer, popcorn, and whoever's picking that night — Sunday's bluegrass jam is free and frequently astonishing. Who should go: Anyone who thinks Nashville is only Broadway — get in line early, it's first-come.

Why it's here: The Frith Street basement has been the centre of European jazz since 1959 — every giant of the music has played the room you're sitting in. What's good: Book a main-show table and eat beforehand; the Late Late Show after midnight on weekends is the insider's ticket. Who should go: Serious listeners and big-night-out couples both — it's a venue with a great bar, run like a bar with a great venue.

Why it's here: The Village room where legends still book week-long runs — the most consequential jazz stage on this list, with the bar to match. What's good: Bar seating is cheaper than tables and often better; the late sets bring looser playing and a more local room. Who should go: Anyone with one jazz night in New York — check the calendar and pick the artist, not the day.

Why it's here: A Calle Ocho landmark since 1935 where Billie Holiday once sang and live Latin bands now run the floor nightly — 4.6 across 9,600+ Google reviews. What's good: A mojito under the pineapple stage lights and whatever the band tells your hips to do; afternoons swing gentler than the late show. Who should go: Everyone from salsa devotees to the merely curious — no cover most nights, and the people-watching is half the bill.

Why it's here: Three floors of antiques with samba bands below — Lapa's grand dame, holding 4.6 across 8,300+ Google reviews. What's good: A caipirinha on the balcony watching the dance floor; go Friday for the full Lapa effect. Who should go: Visitors who want Rio's music scene with a safety rail — and dancers, obviously.

Why it's here: A former bank vault under Silom done up as 1930s Shanghai, with jazz and soul bands most nights — 4.4 across 1,200+ Google reviews. What's good: The whisky-forward list suits the room; Sunday's long-running cabaret night is the city's best-kept open secret. Who should go: Anyone bored of rooftop Bangkok — it's theatrical, air-conditioned, and entirely its own world.

Why it's here: Dinner-cabaret done at full Moroccan amplitude — house band, dancers on the staircase, and a 4.7 across a remarkable 14,000+ Google reviews. What's good: Arrive for the 9:30pm show with a cocktail in hand; stay upstairs at the bar if you'd rather drink than dine. Who should go: Celebration groups — it's maximalist by design, and bashfulness doesn't survive the first set.

Why it's here: The Netherlands' essential jazz-and-beyond room — a converted warehouse where the booking runs from bebop to Afrobeat with total confidence. What's good: Good beer, wood-oven pizza, and whatever the programmer trusted that night — this is a venue you let surprise you. Who should go: Listeners who'd rather discover than confirm; check the agenda, most shows are cheap or free.

Why it's here: The strip-mall listening room where Nashville's songwriters play their own hits in the round — the most intimate famous stage in American music. What's good: The early in-the-round show; drinks are beside the point and the silence rule is enforced with pride. Who should go: Song people — reservations release online and vanish in minutes, so plan like it's a concert, because it is.