Songs about New York City

No other city has been sung about in pop as often as New York City. Here’s a little tour of the Five Boroughs’ theme afternoon music in Hallo FM4.

By Christian Lehner

Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Staten Island – these are the names of the five boroughs of New York City. Taken together, they make up the metropolis that is generally regarded as the most important city of the 20th century. And because the last century was the first of pop music, no city has been sung about more often than New York City – somehow it sounds logical. The city was called “Big Apple” in jazz language, hip hop was born in New York City, as well as disco and punk – sorry London. There are so many great songs about the city on the Hudson and East River.

The Ramones – Rockaway Beach

But where to start? Maybe with some broken guys from Queens. The Ramones are punk’s first big band. The CBGB club on the Bowery in Manhattan’s Lower East Side is their temple. The Ramones hail from the concrete settlements of Rockaway Beach. There you can actually surf in the Atlantic. The Ramones performing “Roackaway Beach” from the album Rocket To Russia released in 1977.

Lou Reed – Walk On The Wild Side

permanent guest in CBGB is a grumpy musician named Lou Reed. His band, The Velvet Underground, breathed art and avant-garde into rock ‘n’ roll. In 1972 he landed his only world hit solo. With “Walk On The Wild Side” Lou Reed sets a monument to the queer scene around Andy Warhol’s Factory.

Nas – New York State Of Mind

New York City is the birthplace of hip-hop, the crib of Jay Z, Lil Kim, Run DMC, Biggie Smalls, Beastie Boys, A Tribe Called Quest, Nickie Minaj, Wu Tang Clan, Mobb Deep and so many more. The album “Illmatic” by Nas is still the gold standard. It was released in 1994 and was produced by DJ Premiere. The then very young rapper Nas tells in songs like “New York State Of Mind” about the hard life in the Queensbridge Houses.

Cat Power – New York, New York

Frank Sinatra’s classic “New York, New York” from the city that never sleeps sounds particularly beautiful in the cover version by Cat Power, released in 2008.

Taylor Swift – Welcome To New York

In 2014, Taylor Swift welcomes all self-actualizers to the big city. “Welcome To New York” But by this time the metropolis on the Hudson River was already unaffordable for mere mortals and had become a tourist hotspot under Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

LCD Soundsystem – New York I Love You, But You’re Bringing Me Down

This is particularly annoying for this gentleman: James Murphy from the LCD sound system with “New York I Love You, But You’re Bringing Me Down”.

Beastie Boys – An Open Letter To New York

Because the introduction talked about the five boroughs of NYC, we finally have to talk about the Beastie Boys here. We know the (fictional) “Paul’s Boutique” on the Lower East Side and we still celebrate “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” from the debut album “Licence To Ill” (1986). The later album “To The Five Boroughs” was a reaction to the attacks of September 11, 2001 and was released in 2004. Here’s the Beasties’ gift to their hometown, the Beastie Boys, with “An Open Letter To NYC.”

They Might Be Giants – New York City

Finally, a personal favorite: “New York is at its most beautiful when you’re young and in love,” said the indie duo They Might Be Giants in the 1996 song “New York City”. I can only confirm that I got married there.

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