Time Out New York recently compiled a list of the 100 best songs about New York City, flush with videos and blurbs sizing up each song’s merit. It’s a wide-reaching list, pulling in from all sorts of styles across different eras, from Sinatra croonerism (guess which song?!) to Broadway to Grandmaster Flash. With that in mind, I’d say that the #1 (over #2, especially) is somewhat of a curveball, but I can understand the rationale, as the track it is a ubiquitous, inescapable song in this realm (and it will only get worse as the Atlantic Yards project gets finished, hint hint). Check out the list below.
100. XTC, “Statue of Liberty” (1978)
99 Charles Hamilton, “Brooklyn Girls” (2008)
98 Le Tigre, “My My Metrocard” (1999)
97 The Insect Trust, “The Eyes of a New York Woman” (1970)
96 Phil Ochs, “Outside of a Small Circle of Friends” (1967)
95 The Moldy Peaches, “NYC’s Like a Graveyard” (2001)
94 Jerry Orbach and the Original Broadway Cast (42nd Street), “The Lullaby of Broadway” (1980)
93 Phosphorescent, “The Mermaid Parade” (2010)
92 Judge, “New York Crew” (1988)
91 Tom Waits, “Union Square” (1985)
90 Unsane, “D Train” (2005)
89 Genesis, “The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway” (1974)
88 The Crystals, “Uptown” (1962)
87 Original Broadway Cast (Rent), “La Vie Boheme” (1994)
86 Fred Neil, “Bleecker & MacDougal” (1965)
85 Al Kooper, “New York City (You’re a Woman)” (1971)
84 Grandmaster D.S.T., “The Home of Hip-Hop” (1985)
83 Kid Creole and the Coconuts, “Dario (Can You Get Me Into Studio 54)” (1979)
82 Death Cab for Cutie, “Coney Island” (2001)
81 Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood, “Greenwich Village Folk Song Salesman” (1968)
80 Paul Simon, “American Tune” (1973)
79 3rd Bass, “Brooklyn–Queens” (1989)
78 Bobby Short, “I Happen to Like New York” (1973)
77 The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl, “Fairytale of New York” (1987)
76 The Dictators, “Avenue A” (2001)
75 The Trammps, “The Night the Lights Went Out” (1977)
74 Dion, “King of the New York Streets” (1989)
73 Shelley Plimpton and the Original Broadway Cast (Hair), “Frank Mills” (1968)
72 U2, “Angel of Harlem” (1988)
71 Fear, “New York’s All Right If You Like Saxophones” (1982)
70 The National, “Daughters of the Soho Riots” (2005)
69 Billy Joel, “Miami 2017 (Seen the Lights Go Out on Broadway)” (1976)
68 Sting, “Englishman in New York” (1987)
67 The Ramones, “53rd & 3rd” (1976)
66 Barry Manilow, “New York City Rhythm” (1975)
65 Glenn Miller, “Pennsylvania 6-5000” (1940)
64 Village People, “Fire Island” (1977)
63 Suzanne Vega, “Anniversary” (2007)
62 Lord Tariq and Peter Gunz, “Deja Vu (Uptown Baby)” (1998)
61 Gil Scott-Heron, “New York Is Killing Me” (2010)
60 Run-D.M.C., “Christmas in Hollis” (1987)
59 Steely Dan, “Daddy Don’t Live in That New York City No More” (1975)
58 Kool G Rap and DJ Polo, “Streets of New York” (1990)
57 Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, “New York City Serenade” (1973)
56 Laura Nyro, “New York Tendaberry” (1969)
55 Nina Hagen, “New York/N.Y.” (1983)
54 Boogie Down Productions, “South Bronx” (1986)
53 MC Shan and Marley Marl, “The Bridge” (1986)
52 The Magnetic Fields, “The Luckiest Guy on the Lower East Side” (1999)
51 Andrew W.K., “I Love NYC” (2001)
50 Bill Withers, “Harlem” (1971)
49 Odyssey, “Native New Yorker” (1977)
48 Jay-Z with the Notorious B.I.G., “Brooklyn’s Finest” (1996)
47 Jeffrey and Jack Lewis, “Williamsburg Will Oldham Horror” (2005)
46 Tom Browne, “Funkin’ for Jamaica (N.Y.)” (1980)
45 Ace Frehley, “New York Groove” (1978)
44 Bob & Earl, “Harlem Shuffle” (1963)
43 Original studio cast (On the Town), “New York, New York” (1960)
42 Interpol, “NYC” (2002)
41 Nat King Cole, “Harlem Blues” (1958)
40 Alice Cooper, “Big Apple Dreamin’ (Hippo)” (1973)
39 The Rolling Stones, “Shattered” (1978)
38 The Avett Brothers, “I and Love and You” (2009)
37 Bruce Springsteen, “The Rising” (2002)
36 The Strokes, “New York City Cops” (2001)
35 The Bee Gees, “Stayin’ Alive” (1977)
34 Tom Waits, “Downtown Train” (1985)
33 Bob Dylan, “Talkin’ New York” (1962)
32 Ella Fitzgerald, “Manhattan” (1957)
31 James Cagney, “Give My Regards to Broadway” (1942)
30 Bobby Womack, “Across 110th Street” (1972)
29 Jennifer Lopez, “Jenny from the Block” (2002)
28 Suzanne Vega, “Tom’s Diner” (1987)
27 Simon & Garfunkel, “The Only Living Boy in New York” (1970)
26 Elton John, “Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters” (1972)
25 Stevie Wonder, “Living for the City” (1973)
24 Ryan Adams, “My Blue Manhattan” (2004)
23 Lou Reed, “Halloween Parade” (1989)
22 New York Dolls, “Subway Train” (1973)
21 Nas, “N.Y. State of Mind” (1994)
20 The Ramones, “Rockaway Beach” (1977)
19 Billy Joel, “New York State of Mind” (1976)
18 Vampire Weekend, “M79” (2008)
17 Simon & Garfunkel, “The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy)” (1966)
16 Joni Mitchell, “Chelsea Morning” (1969)
15 LL Cool J, “Doin’ It” (1996)
14 George Benson, “On Broadway” (1978)
13 The Velvet Underground, “I’m Waiting for the Man” (1967)
12 Duke Ellington Orchestra, “Take the ‘A’ Train” (1941)
11 Wu-Tang Clan, “C.R.E.A.M.” (1993)
10 Leonard Cohen, “Chelsea Hotel No. 2” (1974)
09 Ryan Adams, “New York, New York” (2001)
08 Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, “The Message” (1982)
07 Leonard Bernstein with the Columbia Symphony Orchestra, “Rhapsody in Blue” (1959)
06 Lou Reed, “Walk on the Wild Side” (1972)
05 Billie Holiday, “Autumn in New York” (1952)
04 LCD Soundsystem, “New York, I Love You but You’re Bringing Me Down” (2007)
03 Beastie Boys, “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” (1986)
02 Frank Sinatra, “Theme from New York, New York” (1980)
01 Jay-Z with Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind” (2009)
There’s also a reader’s poll, if that’s your thing.
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Ha ha cool list! Now do one where you rank songs about love in order of best to worst, any genre: GO.
86. Fred Neil! Yes absolutely! but what about…#101 Sylvain Sylvain “14th st”?
Say what you want about their ridiculous Occupy anthem, Motorcycle Drive By by Third Eye Blind is an amazing song.
Upon visiting the city, who doesn’t walk out into the streets of the Big Apple with “Jenny from the Block” playing as the ultimate NYC song in their head?
“The Lamb Lies Down n Broadway”…but no “Back In NYC”?
I’m no LL Cool J expert (haaa, if you are) but does is he just “Doin It” in NYC? Does he say somewhere that he’s “Doin It” in NYC?
He represents Queens but she was raised out from Brooklyn haaa
haaa
haaa
Too low — Pogues “Fairytale” (first NYC song I thought of)
Should be on — Elvis Costello “New Amsterdam”
Glad it’s not on there — Manhattan Transfer “Boy from NYC”
oh oh oh also the one about elvis costello not wanting to go to chelsea
where-s coney island baby by lou reed????????
what about julian casablancas – ludlow shahahaha sorry i can’t finish.
Interpol’s NYC placed as low as #42 is a crime.
Youre a crime.
You’re grammar is a crime.
NYC is full of crime.
And the pavements are a mess!
YOUR grammer is a crim.
yeahhh they kinda forgot one, with 2 very hip genius artists, tsk tsk tsk…OH and ‘doo doo doo doo’ would be a better Stones song about nyc probably, or both should be on the list.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLM4BMM_hzk&feature=fvst
actually i lied ‘This Mess We’re In’ is a good one but there’s 2 PJ songs that are even more NYC.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VwihpQ4r44
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-HPITkugzc
and THIS Richard Ashcroft song shoulda been on there too, there now i’m done:)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNySf_ejNfo
Yeah no doubt Heartbreaker is the first NY stones song I think of…
If “Empire State of Mind” has one fatal flaw (and I’m not suggesting it’s otherwise flawless), it’s the line “concrete jungle where dreams are made of.” That just doesn’t work grammatically. “Concrete jungle where dreams are made?” Sure. “Concrete jungle/ what dreams are made of?” Why not. “Concrete jungle that dreams of made of?” That works too. As it stands, however, that statement doesn’t make a bit of goddamn sense.
yes! that’s always annoyed me so much.
ha never thought of it, you’re right…I think the easiest fix would be ‘concret jungle THAT dreams ARE made of’
I believe it’s “Concrete Jungle, where dreams are made, oh“
You guys are all wrong. It’s “concrete jungle/ wet dream tomato”
haha, maybe it’s “Where dreams are Madoff’s?”
I always imagine that’s is sort of a hanging ellipsis, and Alicia is thinking something like “Where dreams are made of… poop.” as she sings
Kevn Kinney’s “MacDougal Blues” should be on this list over others.
Maybe I missed it, but where is Garland Jefferys “New York Skyline”?
This song is often played on college radio stations on/around 9/11
There should be at least ONE PJ Harvey song from Stories from the City/Sea, horrible brainless omission-
On a rooftop in Brooklyn
One in the morning
Watching the lights flash
In Manhattan
I see five bridges
The empire state building
And you said something
That I’ve never forgotten
Yeah, especially “Good Fortune”. Maybe the video was shot in London. :)
“Maybe BECAUSE the video was shot in London”, he meant to say.
“53rd and 3rd” should be on there.
Where is “SHEENA IS A PUNK ROCKER” ?????????
Now in Spotify playlist form! http://open.spotify.com/user/12490738/playlist/0Xyf5Mc3cz87znDJeriz5P
THE KILLS- WHAT NEW YORK USED TO BE
Im a little dissapointed that Sinatra comes in at #2
considering most lists publications/websites make suck, this one is ok.
U2′s Angel of Harlem shouldn’t be in a top list of anything.
I personally think their “New York” would have been a better choice.
Vampire Weekend’s “M79″ was a good pick, though “White Sky” would have also worked… albeit a slightly more pretentious tour of NYC.
The Brooklyn reference in the Avett Brothers song is totally about a girl, they live in North Carolina…
Totally missed Coltrane’s Central Park West and Cam’ron and Jay-Z’s “Welcome to New York City”
NEW YORK CITY BEAT !!!
by Armand Van Helden has to be there its just so damn New York !!!
Wow! How could you omit Under the Boardwalk and Spanish Harlem? Blasphemous!
Missing a great songs by
Pylon – M Train
Alice Texas – Coney Island
“The Rising” is about Asbury Park. Switch it with “Detachable Penis”, an excellent ode to the East Village of the mid-90s.