While this is not the better-known Nilsson Schmilsson, Harry is a charming snapshot of one of the 20th century’s greatest singer/songwriter’s on the cusp of fame. "Theme from New York, New York" (or "New York, New York") is the theme song from the Martin Scorsese film New York, New York (1977), composed by John Kander, with lyrics by Fred Ebb. It was written without a commission or for a specific show, but was offered by Duke to producer Murray Anderson for his Broadway musical Thumbs Up! —Ellen Johnson, There’s no debate as to which 2019 song is the best and truest NYC ballad. Compare and contrast that with Tony Bennett’s rendition at the 2002 Newport Jazz Festival. For those who roll their eyes at the fact he’s sold out Madison Square Garden more than 40 times, it’s worth watching to see the man in his prime, through those loyal fans’ eyes. Your New York experience won’t be quite complete until you’ve gone up to The Bronx and heard Sinatra’s voice carrying through the air after a Yankee game. Live in New York City (DVD) Live in Barcelona The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story. From getting high fives from the New York Knicks and (then) New Jersey Nets to taking an Ambien to stay awake in The City That Never Sleeps, Jay-Z’s wide-eyed appreciation for the heartbeat of America brings an intense passion into your heart. In a deleted scene, Star-Lord and Drax argue about the song. In 2004 it finished #31 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of top tunes in American Cinema. They sent it in to Roc Nation for Jay-Z to record to it, but it received some less-than-positive reviews, leaving them to think that it would never become anything. I'm an Englishman in New York See me walking down Fifth Avenue A walking cane here at my side I take it everywhere I walk I'm an Englishman in New York I'm an alien I'm a legal alien I'm an Englishman in New York I'm an alien I'm a legal alien I'm an Englishman in New York If, "Manners maketh man" as someone said Then he's the hero of the day In honor of this strong, beautiful city, we rounded up 25 of the best songs ever written about New York. She alternates between the two axes on and off, lilting through the emotional connective tissue binding her to the song. It was written for and performed in the film by Liza Minnelli. But when Keys comes roaring onto the chorus, that’s when the chills form and you feel the utter infatuation with the area. In the documentary Shut Up and Play the Hits, the song is prefaced by Murphy getting in a cab and visiting the members of LCD Soundsystem for dinner, followed by a contemplative drive as Murphy looks out at the city he calls home. The song describes the often disorienting, yet liberating journey into New York City’s bustling subway system. “Autumn in New York” is a jazz standard composed by Vernon Duke in 1934 for the Broadway musical Thumbs Up! The song became a popular hit after Frank Sinatra performed it at Radio City Music Hall in October 1978. Maybe the city at its peak still exists to someone, but not for him. The song was re-released in a new remix featuring rapper Ghostface Killah. The Gotobeds: “New York’s Alright (If You Like Sex & Phones)”, 23. “My My Metrocard” is a throwback to careless exploration with friends, twirling on subway poles, and jumping turnstiles as a middle finger to Mayor Giuliani. Perhaps this time and place are cozy and full of wonder for you, with delicately hung mistletoe and snowy strolls down Fifth Avenue. "Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys. Up to that point, the pair had always partnered musically and shared a bond, which was now breaking. (Yeah, yeah) / (New York, New York, New York, New York) / … —Andy Crump, Forget best Velvet Underground songs—this one’s arguably one of the best songs, period. "New York Groove" is a song written by English singer/songwriter Russ Ballard, which was a hit for two different artists: the band Hello in 1975, and Ace Frehley in 1978. The "Englishman" in question is the famous eccentric Quentin Crisp. “Englishman in New York” was released as a single in 1988. If we’re to name one rendition of Duke’s songcraft as definitive, it is, or should be, hers; Holiday’s voice gives the myriad conflicts and contradictions in the lyrics her stamp and a clearly drawn set of distinctions between the good of New York versus the bad. Fairytale of New York . The friend he was talking about is author Quentin Crisp. The Velvet Underground: “I’m Waiting For The Man”, 12. That “song” she mentioned?—“The traffic wrote the words.” “Chelsea Morning” possesses a movement and a light that’s felt in all the best songs about NYC. Hitching a ride. Hearing Berman’s lyrical poetry is nothing new, but there’s something so special about this particular description of New York. "The Only Living Boy in New York" is a song written by Paul Simon and performed by Simon and Garfunkel. "Autumn in New York" is a jazz standard and popular song composed by Vernon Duke in Westport, Connecticut in the summer of 1934. Learn how and when to remove this template message, Thought Crimes: The Case of the Cannibal Cop, "Billboard Chart History for New York Groove", The Irish Charts – Search Results – New York Groove", "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada", "South African Rock Lists Website - SA Charts 1965 - 1989 Acts (F)", "Sweet Return With New Album 'New York Connection, The Millennium Collection: The Best of Kiss, The Best of Kiss, Volume 2: The Millennium Collection, The Best of Kiss, Volume 3: The Millennium Collection, Hard to Believe: A Kiss Covers Compilation, Kiss My Grass: A Hillbilly Tribute to Kiss, Spin the Bottle: An All-Star Tribute to Kiss, Gods of Thunder: A Norwegian Tribute to Kiss, Lick It Up – A Millennium Tribute to Kiss, Scooby-Doo! "New York Groove" is the opening track on the 2012 Andy Scott's Sweet album New York Connection. The song features a sweeping gospel chorus by the London based Souls of Prophecy Gospel Choir. State of Mind” and ceases to relent. And in these days, darkness falls early And people rush home to the ones they love You'd better take a fool's advice than take care of your own One day they're here, next day they're gone Two Hearts. “New York, New York,” from On the Town. Most New York lyric: “The Bronx is up but the Battery’s down / The people ride in a hole in the ground” It remains one of the best-known songs about New York City. Leonard Cohen: “First We Take Manhattan”, 19. Sting said about the song in the liner notes for "...Nothing Like the Sun" album, "I wrote "Englishman in New York for a friend of mine who moved from London to New York in his early seventies to a small rented apartment in the Bowery at a time in his life when most people have settled down forever." I went out walking the other day Seen a little girl crying along the way She'd been hurt so bad said she'd never love again Someday your crying girl will end Now you're in New York! “That song is about New York falling apart. These streets will make you feel brand new, Big lights will inspire you, Hear it for New York! This is a slow, deliberate piece that’s made comfortable through mellowness, but it’s made immortal through Holiday’s melancholy. New York’s alright. “New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down” is Murphy’s anthem for the city that has let him down, but still it’s “the one pool where I’d happily drown.” In the video, a grown Sharon Van Etten walks with her younger self through old NYC stomping grounds—Union Pool, Baby’s All Right, the Marcy Street JM subway stop. And together, the two made history with a rousing love letter to the Big Apple. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100,[2][3] by far the highest charting single from any of the four solo albums. There’s an air of espionage in the tune somehow (reinforced later in the record by the outlandish “Jazz Police”) and Cohen’s booming baritone makes the listener feel like a conspirator. Alicia Keys: “Empire State of Mind”, 2. LCD Soundsystem: “New York, I Love You, but You’re Bringing Me Down”. "Once Upon a Time in New York City" is a song that plays at the beginning of the 1988 Disney animated film Oliver & Company. How? Yes, his vocal positively oozes exuberance—listening to signature lines like “I want to wake up in a city that doesn’t sleep,” it’s hard to imagine that Sinatra wasn’t being sincere about the subject, especially having grown up across the Hudson River in Hoboken, N.J., right in view of Manhattan’s fabled skyline. —Lizzie Manno, Few bands evoke The City That Never Sleeps quite like the Beastie Boys, whose standout Licensed to Ill track is a rightful fixture on lists like this one. As the lead single from their debut album Criminal Minded, released that same year, “South Bronx” is notorious for its role in “The Bridge Wars” that pitted BDP against Queens rapper MC Shan after he released “The Bridge.” The song memorably samples James Brown’s “Get Up Offa That Thing” and undeniably launched KRS-One’s groundbreaking career not only as a skilled rapper but an exemplary lyricist. It resonated with the world, going more than five times platinum. Check him out wearing a younger man’s clothes, cigarette hanging from his lip, regaling a crowd in New Jersey with his then-new single, “New York State of Mind,” in 1976. It was released on the 13 September 2009. —Ellen Johnson, This 1987 track, courtesy of the legendary group Boogie Down Productions, pays homage to the birthplace of hip-hop. However, as someone who moved to New Jersey as a teen, I have a soft spot for this song. The song stresses personal responsibility in the line, "It's up to you, New York, New York," as it's a place where you can't expect a handout but have an opportunity to succeed no matter who you are. In 1990, a remix by Dutch producer Ben Liebrand was released as a single and hit #15. The lyrics paint a picture of a bygone New York City, one where up-and-coming rock musicians like Van Etten ran wild. "New York Groove" was performed on Kiss's tours of 1979 and 1980, and became a staple of Frehley's shows during his solo tours in the 1980s and 90s, and again during the Reunion Tour when he rejoined Kiss in 1996. Best Songs About New York "Fairytale of New York," The Pogues Featuring Kristy MacColl. The instrumental hook (DAH-DAH dah-dah-dah) is just as iconic as any of the song’s most memorable lines, and the ambience of the Sinatra recording hearkens back to classic 1940s and ’50s-era records where vocalists took center stage accompanied by an orchestra. Most post-9/11 tributes to New York were mawkish, chest-beating drivel, but “NYC” (almost certainly written before the attacks but released a year later) depicted the city as a gloomy haze of feigned apathy and social disguises. Purple Mountains: “Snow Is Falling In Manhattan”, 16. The 60 Best Songs Ever Written About New York City 1. We hope they inspire a little of that NYC strength and spirit in you. The lyrics for "Zoom" were written by Gustavo Cerati. She’s in anguish. Years later, “South Bronx” remains one of music’s most recognizable—and galvanizing—anthems while serving as a crucial piece of hip hop history. How can we not finish with this, most iconic of New York song? The song has exactly the same chords as 'If You Love Somebody Set Them Free' If you find a good chord structure you should use it at least once or twice. It’s her way of telling the story driving “Autumn in New York” through her own lens, not Duke’s or anyone else’s for that matter. 3. All State Songs. Frehley once told Rolling Stone magazine that his unique take on the song was inspired by his experience with hookers in New York City's Times Square in the 1970s. Though the Beastie Boys were just beginning to take their show on the road circa 1986, this hit made it clear they’d never leave Brooklyn behind. Boogie Down Productions: “South Bronx”, 17. It’s his kind of lyricism, along with Q-Tip and Pete Rock’s understated production, that begged for hip hop to be considered as poetry.—Max Blau, Few lyrics have resonated more this decade than “You’re the only motherfucker in the city who can handle me.” But “New York’s” strength doesn’t necessarily come from its refrain as much as its hyper-specific ode to Manhattan crossed with a breakup song. This was released as a single in 1988, reaching #51 in the UK. Yeah, its old paintings are probably more famous than your town’s old paintings, but it also doesn’t have your favorite bar or BBQ joint. Titled as a tribute to Motörhead’s 1981 live album No Sleep Till Hammersmith and featuring an ear-splitting guitar solo from Slayer’s Kerry King, “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” stays true to (while affectionately goofing on) the rock ‘n’ roll in which the Beasties were rooted, reveling in the traveling drug and sex circus that is the classic rock tour. It’s a place. Start spreading the news I'm leaving today I want to be a part of it, New York, New York These vagabond shoes Are longing to stray And make a brand new start of it New York, New York I want to wake up in the city that doesn't sleeps To find I'm king of the hill, top of the heap These little town blues Are melting away I'll make a brand new start of it In old New York If I can make it there I'll make it anywhere It's up to you, New York, New York New York, New York … —Trey Alston, One of the late Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s best-known hits, Bobby Womack’s “Across 110th Street” shares its name with the 1972 blaxploitation film for which it was written and recorded, as well as the line dividing the hard streets of Harlem from the northern edge of Central Park. Is This It came out in the summer of 2001, just a few months before the 9/11 attacks, so later copies of the record removed the song, which some found in poor taste due to its jabs at the city’s first responders. and Kiss: Rock and Roll Mystery, Hold Me, Touch Me (Think of Me When We're Apart), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=New_York_Groove&oldid=1005426484, Articles needing additional references from March 2015, All articles needing additional references, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from January 2018, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz work identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, It was played at the end of the 10th episode of season 4 of the TV show, The Ace Frehley recording was played in the 12th episode of season 3 of the TV show, It was the opening theme for the first two seasons of the American cable television reality series, It was played in the 8th episode of season 5 of the HBO TV show, This page was last edited on 7 February 2021, at 16:22. That doesn’t mean it’s as shiny and wonderful as you’ve been led to believe in every romantic comedy and rock album ever made, but it is one of the most resilient cities we’ve got. “Snow is falling in Manhattan / In a slow diagonal fashion / On the Sabbath, as it happens,” he sings. The song has been used as the background promotional music for the 2014 and 2015 TCS New York City Marathons. New Yorkiest lyrics: "The … Beastie Boys: “No Sleep Till Brooklyn”, 1. His phrasing on this tune is particularly pristine: try not to choke up when he pleads (and recedes), “I need you, I don’t need you.” But the truly great and iconic feature of this song is that, for all the emotion and memory that he applies to its performance and composition, he ends on a profoundly ruthless statement that hangs, dangerously, in the air: “I don’t think of you that often.” —Nate Logsdon, It will be difficult to convey to future generations just how well Interpol epitomized dapper-dressed early-aughts cool. Find all 50 songs in Home Alone 2: Lost in New York Soundtrack, with scene descriptions. “Englishman in New York” was released as a single in 1988. Stephen King uses the song as the title to a chapter in Wolves of the Calla, book V of his dark fantasy The Dark Tower series, where the characters Jake Chambers and Eddie Dean briefly return to New York City by means of magical muffinballs, and the characters also allude to the song in free indirect speech. —Garrett Martin, This track is thrilling because it opens I’m Your Man in a mode in which we’ve never heard Cohen before, as a kind of cosmopolitan thrill-seeker and provocateur. The friend he was talking about is author Quentin Crisp. The New York Mets play "New York Groove" immediately following a victory at Citi Field. The lushly composed “struggle song” melds the personal and the universal, with Womack (who was born into poverty in Cleveland) recalling his own battle “to break out of the ghetto,” and lamenting racial and geographical divisions that still persist today: “The family on the other side of town / would catch hell without a ghetto around / In every city you find the same thing going down.” “Across 110th Street,” too, still resonates, spanning generations as a soulful anthem for marginalized folks fighting to survive, whether in New York City or any other. Even a crowded city beach feels worlds away from dog-day concrete playgrounds and rooftops, and “Rockaway Beach” salutes its eternal promise of respite in some of Dee Dee Ramone’s most economic poetry: “Chewing out a rhythm on my bubble gum / Sun is out, and I want some.” —Sara Bir, An iconic counterpoint to both cheery Christmas songs and starry-eyed views of the Big Apple. Whereas Joel’s initial debut above feels off-the-cuff, interrupted by ab-libs and lousy with freewheeling solos, Bennett’s tightly-paced, hotel-lobby cool jazz arrangement makes the song feel elegant and standardized. Sounds pretty great, right? It is the most New York and the most Irish. Double props to this song for being as anti-cellphone as it is indifferent towards New York. "Englishman in New York" is a song by Sting, from his 1987 album …Nothing Like the Sun. Baby I'm from New York Concrete jungle where dreams are made of There's nothing you can't do Now you're in New York These streets will make you feel brand new Big lights will inspire you Hear it for New York, New York, New York One hand in the air for the big city Street lights, big dreams, all lookin' pretty No place in the world that can compare The raucous, Rick Rubin-produced party anthem is nothing if not a posse cut, with Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz, Michael “Mike D” Diamond and the late Adam “MCA” Yauch swapping rowdy bars fast and furiously, with an iconic shout-along chorus at its core. The Ace Frehley version was among songs proposed by James Gunn for use with the Guardians of the Galaxy in Avengers: Infinity War. The film Golden Exits (2017) begins with a character singing the song. Concrete jungle where dreams are made of There's nothing you can't do, now you're in New York! “New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down” is Murphy’s anthem for the city that has let him down, but still it’s “the one pool where I’d happily drown.” Like the kids who had borrowed nostalgia for the unremembered ’80s, Murphy never got to see NYC in its heyday and you can feel the pain in missing this moment of musical and cultural significance. New York is easily the most romanticized American city in movies, music and TV. It is sung by Huey Lewis with music by Barry Mann and lyrics by Howard Ashman. With expertly twangy guitar work, plenty of humming and harmonica and the mellow, humble attitude of all the James Taylor-types who made this era of soft-rock so freakin’ endearing, Jim Croce chronicles the ups and downs of love and loss in the life of a classic, 30-something road dog. I got a pocketful of dreams aby I'm from New York! Become A Better Singer In Only 30 Days, With Easy Video Lessons! The single was released in February 1988 as the third single from the album, but only reached #51 on the UK Singles Chart. (and the U.S. vinyl version) recorded in Sydney, Australia in 1980, which would also make it one of the few live recordings released by the group to feature longtime drummer Eric Carr. For others, it’s akin to an orchestra. Because the bus is, apparently, too slow, and it involves loud disco. 3. The song was played as the Sabres and Rangers took the ice. A New York state of mind links these songs-a remarkable pop music mix that reflects and celebrates the incredible musical diversity of the City That Never Sleeps. What’s the conspiracy, exactly? —Steven Edelstone, “New York City Cops” is one of modern rock’s most mythical songs. We would have it no other way. Ace Frehley performed the song live at the beginning of the 2018 NHL Winter Classic between the Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers at Citi Field in New York City. So, “say goodbye to all your sorrows,” and hop on the imaginary train to Nilsson’s New York City, a magical land full of puppies and walks in the park and new love. It was written for and performed in the film by Liza Minnelli. Le Tigre perfectly encapsulates that childlike thrill with a more rebellious twist in their 1999 song “My My Metrocard.” The vibrant power-punk guitar repetition punctuated by the infectious tambourines brought an edgy twist to the beloved girl groups of the ’60s with Kathleen Hanna’s iconic yelping vocals. New York designated "I Love New York" by Steve Karmen as the official state song in 2009 ("I Love NY" was also adopted as the official state slogan in 2009). That is, after all, the great strength of her voice: She modulates her pitch from line to line, verse to verse, with casual mastery, one moment telling of her fondness for the greatest city in the world, the next outlining the way its greatness so often cross-pollinates with loss and abiding sadness. That’s what the whole record’s about.” —Zach Schonfeld, The Ramones were my first true love, but it wasn’t until I lived in New York City (Queens, specifically) that I fully understood the gist of their bare-bones Beach Boys ode “Rockaway Beach.” It’s not a beach song, per se, but a song about how gross and sticky the city feels on a sweltering day; it’s about escapism, about getting to the beach. There were a bunch to sift through, and we undoubtedly left off a few of your favorites, but these are the NYC songs that mean the most to our staff and writers. A sample of the song's main riff and rhythm (1975 Hello version) was used by the Argentine rock band Soda Stereo for their song "Zoom" from the album Sueño Stereo in 1995. Ace Frehley, best known as the lead guitarist of Kiss, recorded "New York Groove" for his first solo album, Ace Frehley, released in 1978; the album was released concurrently with solo albums from the other three Kiss members: Peter Criss, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. It’s a beautiful moment where you can see the love in Murphy’s eyes, almost as if once LCD is done, he’ll be kicked out of the city he has embraced and criticized. The song became a popular hit after Frank Sinatra performed it at Radio City Music Hall in October 1978. New York has had a lot thrown at it, especially this year. Sting wasn't the first to use the title. "New York" is a song by English singer-songwriter Paloma Faith from the album Do You Want the Truth or Something Beautiful?. The only Christmas song to feature the words “scumbag” and... "Empire State of Mind," Jay Z + Alicia Keys. View phone numbers, addresses, public records, background check reports and possible arrest records for In Song in New York (NY). The title song, "Autumn in New York" is crooned out by Yvonne Washington, and its relaxing jazz bass line and soft percussion is just perfect. —Bonnie Stiernberg, Even for a city that’s produced an endless supply of self-referencing music, there is perhaps no song that captures New Yorkers’ collective image of their town as much as Frank Sinatra’s rendition of “New York, New York.” The song occupies a unique position as the hallmark for no less than three globally recognized institutions—Sinatra, the city itself and the New York Yankees. Sting wasn't the first to use the title. Branford Marsalis played soprano saxophone on the track, while the drums were played by Manu Katché and the percussion by Mino Cinélu.. The song’s main subject was Quentin Crisp, a British writer.Sting said this about the song in the liner notes for Nothing Like the Sun: She didn’t depict the hustle and bustle of New York City, but rather a peaceful a.m. scene—breakfast, oranges, “a song outside my window.” You can’t hear it without longing to slip into a bathrobe, pour a cup of coffee and just nest. The movie starring Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan features the cozy “Puppy Song” as well as “I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City,” which will whisk you away to a simpler, busier time in the city’s life (“Marchin’ Down Broadway” and the song “City Life” are also helpful in that regard, though the latter might make you feel thankful that you don’t live in NYC). which opened on December 27, 1934, performed by J. Harold Murray. It’s there in Harry Nilsson’s urban hymn “I Guess the Lord Must Be in New York City” as the banjo cracks on. The pounding track about waiting to score whatever $26 will get you has been covered by the likes of David Bowie, Beck and Belle & Sebastian, but no one does it quite like the original. In the year following my move, I was forcefully optimistic and tried very hard to paper over my fears about making new friends with empty reassurances.