Some cities inspire songs. New York City has always been lyric material. Boston, Detroit, Dallas, New Orleans, San Francisco, Memphis, Chicago; they've all inspired a lot of music in many different genres of music.
None, however, seem to capture the imagination of songwriters like Los Angeles. Perhaps it's because so many aspiring songwriters spend time in L.A. Maybe it's because of the city itself; a city of contradictions, as city that's both very self-reflective and in love with its own artifice.
Today, Sunday Morning Playlist does something a little different. Rather than explore another musical genre, we'll go on a little social anthropology excursion, and see what clues about the City of Angels we can divine from the last fifty years of popular music.
25 great songs about Los Angeles (there are many more) include:
1. X: Los Angeles
X were integral to the L.A. punk scene in the early 80's. Their 1980 debut, Los Angeles, was produced by Ray Manzerak of the Doors in a sort of generational torch passing. However, aside from a cover of "Soul Kitchen" on the debut, there wasn't much in their music that resembled the Doors beyond a palpable sense of chaos and dread. Song titles like "Johnny Hit and Run Pauline" and "The Phone's Off The Hook, But You're Not" pretty much tell the story of the band's early outlook, which was nihilistic and somewhat disturbed. Over the years, they'd add more psychobilly and roots rock influence to their music, but on "Los Angeles" they are a full tilt punk band, whose dual vocals from Exene Cervenka and John Doe gave them a sonic texture more resonant than many of their competitors. "Los Angeles" is portrait of the city as frightening place, where people are driven mad and the days turn to nights, they change in an instant...
2. Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band: Hollywood Nights
This was Seger's message to the faithful back home in Michigan. Sure, he may have gone Hollywood, but he was still a simple old midwestern boy at heart. The 1980 album Stranger In Town marked the end of his mega-platinum peak, although he'd ride momentum through the first half of the 1980's to notch a few more hits before the fade set in. Like spiritual cousin Bruce Springsteen, Seger took a lot of flack for abandoning his root constituency by moving west, although one can hardly blame him. "Hollywood Nights" paints L.A. (or L.A. women) as corrupter of innocents who are razzledazzled by the view of the lights from the hills. It's cliched as a B-actress' memoirs, but Seger manages to convey enough working-class sweat to make the tale believable. Still a radio staple to this day.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - uao
Some honorable mentions:
Jackson Browne: Boulevard
Hole: Malibu
Daniel Lanois: Brother L.A.
Ry Cooder: 3rd Base, Dodger Stadium
Public Enemy: Burn Hollywood Burn
The Raveonettes: Ode to L.A.
System of a Down: Lost In Hollywood
Murray Head: Los Angeles
Warren Zevon: Join Me In L.A.
Madonna: Hollywood
Jerry Jeff Walker: L.A. Freeway
The Decemberists: Los Angeles I'm Yours
Jimmy Webb: MacArthur Park
Weezer: Beverly Hills
2 - Sister Ray
All the years I've listened to "Paradise City" I didn't connect it to Los Angeles.
"Posers from day one"? I beg to differ. Guns n Roses imploded, yes, but they rocked in their day.
"Cops in cars, the topless bars, never saw a woman so alone" - timeless.
3 - Joey
Nice compilation. My favorite. Missing Person's Spring Session M... Walking in LA.
I don't know why, but that "album" is about my favorite release of the 80's. Perhaps because the musicianship on that album is impeccable.
In case you didn't know. The whole band graduated from the Zappa school of music, and had the chops to prove it.
Nicely done.
4 - uao
Sister Ray-- I guess I was a little hard on GNR; I wasn't taking the 'neutral' position I usually take in my genre articles. I admit, Appetite is a good album with a lot of supporters. But I remember being suspicious of them when they broke; their subsequent history suggests to me that there was less there than met the eye. But okay, "posers" was a little harsh...;-)
Joey-- That's a good note about the Missing Persons/Zappa connection, thanks. I never actually owned a copy of Spring Sessions M, but Best of Missing Persons (which is most of SSM plus a couple of stray tracks) was one of the first CD's I bought when I moved to LA in '89.
5 - Rodney Welch
Concrete Blonde: Still in Hollywood
Warren Zevon: Desperadoes Under the Eaves
6 - Jimmy
GNR posers since day one? Never capitalized on the stardom? Were you around in the late 80s early 90s? I was and I remember them being the biggest band in the world at one point. Even when "grunge" came in and took out metal, GNR was still going strong, very strong. And to add, if you knew anything, you would know Paradise City isn't even about LA. Its about getting away from the craziness of life to a "Paradise City", not to LA. Welcome the Jungle is about LA. Know what your talking about if your gonna write something like that.
7 - Scott Butki
I was gonna mention Still in Hollywood but I see
someone beat me to it.
Watching Concrete Blonde sing that song about L.A.
at a club in L.A. (they opened for the Replacements) is one of my pleasant memories of growing up not far from L.A.
I used to walk in L.A. and people would be like "hey, nobody walks in L.A. and I'd tell them where they can stick their missing person.
I was never a big GNR fan but it's true that they were huge and the fact people are still drooling with excitement over whatever Axl does next even though his 15 minutes were over at least 10 years ago shows just how big they were.
8 - Scott Butki
Just checked Wikipedia to see what they had on Paradise City and Axl Rose. I never knew his name was an anagram for orxal sex. Silly man.
Anyway the article might be an interesting read since it mentions at least two intepretations of the song but it does say that Axl says Paradise City does not exist which puts the idea that it's about L.A. into serious doubt.
9 - uao
I'm hoping this doesn't turn into a Guns 'n' Roses thread; I simply don't want to be responsible for bringing another one into the world...
I took a little license perhaps in my interpretation of Paradise City. What Axl thinks it's about is immaterial; a lot of songwriters are poor sources to ask what their songs are 'about'.
Interestingly, Wiki also includes Paradise City on a similar list, although I don't agree that all of their choices are really "about" L.A.
I should have gone with my first instince and chosen "One In A Million" which names an actual L.A. street corner (6th and Loa Angeles, by the Greyhound station)
I'm not saying Paradise City ins't inspired by L.A.; they lived in L.A. at the time, wrote at least one other song about L.A., and "paradise" as a codeword for L.A. was used by Randy Newman "Trouble In Paradise", the Eagles "The Last Resort", 10000 Maniacs "City of Angels", etc.
So, it is not outside the realm of reasonable that one can infer that Paradise City may refer to L.A. too, even in the service of creating a fictitious city.
But okay, let's go with "One In A Million" instead!
Jimmy-- You must have missed my reply to Sister ray. Yes, I was "around". Yes, they were very "big". I still think GNR were more hype than band, like many Sunset Strip bands of the 80's. Appetite was good; I've conceded that already. Great? Matter of taste. And it was downhill from there.
But this ain't about GNR, it's about L.A.
10 - James Blackman In LA
having a business in Redondo Beach
I have the words "Redondo Beach"(California)
on my Google media alert and you popped up today! So I clicked on your sight and I saw the write up on what you wrote on Patty Smith, and Redondo Beach being "sleazy"...thank you for adding "or least it was in 1975"
and as native living at 310 South Prospect in 1975 when I was 19 I would say that was fairly accurate!
But I will say today with coffee at about 6.00 bucks a cup and a 1950's two bedroom monopoly shaped house will run you about 1.5 million, not to mention the valet parking for the dry cleaners a lot has changed-since then. Its now Beverly Hills with an ocean. Thank for the great chuckle and the fond memories of a less important and more fun time in our lives here south bay and in Redondo Beach. The line up of artist was perfectly selected and the writing on each of them was well executed, great work. The show sounds wonderful. Good work.
James Blackman
President & Founder
Civic Light Opera Of South Bay Cities
Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center
11 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
Everclear: "Santa Monica" (my birthplace)
12 - Bliffle
Tim Buckley
13 - uao
James Buckley--
Sorry, no slight intended towards present day Redondo Beach! It's a fine community now, great for business, and a place I can't afford anymore ;-)
I got a chuckle from your post too. Thanks!
14 - uao
I meant James Blackman. Sorry, I'm having a "cant type for beans" day today...
15 - Sister Ray
I like the Wang Chung song. too. Let's turn it into a Wang Chung thread :->
16 - Scott Butki
Everybody Wang Chung tonite! What the hell does that actually mean?
17 - Brian
Jude's "Out Of L.A." - Perfect for anyone who's ever lived there and wanted to get out.
18 - RooDog
U2's "Desire" is about a housing project in New Orleans - thus, disqualified from your list. Please remove. Thanks - the management.
19 - uao
RooDog:
"Desire" (Hollywood Remix) is full of sound effects of Hollywood, repeating the phrase "In Hollywood tonight" about 20 times throughout the song. Thus, U2 themselves are identifying Desire with Hollywood.
Sorry RooDog, your post is mistaken. Please remove. Thanks - the talent.
20 - RooDog
No, your poll is mistaken. A song specifically about New Orleans should not land in the top 25 songs about Los Angeles, particularly the top 10?!?!?!. Admit your mistake and replace it with something more approrpriate.
21 - uao
RooDog, what is it about "Hollywood" do you not understand?
22 - uao
...and why is a snippet of circa-1988 L.A. anchorwoman Bree Walker reporting on a shooting in Hollywood sampled a couple of dozen times? And why film the video in Hollywood? And call it the Hollywood Remix?
Answer one of these, and I'll dedicate my next songs-about-a-city to New Orleans...
23 - Scott Butki
What about Rage Against the Machine: Battle of Lost Angeles
24 - RooDog
If you really wanted to capture the "themes of drugs, guns, and reckless ambition," what about Straight Outta Compton? Other tunes that deserve to be there over Desire include the Peppers "Californication" & "Drinkin' In LA" by Bran Van 3000. Of course, you could claim that L.A. also applies to Louisiana, and that's why Desire is in there.
25 - uao
RooDod, "Hollywood" is in the TITLE, and is repeated at least 20 times (Maybe I'm going to have to go home and count them; I'm at work now)
I'm not talking about "Desire", I'm talking about "Desire [HOLLYWOOD remix]"
You tell me: what does Hollywood have to do with New Orleans?
Perhaps the problem is maybe you've never heard the Hollywood Remix; if you had, we'd have no argument here.
As for the 'regular' "Desire", I'm unconvinced that it's about New Oleans; "I wanna go where the bright lights and the big city meet" --New Orleans has never been considered a "big" city, nor is it known for "bright lights"; if you claimed Las Vegas or NY, I'd buy it.
But I'm npot talking about the regular "Desire", I'm talking about the Hollywood Remix. So even if it were about N.O. originally, it's recontextualized by the Hollywood samples.
I already have a Peppers song that's specific to L.A., although I mention Californication (Did you read the article, or just pounce on "Desire" without reading it?)
"Straight Outta Compton is a good one, although Compton is a separate city from L.A.; I left out Weezer's "Beverly Hills" and Hole's "Malibu" on those grounds. But yes, an expanded list could include that one, good pick.
If you haven't heard the Hollywood Remix of "Desire" give it a listen; U2 is specifically making a point about Hollywood by the samples they repeatedly use, naming Hollywood by name.
Can't make it plainer than that. But I'm pleased you're a fan of the song; it's one of their best. I mean nothing personal, but I'm going to stand my ground on this one all day.
Scott: Rage Against the Machine's tune is a good pick; I had to cut off somewhere. But I shoulda at least noted it in the 'honorable mentions'
Thanks for the pick.