38 Songs About New York City, from Broadway to Brooklyn

What is the most famous song about New York?

"New York, New York" is the most famous song about New York. John Kander and Fred Ebb wrote it for the 1977 film of the same name, where Liza Minnelli sang it, and Frank Sinatra's 1980 version made it the city's anthem. "Empire State of Mind" by Jay-Z and Alicia Keys is the modern classic.

Classic songs about New York

1. "New York, New York", Frank Sinatra: played after every Yankees home game.
2. "Autumn in New York", Billie Holiday: a wistful jazz standard.
3. "Manhattan", Ella Fitzgerald: a playful Rodgers and Hart love song to the island.
4. "Take the 'A' Train", Duke Ellington: named for the subway line to Harlem.
5. "Lullaby of Broadway", from Gold Diggers of 1935: an Oscar winner about the Great White Way.
6. "Give My Regards to Broadway", George M. Cohan: a 1904 show tune still sung today.
7. "The Sidewalks of New York", Charles Lawlor and James Blake: an 1894 waltz about the city's streets.
8. "On Broadway", The Drifters: a dreamer trying to make it in the city.
9. "Spanish Harlem", Ben E. King: a 1960 love song set uptown.
10. "Up on the Roof", The Drifters: escaping the crowded streets on a rooftop.

Rock and pop songs about New York

11. "New York State of Mind", Billy Joel: written when he moved back to New York.
12. "Englishman in New York", Sting: inspired by the writer Quentin Crisp.
13. "Welcome to New York", Taylor Swift: about starting fresh in the city.
14. "Walk on the Wild Side", Lou Reed: portraits of characters from Andy Warhol's Factory.
15. "Rockaway Beach", Ramones: a punk song about the beach in Queens.
16. "Shattered", The Rolling Stones: a frantic picture of late 70s New York.
17. "New York Minute", Don Henley: how fast life changes in the city.
18. "New York Groove", Ace Frehley: a glam rock strut.
19. "The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)", Simon and Garfunkel: slowing down on the Queensboro Bridge.
20. "Tom's Diner", Suzanne Vega: set in the Morningside Heights diner later seen in Seinfeld.
21. "New York, I Love You but You're Bringing Me Down", LCD Soundsystem: a love letter with complaints.
22. "Brooklyn Baby", Lana Del Rey: a dreamy Brooklyn portrait.
23. "New York", St. Vincent: missing someone across the city.

Hip hop and R&B songs about New York

24. "Empire State of Mind", Jay-Z and Alicia Keys: the modern New York anthem.
25. "N.Y. State of Mind", Nas: a classic from Queensbridge.
26. "No Sleep till Brooklyn", Beastie Boys: a road trip home to the city.
27. "An Open Letter to NYC", Beastie Boys: a tribute to every borough.
28. "Native New Yorker", Odyssey: a 1977 disco hit.
29. "Across 110th Street", Bobby Womack: a soul song about Harlem.
30. "Living for the City", Stevie Wonder: a young man's arrival in New York.

Folk and singer-songwriter songs about New York

31. "Chelsea Hotel #2", Leonard Cohen: a memory from the famous hotel.
32. "Talkin' New York", Bob Dylan: about arriving in Greenwich Village.
33. "Bleecker Street", Simon and Garfunkel: a quiet song about the Village.
34. "New York City Serenade", Bruce Springsteen: a long, jazzy night in the city.
35. "Leaving New York", R.E.M.: saying goodbye to the city.

New York songs for the holidays and New Year

36. "Fairytale of New York", The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl: a Christmas Eve story in the city.
37. "Auld Lang Syne", Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians: the version played in Times Square after the ball drops.
38. "Rhapsody in Blue", George Gershwin: the sound of New York, used to open Woody Allen's Manhattan.

Songs about New York after 9/11

After September 11, 2001, songs about the city took on new meaning. Bruce Springsteen's "The Rising" was written in response to the attacks, Ryan Adams's "New York, New York" had a video filmed just days before, and "Empire State of Mind" became a symbol of the city's pride a decade later.

Songs about New York for a trip or a move

For a first trip to New York, start with "Welcome to New York", "Empire State of Mind" and "New York, New York" as you arrive, then "Autumn in New York" for a walk in Central Park. For someone moving to the city, "Englishman in New York" and "On Broadway" capture the excitement and the nerves. For someone leaving, "Leaving New York" and "New York State of Mind" are bittersweet. See our songs about home and road trip songs for more, and for other great American cities, our songs about California and songs about Chicago.

A New York proposal or wedding

Proposing at the top of the Empire State Building or in Central Park? "Manhattan" and "New York State of Mind" are romantic choices, and "New York, New York" is a fun wedding exit for a couple who met in the city.

A song about your New York story

A personalized song can tell your own New York story: the neighborhood where you met, the first apartment, the subway line you rode together or the bagel place you still talk about, with their name in the chorus. It makes a great gift for a New Yorker, someone moving away or a couple celebrating an anniversary in the city.

How to create a personalized song

1. Choose a style from 14 genres: pop, jazz, hip hop and more.
2. Add their name.
3. Share three New York memories you have together.
4. Review the lyrics and edit or regenerate them for free before any music is made.
5. Listen to 4 free 45-second previews and choose your favorite.

The full 3 to 4 minute song costs $24.99, or $29.99 for Premium with four full versions and editable lyrics. You get the MP3, a gift page and the lyrics as a PDF.

Turn your city memories into a song: create a song and hear four previews for free.