Pop Stand: Musical Metropoli

Songs about town and cities, both celebratory and scornful, have a long history

In his song “Going Down to Laurel,” Steve Forbert recalls it not as “The City Beautiful” but as a “dirty, stinking town.” He’s from Meridian, however, so take it with a grain of salt. Photo by Noel Holston (Author)

I haven’t done particularly extensive research, but I’m confident New York has had more songs written in its honor than any other American city. But the state of Texas, by a long shot (not to say longhorn), has the most individual cities and towns immortalized. Chalk it up to the romance of the Wild West.

This edition of Pop Stand rounds up town/city songs from all over. I have no doubt you can think of plenty more. Please add to my list in the comments section.

Abilene — George Hamilton IV

Detroit City — Bobby Bare

New York, New York — Frank Sinatra

Cassadega — Tom Petty

Luckenbach, Texas — Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson

I Left My Heart in San Francisco — Tony Bennett

I Love LA — Randy Newman

Oh, Atlanta — Alison Krauss

Going Down to Laurel — Steve Forbert

Are You From Big D? — Jo Stafford

Kansas City — Wilbert Harrison

Way Down Yonder in New Orleans — Freddie Cannon

El Paso — Marty Robbins