Items66The creator’s order
  1. 1An Open Letter to NYCAn Open Letter to NYCBeastie Boys. The chorus names all five boroughs and runs the length of Manhattan from the Battery. The beat samples the Dead Boys’ “Sonic Reducer,” bringing a piece of CBGB-era punk into this 2004 rap tribute.0
  2. 2Across 110th StreetAcross 110th StreetBobby Womack. At Central Park’s northern edge, 110th Street is a threshold into Harlem in this 1972 film theme. Womack sings about making it through another day, with strings and a steady rhythm supporting a voice that has plenty of urgency on its own.0
  3. 3Rockaway BeachRockaway BeachRamones. The destination is the Queens surf beach and the whole ride takes about two minutes. Dee Dee Ramone put the anticipation of getting to the water into a clipped punk arrangement with a bright, beach-pop chorus.0
  4. 4South BronxSouth BronxBoogie Down Productions. KRS-One makes the South Bronx a point of pride and the center of his argument about where hip-hop began. Play it alongside MC Shan’s “The Bridge” to hear how neighborhood history became the subject of a rap battle.0
  5. 5Empire State of MindEmpire State of MindJay-Z featuring Alicia Keys. The verses travel from Brooklyn to Manhattan and use recognizable places to tell a very particular story about getting somewhere. The chorus opens the song to anyone who recognizes the feeling, even if they’ve never had that commute.0
  6. 6Theme From New York, New YorkTheme From New York, New YorkFrank Sinatra. This citywide anthem is all about arriving and being heard. Put it next to “The Brooklyn Bridge,” where the same singer makes a much smaller piece of the city carry a completely different mood.0
  7. 7The Boy From New York CityThe Boy From New York CityThe Ad Libs. New York gives this crush its air of sophistication, though the singer is interested in the boy himself. The lead vocal and answering harmonies make the whole thing sound like news being passed between friends.0
  8. 8New York, New York (On the Town)New York, New York (On the Town)Gene Kelly, Frank Sinatra, and Jules Munshin. Three sailors with a day of shore leave sing their way from landmarks to the subway. Listen for how much direction the song gives them in so little time, then compare it with Sinatra’s later, unrelated movie anthem.0
  9. 9Welcome to New York (Taylor's version)Welcome to New York (Taylor's version)Taylor Swift. The scene opens in a crowd in the Village before the chorus widens out into a welcome to the entire city. The gleaming synths capture the anticipation of an arrival, especially next to songs by narrators who already know the neighborhood well.0
  10. 10New York State of MindNew York State of MindBilly Joel. Chinatown and Riverside are enough to put the singer back in the city, even while he’s taking a Greyhound along the Hudson. Let the piano set a slower pace after the louder anthems. This is music for returning somewhere you know well enough to be content just passing through.0