One of the most exciting cities in the world is the Big Apple. It's one of the world's main financial and cultural centers and what's trendy here will soon be considered trendy everywhere else. Naturally a visit should include seeing the famous sights. However, to really get under its skin, simply wander around and look for the many places mentioned in music inspired by NYC.
Through the years, New York has been home to a vast variety of musicians. Some were born here, including Christina Aguilera, Neil Diamond and opera diva Maria Callas. Many more moved here later in life to try and find fame and fortune. Madonna famously arrived in New York with only thirty-five dollars to try and become a dancer.
The struggle to make it in the big city has been the inspiration for many movies, among them the Martin Scorcese musical 'New York, New York'. Its theme song, originally sung by Liza Minnelli, became a huge hit for Frank Sinatra and is synonymous with the Big Apple. However, not everyone here gets to realize their dreams, as Simon and Garfunkel sang in 'The Boxer'.
In the Sixties, the clubs of the Lower East Side were at the center of the folk movement. Many of the era's best songwriters used the city streets to inspire them. Joni Mitchell wrote about the yellow cabs and about the Chelsea neighborhood, while Leonard Cohen immortalized the iconic Chelsea Hotel in song. Later folk singers such as Suzanne Vega also sang about New York locations.
Later musicians continued the trend of singing about the city and you'll find songs in every genre, from hip hop to the gypsy punk of Gogol Bordello. There is one classic song that really stands out as a love anthem for New York and will make you want to go back every time you hear it. It's Billy Joel's 'New York State of Mind', which doesn't talk about locations but instead describes the local lifestyle.
The gritty city has inspired many a musical too. After all, Broadway is the spiritual home of this genre of the stage. To get a sense of how diverse New Yorkers are, listen to the songs from 'West Side Story'. 'Rent' looks at the struggle of artists and the scourge of HIV in the East Village. Other famous musicals set in NYC include 'Funny Girl', 'Hair', 'A Chorus Line', 'Annie' and the classic 'Guys and Dolls'.
New York life doesn't always have to be explained in words. Some great composers have used the city as inspiration for instrumental numbers. These include Duke Ellington's jazz classic 'A Tone Parallel to Harlem'. Charles Ives composed 'Central Park in the Dark' in 1906 already and a later piece worth listening to is Aaron Copland's 'Quiet City'. The one that really should be on your playlist though is George Gershwin's sweeping 'Rhapsody in Blue'.
It's easy to find New York-inspired music online or at any good record store. Compile yourself a playlist of numbers in your favorite genres. Then find a map online that shows you the locations of places mentioned in song and go exploring with the perfect soundtrack.
Through the years, New York has been home to a vast variety of musicians. Some were born here, including Christina Aguilera, Neil Diamond and opera diva Maria Callas. Many more moved here later in life to try and find fame and fortune. Madonna famously arrived in New York with only thirty-five dollars to try and become a dancer.
The struggle to make it in the big city has been the inspiration for many movies, among them the Martin Scorcese musical 'New York, New York'. Its theme song, originally sung by Liza Minnelli, became a huge hit for Frank Sinatra and is synonymous with the Big Apple. However, not everyone here gets to realize their dreams, as Simon and Garfunkel sang in 'The Boxer'.
In the Sixties, the clubs of the Lower East Side were at the center of the folk movement. Many of the era's best songwriters used the city streets to inspire them. Joni Mitchell wrote about the yellow cabs and about the Chelsea neighborhood, while Leonard Cohen immortalized the iconic Chelsea Hotel in song. Later folk singers such as Suzanne Vega also sang about New York locations.
Later musicians continued the trend of singing about the city and you'll find songs in every genre, from hip hop to the gypsy punk of Gogol Bordello. There is one classic song that really stands out as a love anthem for New York and will make you want to go back every time you hear it. It's Billy Joel's 'New York State of Mind', which doesn't talk about locations but instead describes the local lifestyle.
The gritty city has inspired many a musical too. After all, Broadway is the spiritual home of this genre of the stage. To get a sense of how diverse New Yorkers are, listen to the songs from 'West Side Story'. 'Rent' looks at the struggle of artists and the scourge of HIV in the East Village. Other famous musicals set in NYC include 'Funny Girl', 'Hair', 'A Chorus Line', 'Annie' and the classic 'Guys and Dolls'.
New York life doesn't always have to be explained in words. Some great composers have used the city as inspiration for instrumental numbers. These include Duke Ellington's jazz classic 'A Tone Parallel to Harlem'. Charles Ives composed 'Central Park in the Dark' in 1906 already and a later piece worth listening to is Aaron Copland's 'Quiet City'. The one that really should be on your playlist though is George Gershwin's sweeping 'Rhapsody in Blue'.
It's easy to find New York-inspired music online or at any good record store. Compile yourself a playlist of numbers in your favorite genres. Then find a map online that shows you the locations of places mentioned in song and go exploring with the perfect soundtrack.
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