Los Angeles through music.
The iconic songs that define the City of Angels.
photo by Anthony Quintano/Flickr.
The first Monday of January was a gorgeous day in Los Angeles. It was one of those sunny, sixty-something winter mornings that people move to Southern California for, and I was crushed that I had to catch a flight back to Chicago later that day. The following afternoon, the Palisades and Eaton Fires erupted, and, by the evening, they had already engulfed thousands of acres across Los Angeles. It was surreal, impossible almost, to imagine the devastation. Angelenos rallied together under smokey skies to help one another, united by their love for their city. Watching the devastation unfold two thousand miles away, I felt helplessly disconnected from my city.
So I turned to the music that made me feel at home. I listened to the songs that I grew up on, that accompanied late-night drives in high school, that blasted at pickup games, that reminded me of family road trips. Ultimately, I kept coming back to a playlist of songs about L.A. From folk rock to hip hop, the city’s dynamism and intrigue has inspired countless songs. I want to pay homage to the ten songs that kept me connected to home by encapsulating what makes the City of Angels so irresistible.
10. “I Love L.A.” by Randy Newman
This carefree song paints L.A. in its best light: cruising with the top down playing The Beach Boys, taking in the beauty of the city. What’s not to love? And the city loves Newman’s feel-good anthem right back. It’s been a beloved staple at L.A. sports games since the 1984 Summer Olympics. I find it hard not to smile as he evokes the joy of the city and just as hard not to sigh when he urges leaving Chicago to the Eskimos.
9. “The Recipe” by Kendrick Lamar and Dr. Dre
Lamar and Dr. Dre celebrate what brings people from all around the world to L.A.: women, weed, and weather. Representing two generations of West Coast hip hop, it’s only fitting they team up to laud their hometown over a soulful sample (about smoking weed). The Black Hippy remix of “The Recipe” deserves a mention here too.
8. “Free Fallin’” by Tom Petty
Inspired by his commute to the studio, the drive from Beverly Hills to the Valley sets the scene for Petty’s biggest hit. He croons about letting go, sprinkling references to Reseda, Ventura Boulevard, and Mulholland Drive. The music video is complete with quintessential L.A. imagery: palm trees, a sunset, and skateboarding.
7. “California Dreamin’” by The Mamas & The Papas
On a bleak winter's day, The Mamas & The Papas long for the warmth of L.A. In its yearning, “California Dreamin” feels both eerie and beautiful. Just listen to the haunting flute solo. While it stands out from the rest of this list for its somber tone, this folk-rock classic captures the all too relatable sorrow and nostalgia of being away from Los Angeles—home.
6. “dodger blue” by Kendrick Lamar, Wallie The Sensei, Siete7x, and Roddy Ricch
Ripe with esoteric reference for true Angelenos, the antagonistic Lamar that emerges on GNX defends the LAnd from outsiders with assumptions about a city they don’t know. With the assistance of fellow Compton-born artists Wallie The Sensei, Siete7x, and Roddy Ricch, this track, like the rest of the West Coast-inspired GNX, is authentically L.A. Released on the heels of the 2024 World Series, “dodger blue” is a tribute to the reigning champs of baseball that unite people all across the city.
5. “Californication” by Red Hot Chilli Pepper
Legendary Los Angeles rock band Red Hot Chilli Peppers peer behind the veil of Hollywood glamor in their groovy track exposing its rampant insincerity and desperation. Even this side is grandiose, though, and “Californication” captures the proximity to stardom and the entertainment industry that’s intrinsic to living in L.A. (“And Alderaan’s not far away…”). It is the edge of the world and all of Western civilization after all…
4. “California Love” by 2Pac, Roger, and Dr. Dre
Do I even have to explain myself? Los Angeles hip-hop legends 2Pac and Dr. Dre welcome everybody to the Wild Wild West in their smash hit showing love all across California. With 2Pac having just been released from prison, the duo serenade the streets of L.A., relishing the lively scene of the city in the 90s. Roger’s unmistakable talkbox vocals on the iconic hook are sure to get any party started, from Diego to the Bay.
3. “Under the Bridge” by Red Hot Chilli Peppers
“I drive on her streets ‘cause she’s my companion. I walk through her hills ‘cause she knows who I am,” Anthony Kiedis croons about Los Angeles. Inspired by his experience, “Under the Bridge” deals with the struggles of addiction and the isolation of overcoming it. While the titular bridge (speculated to be in MacArthur Park) symbolizes the darkness underlying the city, the song fondly personifies the city that embraces her people. The world can be a lonely place, but with a city that loves you, it feels just a little warmer.
2. “It Was a Good Day” by Ice Cube
Ice Cube delivers mellow, good vibes as he describes a really good day in L.A. Over an uplifting Isley Brothers sample, he offers an intimate look into life in the city, describing joys any Angeleno can appreciate without abandoning his classic persona: no smog in the air, no helicopters looking for a murder, two-in-the-morning Fatburger, and the Lakers beating the Supersonics, to name a few.
1. “To Live & Die in L.A.” by 2Pac
This is “California Love part motherfuckin’ two”. 2Pac’s posthumous love letter to Los Angeles epitomizes the duality of the city. In his lyrics are the realities of life in L.A. It’s not “just fun and bitches,” but a tapestry of intrigue that makes the city unlike any other. During a tumultuous time in the city marked by gang violence and the L.A. Riots, he lovingly captures the complexity of living (and dying) in L.A. You’ve got to be there to know it, but, for those who do, Los Angeles will always be the place to be.
edited by Anant Dhingra.
photo by Anthony Quintano/Flickr.