55 Songs about LA (Folk, Pop, Rap/Hip Hop & More)

Foundations of Music

55 Songs about LA (Folk, Pop, Rap/Hip Hop & More)

Los Angeles is a sprawling Southern California city that has inspired a number of lyrics on its beaches, women, hard city streets, and celebrity life.

We have selected the best 55 songs that will highlight your LA experience.

Songs about LA

I. New songs about LA (2020, 2021)

The new songs about LA genre covers the latest songs about the popular City of Angels. These are songs that were released in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

1) Bad Dream

Artist: Cannons
Album: Fever Dream
Year: 2022
Click to Open YouTube
https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=_w-4lZuKBlQ&list=RDAMVM_w-4lZuKBlQ

Bad Dream is a dream crushing pop song. It is smooth and features tones from eighties dream, as well as hypnotic beats.

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2)  MAGIC

Artist: Mustard and Vince Staples
Album: Ramona Park Broke My Heart
Year: 2022
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3)  Closer

Artist: Saweetie and H.E.R
Album: Get It Girl
Year: 2021
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4)  Scared Money

Artist: YG, J.Cole, and Moneybagg Yo
Album: Scared Money
Year: 2022
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5)  Tek It

Artist: CAFUNE
Album: Running
Year: 2021
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II. Old songs about Los Angeles 1960s to 90s

Old songs that were written about LA from the 1960s to the 90s best capture what life is like in the Southern California city. These songs are classic hits about LA that will never get old.

1) Los Angeles Blues

Artist: Peggy Lee and Quincy Jones
Album: Country Diva
Year: 1962
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2) California Girls

Artist: The Beach Boys
Album: Summer Days (and Summer Nights!!)
Year: 1965

The Beach Boys composed this song celebrating the women of California. The song talks about California girls in summer, their tanning, and bikinis.

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3)  To Live And Die In L.A

Artist: Tupac Shakur
Album: The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory
Year: 1996
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3)  Celluloid Heroes

Artist: The Kinks
Album: Everybody’s in Show-Biz
Year: 1972
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5)  Tiny Dancer

Artist: Elton John
Album: Madman Across the Water
Year: 1971
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6)  California

Artist: Joni Mitchell
Album: Blue
Year: 1971
Click to Open YouTube
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7)  Cracked Actor

Artist: David Bowie
Album: Aladdin Sane
Year: 1973
Click to Open YouTube
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8)  Hollywood Hopeful

Artist: Loudon Wainwright III
Album: Unrequited
Year: 1975
Click to Open YouTube
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9)  Desperados Under the Eaves

Artist: Warren Zevon
Album: Warren Zevon
Year: 1976
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10)  Sunset People

Artist: Donna Summer
Album: Bad Girls
Year: 1979
Click to Open YouTube
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11)  Babylon Sisters

Artist: Steely Dan
Album: Gaucho
Year: 1980
Click to Open YouTube
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12)  Los Angeles

Artist: X
Album: Los Angeles
Year: 1980
Click to Open YouTube
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13)  Don’t Get Stopped in Beverly Hills

Artist: Shalamar
Album: Heartbreak
Year: 1984
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14)  Born in East L.A.

Artist: Cheech Marin
Album: Get Out of My Room
Year: 1985
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15)  The Neighborhood

Artist: Los Lobos
Album: The Neighborhood
Year: 1990
Click to Open YouTube
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III. Folk songs about Los Angeles

Folk songs about LA are inspired by the city’s culture, packed beaches, warm sunshine, and cosmopolitan atmosphere. These are timeless songs that celebrate the City of Angels.

1)  California Dreamin’

Artist: The Mamas & the Papas
Album: California Dreamin’
Year: 1965

This song is an iconic LA folk song that talks about feeling homesick in winter on the East Coast. The songwriter dreams about being in California again.

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2)  California Love

Artist: Tupac Shakur, Dr. Dre, Roger, and Roger Troutman
Album: All Eyez on Me
Year: 1996
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3)  Lazy Days

Artist: Shwayze and Cisco Adler
Album: Shwayze
Year: 2008
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4)  El Lay

Artist: Snoop Dogg and Marty James
Album: Doggumentary
Year: 2011
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5)  The Bay to LA

Artist: The Grouch and Murs
Album: Show You the World
Year: 2008
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IV. Pop songs about LA

Pop songs about LA talk about what life is like in LA, from the beaches, drugs, to love. They encompass the different aspects of life in the city.

1)  Los Angeles, I’m Yours

Artist: The Decemberists
Album: Her Majesty the Decemberists
Year: 2003

This is a beautiful love song about LA where the songwriters express their heartfelt feelings about the city.

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2)  Valley Girl

Artist: Frank and Moon Zappa
Album: Ship Arriving Too Late to Save a Drowning Witch
Year: 1982
Click to Open YouTube
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3)  Santa Monica

Artist: Everclear
Album: Sparkle and Fade
Year: 1995
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4)  California Gurls

Artist: Katy Perry and Snoop Dogg
Album: Teenage Dream
Year: 2010
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5)  Screenwriter’s Blues

Artist: Soul Coughing
Album: Ruby Vroom
Year: 1994
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6)  Party in the U.S.A.

Artist: Miley Cyrus
Album: The Time of Our Lives
Year: 2009
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V. Rap/hip hop songs about LA

Even though LA is the metropolis where international cultures are imported and sold back to the world, the city’s rap songs are a product of a specific set of local factors. LA rap/hip hop songs include gang culture, burger culture, auto culture, etc.

1)  Gin and Juice

Artist: Snoop Dogg
Album: Down to Earth
Year: 1993
Click to Open YouTube

Gin and Juice represents the more laid back side of the streets in LA. It is a catchy hip hop song that symbolizes what G-funk is all about.

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2)  Wicked

Artist: Ice Cube
Album: The Predator
Year: 1992
Click to Open YouTube
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3)  How I Could Just Kill a Man

Artist: Cypress Hill
Album: Cypress Hill
Year: 1991
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4)  I Wanna Rock

Artist: Snoop Dogg
Album: Malice n Wonderland
Year: 2009
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VI. Rock songs about LA

Rock songs about LA represent love, city life, specific places, Hollywood, and its people. The lyrics of these songs define LA and give you a true feel of the city.

1)  Hollywood Nights

Artist: Bob Seger
Album: Stranger in Town
Year: 1978
Click to Open YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM72iTM0bT8

The song captures what Hollywood is all about from an outsider’s perspective. It talks about a guy who comes to Hollywood and meets the girl of his dreams.

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2)  Free Fallin’

Artist: Tom Petty
Album: Full Moon Fever
Year: 1989
Click to Open YouTube

The songwriter talks about the views of Southern California while quickly painting a portrait of an American girl. However, this is not a true love song.

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3)  Electrolite

Artist: R.E.M.
Album: New Adventures in Hi-Fi
Year: 1996
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4)  Beverly Hills

Artist: Weezer
Album: Make Believe
Year: 2005
Click to Open YouTube
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VII. R&B songs about Los Angeles

R&B songs about LA represent love in the city, gang culture and parties. These songs highlight what you can expect if you are visiting or moving to LA.

1)  Back in L.A.

Artist: B.B King
Album: There Is Always One More Time
Year: 1991
Click to Open YouTube

The songwriter talks about what it feels like to be back in LA. He talks about how the city is bustling morning to night, and touches on the weather and crime.

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2)  The Dream Team Is in the House

Artist: LA Dream Team
Album: Kings of the West Coast
Year: 1986
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3)  Where I Wanna Be

Artist: Shade Sheist, Nate Dogg, and Kurupt
Album: Informal Introduction
Year: 2002
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4)  Drop

Artist: The Pharcyde
Album: Labcabincalifornia
Year: 1995
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VIII. Country songs about Los Angeles

Country songs and LA have shared a complicated relationship. Some LA country songs glorify the idealized Old West of Hollywood films, whilst others criticize LA and American popular culture.

1)  Happy Trails

Artist: Dale Evans and Roy Rogers
Album: Happy Trails To You
Year: 1952
Click to Open YouTube

This is a cheerful, care-free song that you will enjoy singing along to. It talks about the beautiful sunshine in LA and can stir up childhood memories.

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2)  Sin City

Artist: The Flying Burrito Brothers
Album: The Gilded Palace of Sin
Year: 1969

This song depicts LA as the center of vices that will swallow you in. The lyrics scorn the sinners of the Southern California city.

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3)  Bloody Mary Morning

Artist: Willie Nelson
Album: Honeysuckle Rose
Year: 1970

This song represents LA as a city where you make bad decisions and lose control of yourself because of the temptation everywhere. The lyrics talk about a family falling apart.

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4)  L.A. Freeway

Artist: Guy Clark
Album: Old No. 1
Year: 1975
Click to Open YouTube
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5)  Back in the Saddle Again

Artist: Gene Autry
Album: Back in the Saddle Again
Year: 1939
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IX. Sad songs about LA

Sad songs about LA generally reflect on grief, break ups, tragedies, one-sided love, and missing someone. They can be very depressing, yet uplifting at the same time.

1)  Angeles

Artist: Elliott Smith
Album: Either/Or
Year: 1997

This song is a muse singing to someone that they will look after you. But it is destructive. The song talks about forces like drugs,emotions, people, and the city that will push you to do things.

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2)  Under the Bridge

Artist: Red Hot Chili Peppers
Album: Blood Sugar Sex Magik
Year: 1991
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3)  LA Is Lonely

Artist: Ricky Manning
Album: LA Is Lonely
Year: 2017
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X. Songs that mention LA in the lyrics

There are a variety of lyrics from different genres which include Los Angeles in them. Some songs celebrate LA, whilst others scorn factors in the city.

1) Los Angeles Is Burning

Artist: Bad Religion
Album: The Empire Strikes First
Year: 2004

This song is about the reality of television and how it influences society’s perspectives and opinions on things. It also refers to actual wildfires that have occured in California.

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2)  Walking in L.A.

Artist: Missing Persons
Album: Spring Season M
Year: 1982
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3)  Los Angeles the Song

Artist: Justin Chart
Album: Los Angeles: An Anthem
Year: 2017
Click to Open YouTube
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4)  I Love L.A.

Artist: Randy Newman
Album: Trouble in Paradise
Year: 1983
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Conclusion

Los Angeles is renowned for its Mediterranean climate, cultural diversity, and Hollywood industry. These factors have all inspired many songwriters to compose songs in this Southern California city.

We hope that you enjoyed our array of songs about the City of Angels.

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