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Apr 5, 2023 · State Rep. David Linsky (D-Natick) and state Sen. Bruce Tarrr (R-Gloucester) have both filed bills, again, to get "Roadrunner" declared the state's official rock song. Read more.
"I Love You, California" is the state song and regional anthem of the U.S. state of California, originally published in 1913. It was adopted in 1951 and reconfirmed in 1987 as the official state song.
- “California Love” by Tupac Ft. Dr. Dre
- “California Girls” by The Beach Boys
- “California Dreamin’” by The Mamas & The Papas
- “Hotel California” by The Eagles
- “California Gurls” by Katy Perry
- “Santa Monica” by Everclear
- “Going to California” by Led Zeppelin
- “Malibu” by Miley Cyrus
- “Folsom Prison Blues” by Johnny Cash
- “California” by Childish Gambino
“California Love” is one of Tupac’s signature songs, spending two weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100. The single was another example of Tupacfirmly planting his flag in the soil of California during the heated East Coast–West Coast hip-hop rivalry of the ’90s. The track’s production comes courtesy of fellow hip-hop icon Dr. Dre and is an ima...
The Beach Boyswere pioneers of a type of prototypical California band, with light surf-rock flourishes dotting their tight vocal harmonies. Their familiar lyrical tropes of girls and cars were always tempered by a glossy California glow, often due to the genius of member Brian Wilson. “California Girls” is the band’s iconic anthem to warm weather a...
The psychedelic sounds of San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district played an outsized role in exporting hippie culture to the masses. One of the first successful singles that signaled this shifting culture was The Mamas & The Papas’ “California Dreamin’.” The band’s tale of longing for the warmth of an L.A. winter shimmers with layers of harmonies a...
The Eagles’ brand of light, country-speckled rock and roll has become synonymous with the post-hippie sound of the ’70s. But one of their biggest hits, ”Hotel California,” took a spooky detour from easy living into the darker corners of their creativity. The genius of the single, aside from Joe Walsh’s extraordinary guitar solo, is the opaque lyric...
Katy Perryflexes her electropop muscles while repping her favorite state in her global chart-topping single “California Gurls.” The song is a clever nod to all things West Coast, with a title alluding to The Beach Boys’ classic single and rap verses provided by legendary Californian rapper Snoop Dogg. The single is a delightful homage to the state....
Everclear made a career out of lead singer Art Alexakis’ pain. The band’s reign at the top of the alternative charts in the late ’90s was due to his vulnerability and confessional songwriting. Their surprise 1995 hit, “Santa Monica,” was the first of these songs to hit the mainstream. Alexakiswrote the track as an existential love song and an homag...
Led Zeppelin was inspired to write their acoustic ballad “Going to California” by singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell and her song “California.” It’s a response song to Mitchell’s in a sense, as Zeppelin’s protagonist is actively searching for the type of woman that Mitchell sings about in her track. While Zeppelinoften explored Tolkien-esque themes in...
Miley Cyrus spent the first part of the 2010s separating herself from the teen idol image she cultivated on the Disney Channel show Hannah Montana. By 2017, Cyrushad become a star on her own terms, shedding her teeny-bop image for an adventurous, adult-themed pop career. “Malibu,” the first single from her album Younger Now, finds the singer in a c...
Johnny Cash wrote “Folsom Prison Blues” while stationed in Germany with the U.S. Air Force. His 1955 recording of the song would crack the top ten of the country charts and become a staple of the country legend’s live shows. The song gained mythic rock and roll status as part of At Folsom Prison, the live album Cash recorded at Folsom Prisonin Cali...
Childish Gambino, the musical alter ego of actor-musician Donald Glover, takes the classic tropes of songs dedicated to the Golden State and injects them with funk and psychedelic soul on his track “California.” Glover’s tale of chasing fame is as bright and fun as California itself, and the lyrics bolster the funky blasts of sunshine that sound as...
Oct 16, 2024 · Written with a romantic slant, ‘Roadrunner’ could be categorized as a type of love song penned for Massachusetts. The lyrics describe driving along popular Route 128 late at night, listening to music, and taking in the state’s beauty. The simple two-chord song appears on their 1976 album The Modern Lovers.
Oct 26, 2024 · From the sunny beaches of Southern California to the vibrant streets of Los Angeles, some artists successfully immortalized California in their music. Keep scrolling to learn more about the songs that will transport you to the Golden State. Shutterstock. “L.A. Is My Lady” by Frank Sinatra. “L.A. Is My Lady” is a love letter to Los ...
May 23, 2023 · There's no denying the allure and charm of California, a state so distinct and influential that it's inspired a plethora of music throughout the decades. From the sun-drenched coastlines to the...
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May 23, 2023 · On our list of the best songs about California, we are going to embark on an expedition through the rhythmic landscape of this magical state, featuring twenty-five standout songs that have, in their own unique ways, paid homage to the Golden State.
