I love Los Angeles, and I love Hollywood. They’re beautiful. Everybody’s plastic, but I love plastic. I want to be plastic. — Andy Warhol
I’m not really an L.A. kind of guy — I prefer the Northern California culture. But one of my close friends is headed that way to make a new life—as one moves to L.A. to do—and that got me thinking about songs about the City of Angels.
As you’ll hear in this playlist, I discovered that there are many sides and takes on Los Angeles and its neighborhoods. From The Doors to the Fresh Prince, hip hip to blues and everything in between, L.A. has its charms among the glitz and glamor. This mix focuses on songs that have the city name (or its neighborhoods) in the title. But we shouldn’t ignore the place the area has in the history of popular music: Van Halen on Sunset Strip; the folkies out in Laurel Canyon; West Coast rap from Compton.
Did I neglect one of your favorites? Leave a comment to correct me.
