4 Songs From the 1980s That Made You Want To Live in New York City

Living in New York City requires a certain level of confidence and grit, and this was especially true during the 1980s, when drug use and crime were at an all-time high. This was a decade full of pain and struggle—certainly not the city’s most shining era. But there was still joy and opportunity waiting in the Big Apple, and we used music to celebrate these silver linings.

If you didn’t already consider yourself a New Yorker in the 1980s, then these four songs about New York City would make you wish you did.

“Empire State” by Fleetwood Mac

“Empire State” is a Lindsey Buckingham and Richard Dashut co-write that opens the B-side to the 1982 Fleetwood Mac album Mirage. The song is almost like a prayer to New York City, asking it to treat the narrator well and afford them the opportunity and success they crave. “New York, open your eyes to me / let me be what I want to be / Tell me, tell me it’s not too late.”

“The Zoo” by Scorpions

Before Guns N’ Roses was comparing Hollywood to a jungle, Scorpions was comparing New York City to a zoo with the early 1980s song, “The Zoo”. Vocalist Klaus Meine wrote the song after touring in the Big Apple in the late 1970s. “The Zoo” makes any non-New Yorker wish that their after-work hours could be spent prowling the city streets, too. “We eat the night, we drink the time / Make our dreams come true.”

“No Sleep Till Brooklyn” by Beastie Boys

Even those who have never crossed the Brooklyn Bridge felt some sort of kindred connection to the New York City borough after listening to Beastie Boys’ classic track, “No Sleep Till Brooklyn”. It’s a brash, loud, unapologetic blend of rock ‘n’ roll and rap that The Beastie Boys did so well, matching the brash, loud, unapologetic nature of the city itself. “I’ll be rocking this party eight days a week / No sleep till Brooklyn.”

“New York, New York” by Frank Sinatra

Finally, how can we round up a list of 1980s songs about New York City and not include the de facto citywide anthem, Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York”, released, surprisingly, in 1980. While the big band accompaniment takes you right back to the glamorous 1950s, this song ushered in the 1980s in the spring, giving New Yorkers (both in reality and in spirit) a new, timeless song to celebrate their beloved city.

Photo by Aaron Rapoport/Corbis via Getty Images

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