Even before the advent of popular music, California wasn’t just a place. It was an idea, an ethos, something worth risking everything to glimpse with your own eyes. It’s still like that, only now, there’s smog, gangs, paparazzi, and the constant fear of earthquakes. From L.A. up to San Francisco, Cali is a land of contradictions, and everyone knows it. That’s reflected here in the 15 greatest songs about the Golden State. There are tunes for hippies, gangstas, addicts, wannabees, and folks rotting in jail. Not that any of those things are mutually exclusive.
Even before the advent of popular music, California wasn’t just a place. It was an idea, an ethos, something worth risking everything to glimpse with your own eyes. It’s still like that, only now, there’s smog, gangs, paparazzi, and the constant fear of earthquakes. From L.A. up to San Francisco, Cali is a land of contradictions, and everyone knows it. That’s reflected here in the 15 greatest songs about the Golden State. There are tunes for hippies, gangstas, addicts, wannabees, and folks rotting in jail. Not that any of those things are mutually exclusive.