{"id":29901,"date":"2020-01-29T19:48:46","date_gmt":"2020-01-29T19:48:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/?p=29901"},"modified":"2021-10-28T17:27:21","modified_gmt":"2021-10-28T17:27:21","slug":"los-angeles-playlist-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.com\/stories\/los-angeles-playlist-music\/","title":{"rendered":"Los Angeles Playlist – Great Music from Musicians from LA"},"content":{"rendered":"

LA. Those two letters have become synonymous with an entire visual narrative. Wind swept palms, sun drenched beaches, and convertibles rolling down Sunset Boulevard. But if Los Angeles<\/a> is Tinseltown and the city of dreams, it can also be a city of nightmares as well. Rejection and loneliness, isolation and alienation; these are also common themes and feelings expressed through LA\u2019s music.<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s impossible to narrow down the scope of all of LA into a single playlist, these twenty songs attempt to cover the full range of feelings that come with visiting this sunny city by the sea.<\/p>\n

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1. Brother Love\u2019s Traveling Salvation Show \u2013 Neil Diamond – 1969<\/h2>\n

Orignally from New York City, like thousands before him Neil Diamond made for LA to launch his career. His album Brother Love\u2019s Traveling Salvation Show<\/em> was one of the first that he promoted in LA and features the unique sound that would become an iconic feature of the late 60\u2019s and 70\u2019s.<\/p>\n

2. Sweet Child O\u2019 Mine \u2013 Guns N\u2019 Roses \u2013 1987<\/h2>\n

There are few bands that achieved greater fame or notoriety in the 80\u2019s than Guns N\u2019 Roses. The band\u2019s rebelliousness and penchant for destruction earned them the nickname \u201cthe most dangerous band in the world\u201d, and their songs led them to enduring fame among millions.<\/p>\n

3. Straight Outta Compton \u2013 NWA \u2013 1988<\/h2>\n

There aren\u2019t many musical acts that draw attention from the FBI, there also are few acts like NWA. Active from 1987 to 1981, NWA drew instant notoriety for their explicit lyrics, glorification of drugs and crime, and inner feuds and violent behavior. At one point, one of the members threw a critical journalist down the stairs of a venue. And while they may have been the most banned musical act in the country, few hip-hop groups were as influential.<\/p>\n

Generations of rappers have attributed their rise to NWA\u2019s inspiration and critics have counted them among the greatest musical acts in American music.<\/p>\n

4. Enter Sandman \u2013 Metallica \u2013 1991<\/h2>\n

Metallica was formed in LA in 1981 by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich and quickly grew to one of the biggest names in metal. Their music would come to define the genre and helped to bring metal into the musical mainstream. The band has won nine Grammy\u2019s and has been nominated over twenty times.<\/p>\n

5. Motion Sickness \u2013 Phoebe Bridgers \u2013 2018<\/h2>\n

With soft-spoken vocals and sardonic wit, Bridgers tackles the isolation that can come with pursuing music in the center of the entertainment universe. Her debut album Stranger in the Alps<\/em> explores the emotional alienation that comes with relentless touring, promoting and the mining of one\u2019s brain for creative inspiration.<\/p>\n

6. The Boys of Summer \u2013 Don Henley \u2013 1984<\/h2>\n

An icon of the 80\u2019s, Don Henley\u2019s The Boys of Summer<\/em> was an instant classic and is emblematic of the summer rock of Los Angeles. Nostalgia, summer love and the cynicism of middle age are all topics explored by Henley.<\/p>\n

7. Say It Ain\u2019t So \u2013 Weezer \u2013 1994<\/h2>\n

No band captures the garage band spirit of the 90\u2019s like Weezer. With goofy lyrics, thick glasses and ugly sweaters, Weezer achieved cult fame and came to define a musical generation. Over three different decades and eleven albums, Weezer sold over 35 million albums worldwide.<\/p>\n

8. Swimming Pools (Drank) \u2013 Kendrick Lamar \u2013 2012<\/h2>\n

Is Kendrick Lamar the greatest rapper of all time? After four albums, countless accolades and a genre-defying Pulitzer Prize win, it\u2019s a legitimate question. The Compton-born rapper is lauded for his storytelling and political bite. In Swimming Pools (Drank)<\/em> his ability to weave personal narratives through music is on full display.<\/p>\n

9. Dark Days \u2013 Local Natives \u2013 2016<\/h2>\n

One of the more popular indie bands to pour out of hipster mecca Silver Lake, Local Natives powered their way to four albums with a meld of bright guitar work, introspective lyrics and 21st<\/sup> century millennial charm.<\/p>\n

10. California Dreamin\u2019 \u2013 The Mamas & Papas \u2013 1966<\/h2>\n

The 1960\u2019s were a decade that changed American music forever. And nowhere was this more evident than in California. The Mamas & Papas were part of the evolution of rock that moved the genre from hippy protest albums to an iconic American sound.<\/p>\n

11. Young, Wild & Free \u2013 Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, Bruno Mars – 2011<\/h2>\n

Another representative of Southern California hip-hop, Snoop Dogg built a multi-decade long career with albums that combined melodic rhyming with a smooth delivery and ironic verses.<\/p>\n

12. A Better Son\/Daughter \u2013 Rilo Kiley \u2013 2002<\/h2>\n

Formed by Jenny Lewis in 1998, Rilo Kiley rose to indie stardom in the 2000\u2019s. Their songs were featured on many of the top television shows of the decade, as well as being an indie staple at music festivals and talk show programs. In A Better Son\/Daughter<\/em> Lewis\u2019s clever songwriting and vocal deliveries show the negativity that can come with building a musical career and pursuing your passion.<\/p>\n

13. Hard to Concentrate \u2013 Red Hot Chili Peppers \u2013 2006<\/h2>\n

There are too many bands to choose from to place on the throne as the king of California. But the Red Hot Chili Peppers would have a good case for belonging on the throne. Formed in 1983, the Red Hot Chili Peppers hold the record for the most number one singles in alternative rock history, as well as the most cumulative weeks at number one on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart. With one of the greatest guitarists in the world, as well as arguably the greatest bassist in history, the Red Hot Chili Peppers built out a four-decade long career spanning eleven albums.<\/p>\n

14. Gangsta\u2019s Paradise \u2013 Coolio \u2013 1995<\/h2>\n

With the lyrics \u201cAs I walk through the valley of the shadow of death\u201d Coolio launches into his deepest and most resonant work. Gangsta\u2019s Paradise<\/em> draws on choral vocals, religious themes and poignant verses to create a timeless hip-hop masterpiece. The song spent twelve weeks at the top of the Billboard Hot 100.<\/p>\n

15. For What It\u2019s Worth \u2013 Buffalo Springfield \u2013 1966<\/h2>\n

Written by Stephen Stills in 1966, For What It\u2019s Worth<\/em> attained instant fame as the preeminent protest song of the 1960\u2019s. The song continues to live on as a relic of the era and is consistently featured in period pieces on the 60\u2019s and the Vietnam War.<\/p>\n

16. A Feast of Friends \u2013 Jim Morrison \u2013 1978<\/h2>\n

Jim Morrison\u2019s lyrical poetry, distinct voice and tragic death all contributed to his status as a romantic hero of American rock. His time as the lead singer of the Doors as well as a solo artist has cemented his place in the pantheon of LA music.<\/p>\n

17. Grinding All My Life \u2013 Nipsey Hussle \u2013 2018<\/h2>\n

Another LA artist cut tragically short, Nipsey Hussle was on his way to a critically acclaimed career in hip-hop before he was fatally shot in 2019. Honored by his community and luminaries ranging from Barack Obama to the mayor of Los Angeles, Nipsey Hussle\u2019s music has become irrevocably intertwined with the city of LA.<\/p>\n

18. Good Vibrations \u2013 The Beach Boys \u2013 1967<\/h2>\n

The Beach Boys were one of the most popular bands of the 60\u2019s and once a legitimate rival to The Beatles. Good Vibrations<\/em> has all the hallmarks of a great Beach Boys song. Incredible vocal harmonies, dynamic shifts in melody and poetic emotional depth.<\/p>\n

19. Changes \u2013 2Pac \u2013 1998<\/h2>\n

Covering racism, police brutality, drug and gang violence and poverty, Changes<\/em> cemented 2Pac\u2019s place as one of hip-hop\u2019s greats. 2Pac took conscious hip-hop from a fringe movement to one of the most commercially and critically acclaimed musical genres in America.<\/p>\n

20. Malibu Nights \u2013 LANY \u2013 2018<\/h2>\n

With a mix of 90\u2019s R&B, 80\u2019s synths and indie pop, LANY has created a sound that combines the rejection of a city filled with artists and musicians with the saccharine atmosphere of LA.<\/p>\n

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Follow us on Spotify<\/a> for more great destination playlists<\/p>\n