Looking for songs about Boston? Pull up a stool. This city has been name-dropped in rock, folk, punk, country and soft-rock ballads for decades, and we've got opinions about every single one. Some are love letters. Some are complaints. One is about a guy stuck on the subway forever. All of them belong on your playlist.
Here are 10 songs about Boston (and one about the whole Commonwealth) that every New Englander should know, ranked by how loud we sing them.
1. "Dirty Water" by The Standells (1966)
The undisputed champ. "Down by the banks of the River Charles..." and the whole bar is already on its feet. Funny thing: The Standells were a Los Angeles band, and the song was written by their producer, Ed Cobb. Doesn't matter. Boston adopted it like a stray cat, and now it blasts after Red Sox and Bruins home wins. It's a song that calls our river dirty and our town full of "lovers, muggers and thieves," and we love it anyway. That's the most Boston thing on this list.
If you've ever screamed this one at Fenway, you need a Love That Dirty Water T-Shirt. It's basically the official uniform.
2. "I'm Shipping Up to Boston" by Dropkick Murphys (2005)
Bagpipes, a stomp beat, and a sailor who lost his leg. The lyrics were actually written by Woody Guthrie decades ago and never recorded. The Dropkick Murphys put them to music on The Warrior's Code. Then Scorsese dropped it into The Departed in 2006, Jonathan Papelbon used it as his entrance music, and it's been the city's unofficial hype song ever since. Play it at a wedding and watch Uncle Sully lose his mind.
3. "Charlie on the M.T.A." by The Kingston Trio (1959)
Poor Charlie. He couldn't pay the exit fare, so he rode the subway forever. The song was first written in 1949 as a campaign song for Walter A. O'Brien, a mayoral candidate who was against fare hikes. The Kingston Trio made it a national hit ten years later. And when the MBTA rolled out its tap card, what'd they name it? The CharlieCard. The T actually named its fare card after a guy who got trapped by the fare. You can't make this stuff up.
4. "Roadrunner" by Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers
Natick's own Jonathan Richman wrote the greatest song ever about driving around Massachusetts at night. Route 128, the Stop & Shop, the radio on, the "modern world." It's two chords and pure joy. Lawmakers keep filing bills to make "Roadrunner" the official rock song of Massachusetts. The latest one was sent to study in 2026, so it's still not official. We say it's official in our cars.
5. "Please Come to Boston" by Dave Loggins (1974)
A drifter begs his girl to come to Boston "for the springtime" and sell her paintings on the sidewalk. She says no, Boston "ain't your kinda town." Rude! The song climbed to No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1974 and hit No. 1 on the Easy Listening chart. It's been covered by everyone from Joan Baez to Willie Nelson. We forgive the girlfriend. She just hadn't had a roast beef from Kelly's yet.
6. "Tessie" by Dropkick Murphys (2004)
"Tessie" started as a 1902 Broadway show tune. A rowdy crew of Boston fans called the Royal Rooters sang it at the very first World Series in 1903, and Boston won. Fast forward a century: the Dropkick Murphys recorded a new version in 2004, and that October the Red Sox broke the curse. Coincidence? Absolutely not. Never question the Rooters.
7. "Boston" by Augustana (2005)
Every college kid who ever moved here with two duffel bags and a dream has a soft spot for this one. It's a piano ballad about being worn out and wanting to start over in Boston, where nobody knows your name. It's the song you play on the Mass Pike at 2 a.m. heading into the city for the first time.
8. "Boston" by Kenny Chesney (2005)
Yes, country music came to the Hub. Well, sort of. This laid-back track from Be As You Are is about a woman from Boston who moved down to the islands, works at a jewelry store by the harbor, and wears a Red Sox cap. Chesney has said she was based on a real bartender he kept running into. You can leave Boston, but you never take off the Sox hat. Science.
9. "Boston Rag" by Steely Dan (1973)
From the album Countdown to Ecstasy, this one's moody, jazzy and a little mysterious, which is very on brand for Steely Dan. It's the deep cut on this list. Drop it at a cookout and the guy in the Bose headphones will nod at you with respect.
10. "Massachusetts" by the Bee Gees (1967)
Okay, it's not just Boston, it's the whole Commonwealth. But "the lights all went out in Massachusetts" is too good to leave off. The song was a No. 1 hit in the U.K. and has made a lot of people very homesick for a state they've never been to. Ask anyone in Revere who's driving through a nor'easter blackout and they'll tell you it's a documentary.
Honorable Mentions
- "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond. Not about Boston at all, and it doesn't matter one bit. It's the eighth-inning anthem at Fenway. Read how "Sweet Caroline" became famous at Fenway Park, then grab a Sweet Caroline Dirty Water Fenway T-Shirt so you're dressed for the "SO GOOD! SO GOOD!" part.
- Anything by the band Boston. "More Than a Feeling" isn't about the city, but a band named after the city counts for something. That guitar riff alone gets you a spot.
- Every other ballpark tune. Want more? Check out our list of famous Fenway songs and the popular songs that mention Cape Cod.
Build Your Boston Playlist
Start with "Dirty Water," hit "Shipping Up to Boston" when the party needs a jolt, sneak in "Roadrunner" for the drive home, and end with "Please Come to Boston" when everyone's getting sentimental. Add "Tessie" in October for luck. You're welcome.
Did we miss your favorite song about Boston? Tell us in the comments, and we'll argue about it like it's a Dunks order.
Wicked Local, signing off. Turn it up.