Songs to Listen to Before You Go to Boston

The musical soil is fertile in Boston. Though it is home to Hall of Famers like Aerosmith and James Taylor, the city has inspired a bevy of proud Bostonian songs from all parts of the nation. No, Please Come to Boston doesn’t make this list.

Going out in Style by Dropkick Murphys

No band is more Boston than the Dropkick Murphys. The Celtic punk band pretty much encapsulates the city in this song. See also Shipping Up to Boston, of course.

Boston by Augustana

Possibly the most simultaneously depressing and hopeful song of all time, Boston is an anthem for anyone starting over. And what better place for that than America’s sunrise city?

Boat Drinks by Jimmy Buffett

Because anyone who has been in a Boston winter (especially this last one) knows that sometimes there’s nothing quite like getting out of Boston.

Dirty Water by The Standells

Anyone who says that this isn’t the song about Boston, has never been to Boston. Love that dirty water.

Rock & Roll Band by Boston

Yea, yea, it’s almost too easy. Boston’s eponymous band broke the mold for what area rock should look like. This song tells their story.

There are simply too many great musicians from Boston to list them all here. To really get into the Boston spirit, check out these other homegrown Boston bands, from They Might Be Giants to Dinosaur, Jr.