“London Calling” by The Clash
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City Destroyed: London, England
Method of Destruction: Environmental–predictions of impending ice age, floods, nuclear error, etc–all triggered by underground punk rock movement. Without question, the seminal song of a city on the verge of extinction.
“Miami 2017 (I’ve Seen The Lights Go Out on Broadway)” by Billy Joel
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City Destroyed: New York, New York
Method of Destruction: Borough-by-borough implosions/explosions for unclear reasons. He later performed it live for a 9/11 tribute concert, telling the crowd “I wrote that song 25 years ago. I thought it was going to be a science fiction song; I never thought it would happen. But unlike the end of that song, we ain’t going anywhere!”
“The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” by The Band
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City Destroyed: Richmond and Petersburg, Virginia
Method of Destruction: The Civil War. The Band revisits actual historical event with extreme nostalgia and Richard Manuel’s piano chords. The South Will Rise Again!
“California Earthquake” by Mama Cass
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City Destroyed: Los Angeles, California
Method of Destruction: Mama calls for the crumbling of the City of Angels with a hearty tip of the Richter scale. She also imagines her own demise, with the repeated chorus “So that may be/ that may be/what’s gonna happen to me/ that’s the way it appears.” A country-flavored tour-de-force, it ends with eerie sirens and wails of the tremor’s victims.
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City Destroyed: Tokyo, Japan
Method of Destruction: Go-go-godzilla! The giant green lizard throws Tokyo into a tailspin. And teaches us a good moral lesson: “History shows again and again/how nature points out the folly of men.”
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City Destroyed: Multi-city destruction in the UK and Ireland (London, Birmingham, Leeds, Carlisle, Dublin, Dundee, Humberside).
Method of Destruction: Arson/ New Wave riots led by Morrissey. In particular, the hanging of all dee-jays who play songs that say nothing about our lives. The first time self-involvement managed to join forces under the banner of musical revolution.
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City Destroyed: Akron, Ohio
Method of Destruction: Over-development and pollution. Chrissy Hynde returns to her native town to find that not just the expected landmarks and familiar faces, but her family and her childhood home, have vanished. Rush Limbaugh later adopted this song as the intro for his radio program.
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City Destroyed: Paris, France
Method of Destruction: Burning (obviously), during WWII, but whether by the hands of Nazis or Parisian citizens is up for debate in the lyrics: “We are sorry to report/dear Paris is burning after all.”
“Attack of the Giant Ants” by Blondie
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City Destroyed: Tokyo, Japan (again)
Method of Destruction: GIANT ANTS!!! Poor Tokyo can’t catch a break when it comes to mutant creatures from another planet. By far the most fun and chipper song to ever include the words: “The world is holocaust/Everything is lost/Mankind is destroyed/Sprinkled in the void/Lalalalalalalalalala.”
“Werewolves of London” by Warren Zevon
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City Destroyed: London, England (with specific mention of neighborhoods Mayfair and Kent)
Method of Destruction: Although he’ll “rip your lungs out,” this is one cool “hairy-handed gent” that’s terrorizing London. I mean, how many times have you seen a werewolf drinking a pina colada at Trader Vic’s with perfectly styled hair?
Honorable Mentions: “Enola Gay” OMD, “Atlantic City” Bruce Springsteen, “Cities in Dust” Siouxsie and the Banshees, “Cities on Flame with Rock and Roll” Blue Oyster Cult, “My Old School” Steely Dan, “Istanbul (Not Constantinople)” The Four Lads, “Russians” Sting, “Spanish Bombs” The Clash, “Blitzkreig Bop” The Ramones.
