20. Sleigh Bells “Infinity Guitars” (2010)
It is impossible to listen to “Infinity Guitars” and experience depression simultaneously. No one knows why that is, but none of us have any authority to question it even if we could. Sometimes it’s best just to surrender to what is and listen to Sleigh Bells.
19. The Cramps “I Was a Teenage Werewolf” (1980)
Despite having lyrics that are completely unrelatable to humans, “I Was a Teenage Werewolf” is mesmerizing. From the desert-like guitar riff to Lux Interior’s vocal prowess, this song will make you want to move to NYC and pay $4,000 a month for a one-bedroom unit that’s located in the sewer.
18. Run-DMC “It’s Tricky” (1986)
“It’s Tricky” samples the guitar riff from the Knack’s “My Sharona” and the entire vocal structure from the chorus in Toni Basil’s “Mickey.” The result is a track that’s more enjoyable than either. Only in New York.
17. Blondie “Call Me” (1980)
Blondie was one of the big CBGB bands. The venue famously shut down in 2006, but a CBGB restaurant opened in the Newark airport in New Jersey. If you have an extra $50 to spare, you can get a hamburger and precisely one beer at this place to experience what the scene was probably like in the late ‘70s.
16. Cro-Mags “Hard Times” (1986)
Cro-Mags are a mixture of hardcore, crossover thrash, triathlon athletes, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. At one point there were even two different Cro-Mag happening simultaneously after a legal settlement. More bands should clone themselves. We need options.
15. Sonic Youth “Teen Age Riot” (1988)
It’s difficult to pick one Sonic Youth song that perfectly represents them as a musical unit. And good luck trying to learn their songs on guitar. Many of them have batshit tunings. I guess they wanted to discourage fans from playing along. Kind of a dick move.
14. A Tribe Called Quest “Scenario” (1991)
When you look at a list of the greatest groups from New York City, the entries start to get repetitive because of how legendary it starts looking. One can only conclude that New York is not only the greatest city in the world, but it’s also the greatest music hub on Earth.
13. The Velvet Underground “Sister Ray” (1968)
Velvet Underground really did write a 17-minute track that was recorded in one take. They also used to play this one live, sometimes for over 30 minutes. Still to this day no one knows whether this song is good or terrible. For argument’s sake, let’s just say it’s good because we heard this band is quintessential.
12. TV on the Radio “Wolf Like Me” (2006)
You simply cannot talk about 2000s-era NYC indie without spending several moments on TVOTR. “Wolf Like Me” is the band’s most well-known single. The lyrical content seems to explore what it’s like to be a werewolf that fucks. This is the second song on this list about being a werewolf (see: The Cramps). It’s a bit of an epidemic in NYC.
11. The Strokes “Reptilia” (2003)
Are you someone who used to use the word “hipster” in a derogatory manner despite also indulging in what could be considered the same behavior? Then you probably liked “Reptilia” while also telling people you disliked “Reptilia” because you “preferred their previous stuff” from 18 months earlier. This era was all about confusing other people for fun.
10. Mobb Deep “Shook Ones, Pt. II” (1995)
This song is an absolute masterpiece. The beat is also mesmerizing as hell. In fact, you’ll be so into this track that you’ll end up missing your stop on the 6 train and be forced to get off at the next station and turn around while having to pay the fare again. How embarrassing.
9. Gorilla Biscuits “New Direction” (1989)
Gorilla Biscuits is legendary in the NYHC circuit. This song starts out honorably with a bunch of trumpets, but be careful because all of a sudden you’ll find yourself wanting to stage dive off the subway platform feet-first into the rat feces. This is not as cool as it sounds.
8. Onyx “Slam” (1993)
There are simply not enough songs that match the vigor, intensity, and stamina of “Slam.” It’ll make you want to do three sets of pull-ups on one of the many impressive scaffolding displays throughout the city. Music is at its finest when it makes you want to exercise on temporary support structures.
7. Yeah Yeah Yeahs “Date With The Night” (2003)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs are more NYC than folding your pizza in half and eating it directly off the floor of the F train. And their album “Fever to Tell” carries on the long-standing New York City tradition of being cool as shit. Karen O is also one of the few “Karens” we can all get behind as a society.
6. Talking Heads “Once in a Lifetime” (1980)
Talking Heads seems like they’re made up of members who have rent-controlled apartments and only pay $85 a month for a two-bedroom overlooking Central Park because “that’s just the way things were.” The rest of us will have to make do with our annual 300% rent increases and whatever the fuck a broker fee is.
5. Beastie Boys “Sabotage” (1994)
The B-Boys are one of the few groups that changed their brand from hardcore punk to hip hop and whatever genre “Sabotage” is. Some people remember exactly where they were on 9/11. Others remember where they were when they first heard “Sabotage.”
4. Interpol “Obstacle 1” (2002)
Interpol secretly wrote the most important album of the 2000s indie era. “Turn on the Bright Lights” is one of those albums you listen to while getting your master’s degree in proofreading from Columbia and don’t think about the overwhelming student loans until a decade later when it’s already too late.
3. Le Tigre “Deceptacon” (1999)
Whether it’s forming Bikini Kill in the Pacific Northwest or Le Tigre in NYC, Kathleen Hanna knows how to set up successful music franchises nationwide. If she ever moved to the Midwest and formed a band in Wisconsin, Kathleen would be unstoppable.
2. Wu-Tang Clan “C.R.E.A.M. (Cash Rules Everything Around Me)” (1993)
Wu-Tang currently consists of nine guys that formed in Staten Island. If you know anything about this city it’s that Staten Island is the least respected borough for some reason. It’s probably because the island isn’t connected to NYC’s subway system, so if you want to get there from Manhattan using public transportation you have to take a ferry or a bus, which just seems like a whole thing.
1. Ramones “Judy is a Punk” (1976)
There is nothing more that can be said about this band that hasn’t already been said. You know them. We know them. Your mom knows them. “Blitzkrieg Bop” plays at baseball stadiums. They are more Queens than Kevin James.
Listen to the full playlist: