July 4 Playlist: 20 Best Songs Named After ‘America’, ‘American’ or ‘USA’
Bust out the musical broad stripes and bright stars at any 4th of July party or BBQ with this curated, ready-to-roll playlist of songs specifically naming America, American or USA in their titles. We’ve curated a YouTube set list that you can just pull up and hit Play on whenever with the Super America Broke-Ass 4th of July Playlist, inspired by a Radio Valencia Dante’s Hot Tub show from 3 years ago that I still kind of remember hearing.
You can pull up the July 4 playlist on a mobile device or oh say, you can see each of the individual videos below. If you think we left any good ones out, lay some bombs bursting in air in the Comments section below! This is a YouTube list, so there will be commercials. But what could be more American than commercials? Here they are, your 20 best pop songs from the 1950s. 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, 2000s and beyond that name ‘America’, ‘American’ or ‘USA’ in their titles…
“American Band” – Grand Funk Railroad
Grand Funk Railroad has been playing more cowbell since Will Ferrell was still in Garanimals, and this oldie of theirs is a deeply underappreciated classic.
“Party and Bullshit in the USA” – Miley Cyrus vs Notorious B.I.G. (Mashup by Hathbanger)
This Hathhbanger mashup makes a Hannah Montana-era Miley Cyrus track soar with Biggie’s verbal syncopations and the word ‘USA” repeated over and over.
“America” – Simon & Garfunkel
Please replay this beautiful ode at least once a year in your life.
“American Boy” – Estelle feat. Kanye West
Ima just say that Neil Diamond should have given his Grammy to Beyonce.
“American Girl” – Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
This American song will forever be associated with a horror film abduction scene, but on the bright side this will make Tom Petty very rich.
“American Woman” – The Guess Who
This American life continues into adulthood with a badass Guess Who track from 1970.
“Born This Way in the USA” -Bruce Springsteen vs Lady Gaga (Mashup by DJ Tyme)
DJ Tyme gays up the classic Springsteen tune in a precious mashup that’s sure to displease the whole family.
“Young Americans” – David Bowie
Bowie never doesn’t work at a party. Especially this song on July 4th.
“I’m So Bored with the USA” – The Clash
The first explicitly anti-patriotic song on this list, it won’t be the last.
“America” – West Side Story soundtrack
A musical comedy number from 1957 that still remains sociopolitically resonant today.
“Back in the USA” – Chuck Berry
It’s astonishing that this doo-wop gem was released in 1969, when most of Chuck Berry’s contemporaries were doing heavy amounts of acid.
“Coming to America” – Neil Diamond
I didn’t particularly want to include this song from Neil Diamond’s awful film The Jazz Singer, but I felt like I had to.
“US Blues” – Grateful Dead
The Dead are playing their last show this weekend! I got the pay-per-view and a tank. PM me for details.
“Living in America” – James Brown
The Godfather of Soul did this song for Rocky IV and it would be the film’s most enduring legacy.
“American Pie” – Don McLean
If you need something shorter than this 9-minute opus, there’s always the Madonna version. But this original version has quintessentially American musical high points.
“Surfin’ USA” – The Beach Boys
“Surfin USA” is a complete musical theft of the previously named Chuck Berry’s 1958 hit “Sweet Little Sixteen”. But it says “USA” over and over so it is included on this playlist
“Kids in America” – Kim Wilde
Ironically, the 1981 track “Kids in America” was a much bigger hit in the UK than in America.
“Banned in the USA” – 2 Live Crew
An important American recording as it was the first ever labeled with the Parental Advisory for Explicit Lyrics sticker.
“Philadelphia Freedom” – Elton John
This song does not have ‘America’ or ‘USA’ in its title, but you can tell it is all about living and breathing freedom.
“Star-Spangled Banner” – Jimi Hendrix
Hendrix’s “Star-Spangled Banner” will remain the best national anthem from now until the twilight’s last gleaming.
Did we leave any out? Give us shit in the comments and have a happy 4th of July!
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