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Music of New York City

  • Salsa musicIn 1930, Cuban composer Ignacio Piñeiro wrote a song titled Échale salsita. The phrase translates to put some sauce in it and served as a command for his…
  • Punk rockThe Kingsmen released "Louie, Louie" in 1963, a song that later became known as punk rock's defining ur-text. This garage band from Portland, Oregon, played…
  • Gangsta rapPhiladelphia rapper Schoolly D released a self-titled debut album in 1985 that contained the song "P.S.K. What Does It Mean?" This track is widely regarded…
  • Hip-hopOn the 11th of August 1973, a back-to-school party took place in the recreation room at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue. DJ Kool Herc used two turntables to extend the…
  • Tin Pan AlleyMonroe H. Rosenfeld wrote a column in the New York Herald that first used the phrase Tin Pan Alley in 1903. The article described the clashing sounds of many…