20 essential songs about California

Written by Brian Wilson and released in 1965, "California Girls" is actually an appreciation of girls all over the world, if only they could be in his home state. A top-ten hit, the song remains one of the Beach Boys' most successful — and enduring — tracks. 

A massive hit for this '90s grunge act fronted by Courtney Love, "Malibu" is actually a song inspired by one of Love's former flames, not her late husband Kurt Cobain. 

The title track of the Eagles' 1977 album, "Hotel California" is arguably the band's most recognizable track. Inspired by the lights of Los Angeles and the allure of Hollywood, the hotel in the song is inspired by the Beverly Hills Hotel, and its sonic vibe takes inspiration from both Latin music and reggae vibes. 

Recorded in 1955, Johnny Cash was thousands of miles away from California when he penned this tune about one of its most notorious prisons while serving in the military in Germany. Later, he'd go on to record his famous live album at the state's San Quentin prison, performing the iconic song for incarcerated people. 

Even though the protagonist of this Red Hot Chili Peppers classic is originally from the South, she eventually makes her way to the Golden State and lives the definition of a rough life. The character carries through other Chili Peppers hits, including "By The Way." 

Written by John Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas and recorded by Scott McKenzie, "San Francisco" became an anthem for hippies making the pilgrimage west in the 1960s. Its iconic refrain — "If you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair" — is a subtle thumb at those who held concerns about the "free love" movement's impact on the city. 

This stunning Southern California beach town serves as the setting for a whirlwind vacation romance in this 1982 George Strait hit. Even though the two lovers ultimately go their separate ways, this song doesn't have a sad ending. It was a massive commercial success for Strait, eventually earning a Platinum certification from the Recording Industry Academy of America. 

Perfectly encapsulating the breezy, folksy vibe of the 1960s, "California Dreamin'" is the perfect song for when you're pining away for a day in the sunshine. "All the leaves are brown, and the sky is grey," the song goes. "I've went for a walk on a winter's day, I'd be safe and warm if I was in L.A." 

Originally written by Homer Joy, country legend Buck Owens made "Streets of Bakersfield" a hit in 1972 alongside Dwight Yoakam. The song exemplifies the distinct Bakersfield country sound, the sub-genre popularized by artists like Owens and Merle Haggard. 

This breezy tune about driving down California's legendary Highway 101 was recorded by Phantom Planet in 2002, and became completely inescapable when it was selected as the theme song for teen melodrama "The O.C." 

The title track from the Red Hot Chili Peppers' legendary 1999 album, "Californication" is a much deeper song than many think. It explores the downsides of Hollywood, and the pervasive influence of the movie industry, against a ridiculously catchy melody. 

With 2Pac and Dr. Dre on the verses, "California Love" was practically destined to be an icon of West Coast rap music. It's widely considered one of the best songs in rap history and has sold more than 2 million copies in the United States alone. 

NWA stormed onto the fledgling gangsta rap scene in 1988 with "Straight Outta Compton," to immediate critical success and controversy. The song was banned from a slew of radio stations for allegedly promoting violence, but that didn't stop it from becoming a legendary success. 

This folksy tune appears on Led Zeppelin's untitled 1971 album and remains a fan favorite to this day even though songwriter and Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant doesn't consider it a lyrical triumph. 

Written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David and recorded by Dianne Warwick, "Do You Know The Way to San Jose" earned Warwick her very first Grammy Award in 1968. The song's protagonist, a failed entertainer who tried to make it big in Hollywood and is now on the way back to her hometown of San Jose, did not fare as well. 

Released as the B-Side of massive Creedence hit "Bad Moon Rising," "Lodi" is one of the band's more underrated tunes, even if it is a little bit depressing It's about a man who's stranded in the once-tiny town, and the struggles of making it as a traveling musician. 

Taking a heavy pinch of influence from the Beach Boys classic of the same name, Katy Perry's "California Gurls" was totally inescapable after it was released in 2010. Co-written by Perry itself, it takes a bolder position than the original, positioning California girls as "unforgettable" and "so hot [they'll] melt your popsicle." 

Lana Del Rey's music is deeply steeped in a laid-back Cali vibe, and "West Coast" is arguably the song that most exemplifies that ethos — even though its protagonist is technically planning to leave, at least "for the moment." 

Joni Mitchell was living in France and pining for home when she penned "California" in 1971, the second single from her groundbreaking album "Blue." "Oh, but California, California, I'm coming home," she sings. "I'm gonna see the folks I dig, I'll even kiss a sunset pig." 

Released in 1995, this Belinda Carlisle tune kicks off with the death of River Phoenix, the actor who died of a drug overdose on the front steps of the now-infamous Viper Room nightclub on Los Angeles's Sunset Strip, and Carlisle reminisces about all the things that she loves — and those she doesn't miss — about California.