Theme from New York, New York


"Theme from New York, New York" is the theme song from the Martin Scorsese film New York, New York, composed by John Kander, with lyrics by Fred Ebb. It was written for and performed in the film by Liza Minnelli. It remains one of the best-known songs about New York City. In 2004 it finished #31 on AFI's 100 Years...100 Songs survey of top tunes in American Cinema.

History

In 1979, "Theme from New York, New York" was recorded by Frank Sinatra for his album ', and has since become closely associated with him. He occasionally performed it live with Minnelli as a duet. Sinatra recorded it a second time for his 1993 album Duets, with Tony Bennett.
The first line of the song is:
The song concludes with the line:
Minnelli's original recording of the song uses the following closing line:
It should not be confused with the song "New York, New York", from Leonard Bernstein/Adolph Green/Betty Comden's musical On the Town, which features the lyric "New York, New York, it’s a helluva town / The Bronx is up and the Battery's down..."
Composers Kander and Ebb stated on the A&E Biography episode about Liza Minnelli, that they attribute the song's success to actor Robert De Niro, who rejected their original theme for the film because he thought it was "too weak".
The song did not become a popular hit until it was picked up in concert by Frank Sinatra during his performances at Radio City Music Hall in October 1978.. Subsequently, Sinatra recorded it in 1979 for his 1980 ' set, and it became one of his signature songs. The single peaked at #32 in June 1980, becoming his final Top 40 hit. It was also an Adult Contemporary hit, reaching #10 in the US and #2 in Canada. The song made a minor showing in the UK ; however, it recharted several years later and reached #4 in 1986. The song was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Vocal Performance, Male and Sinatra made two more studio recordings of the song in 1981 and 1993. From the latter, an electronic duet with Tony Bennett was produced for Sinatra's Duets album.
The lyrics of the Sinatra versions differ slightly from Ebb's original lyrics. Notably, the phrase "A-number-one", which does not appear at all in the original lyrics, is sung twice at the song's rallentando climax.. The phrase is both the first and fourth on a list of three superlative titles the singer strives to achieve — "A-number-one, top of the list, king of the hill, A-number-one" — where Ebb's original lyrics were "king of the hill, head of the list, cream of the crop, at the top of the heap."
Despite Sinatra's version becoming more familiar, original singer Minnelli had two of the tune's most memorable live performances – during the July 4, 1986 ceremony marking the rededication of the Statue of Liberty after extensive renovations, and in the middle of the seventh inning at Shea Stadium during a New York Mets game, that was the first pro sports event in the metro area after the September 11, 2001 attacks. She also sang it at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum during the 1984 Summer Olympics opening ceremony, accompanied by 24 pianos and strobe lights.

Charts

;Liza Minnelli version
Chart Peak
position
US Billboard Bubbling Under the Hot 100104

;Frank Sinatra version
Chart Peak
position
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary2
UK59
US Billboard Hot 10032
US Billboard Adult Contemporary10
US Cash Box Top 10035

Chart Peak
position
-
UK4

Certifications

In popular culture

The song has been embraced as a celebration of New York City, and is often heard at New York City social events, such as weddings and bar mitzvahs. Many sports teams in New York City have played this song in their arenas/stadiums, but the New York Yankees are the most prominent example. It has been played over the loudspeakers at both the original and current Yankee Stadiums at the end of every Yankee home game since July 1980. Originally, Sinatra's version was played after a Yankees win, and the Minnelli version after a loss. However, due to a complaint from Minnelli, the Sinatra version is now heard regardless of the game's outcome.
As of the 2005 season, at the Richmond County Bank Ballpark following Staten Island Yankees games, the Sinatra version is heard regardless of the game's outcome, and was formerly done at Shea Stadium at the end of New York Mets games after the September 11, 2001 attack. Previously, Mets fans felt it was a "Yankee song", and began booing it when it was played. It actually first had snippets of the song played after World Series home runs by Ray Knight and Darryl Strawberry during Game 7 of the 1986 World Series. The song is also sometimes played at New York Knicks games. The Sinatra version is played at the end of every New York Rangers game at Madison Square Garden. It was played at the opening faceoff of Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals at the Garden. The song has also been the post parade song for the Belmont Stakes from 1997 to 2009, and since 2011. Sinatra's version of the song has been played at the end of all four Super Bowls that the New York Giants have won to date, as well as before kickoff of Super Bowl XLVIII, while Minnelli's version was heard after the Giants' Super Bowl XXXV loss.
The song was the musical basis for Jimmy Picker's 1983 three-minute animated short, Sundae in New York, which won the Oscar for Best Short Film that year, with a likeness of then-mayor Ed Koch somewhat stumbling through the song, with clay caricatures of New York-based celebrities and finishing the song with "Basically, I think New York is very therapeutic. Hey, an apple a day is... uh... great for one's constitution!" and burying his face in a big banana split with "THE END" written on his bald head.
An instrumental version of the song is used as the main theme music for NBC's broadcasts of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The Frank Sinatra version is also played during the annual Times Square New Year's Day celebrations, immediately after "Auld Lang Syne" and the ball drop that signifies the new year.
Mexico's top singer José José recorded the song in Spanish.
Queen covered the song for the 1986 fantasy film Highlander. Unlike the other songs recorded for the film, it has never appeared on a Queen album.
The song is performed by Brain Gremlin in the 1990 sequel .
In Arrested Development episode 8 of season 2, which aired in January 2005, Tobias, played by David Cross, starts singing the song in his newly bought club. Lucille 2, played by Liza Minnelli, who's in the audience comments "Everyone thinks they're Frank Sinatra."
In DreamWorks Animation's Madagascar, the song is introduced in Central Park Zoo, and Marty later sings the song in the midst of Alex the Lion's delirium.
In the series premiere of the popular CBS crime-drama series Blue Bloods, back in 2010, the song is playing while Jamie is walking out in front of his family while about to graduate from the police academy and when they throw their hats.
In 2013, the song was played at the funeral of former New York City Mayor Ed Koch.
In 2016, the American filmmaker and YouTube personality Casey Neistat published a viral video titled "Snowboarding with the NYPD" which was set to the song.
The song was played thoroughly throughout New York City during the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic in the spring of 2020 by residents expressing pride and solidarity.

Parodies