Tokyo is World’s 12th Most Sung-about Spot with 270 Mentions on Spotify
By Ryan Nicklin
Journo Research
Music has close ties to locations, whether that’s memories you hold of places due to music or the mention of your favorite destinations in the lyrics themselves. Music and travel have always coincided with one another, but which are the places most mentioned in song titles?
The data collected by QR Code Generator analyzed one million songs from around the globe taken from Spotify. The data was then analyzed by using entity recognition to identify names of countries, cities, municipalities, and states. Overall 36,580 locations were found from the song titles which we then ranked based on their frequency, giving the most sung-about locations worldwide.
Global locations with the most mentions in song titles
| Location | Number of mentions |
| New York | 1,374 |
| California | 920 |
| London | 888 |
| Paris | 791 |
| Texas | 567 |
| Chicago | 397 |
| Georgia | 382 |
| San Francisco | 346 |
| Los Angeles | 322 |
| Mexico | 314 |
| New Orleans | 276 |
| Tokyo | 270 |
| Miami | 264 |
| Hollywood | 251 |
| Tennessee | 245 |
From Frank Sinatra to Taylor Swift, New York has been a key location used in song titles for decades, mostly referring to one of the world’s most famous cities, New York City. Often described as ‘a concrete jungle where dreams of made of’ is the most mentioned location globally. Of the 1 million songs, the place was named 1,374 times. The average mention of locations in the top 1,000 places in the data is 43 songs, so New York is mentioned over 31 times the average. The city is drenched in culture and is home to many significant buildings, monuments and streets, which are often romanticized on screen as well, creating the perfect setting for lyricists to tell a story.
California is the second most sung-about location, with 920 mentions, once again much higher than the average of 43 mentions. Artists such as Rihanna, Katy Perry, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Lana Del Ray have mentioned the location, showing its popularity in mainstream music.
London (888 mentions) and Paris (791 mentions) are two of Europe’s most popular places to use in song titles, ranking third and fourth. These two locations also rank in the top 10 for the most visited cities worldwide by the United Nations World Tourism Organization, which amplifies their pull to the music scene. Notable artists mentioning the places are Taylor Swift, The 1975, Billie Holiday
The following three locations are all US states: Texas (567 mentions), Chicago (397 mentions), and Georgia (382 mentions), these are all again mentioned much more than average (43 mentions). The US is well-known for its ties to music, with many genres connected to the geography and politics of the states. Country, Blues, and Rock and Roll are key genres in the progression to modern-day music. This is why many artists see it important to include locations in song titles, as it strengthens the bonds between the music and the listener.
European locations with the most mentions in song titles
| Location | Number of mentions |
| London | 888 |
| Paris | 791 |
| Berlin | 224 |
| Rome | 149 |
| Amsterdam | 134 |
| Stockholm | 99 |
| Dublin | 99 |
| Madrid | 98 |
| Ibiza | 95 |
| Venice | 88 |
The data also shows the most sung-about places in Europe. The leaders are the two already mentioned in the global ranking: London and Paris.
The rest of the top eight are made up of some of the largest capital cities in Europe with the other two being other cities in the continent; Berlin is third with 224 mentions. Followed by the historical and romantic city of Rome with 149 mentions these are both over triple the average number of mentions (43).
Amsterdam, located in the Netherlands, ranks fifth with 134 mentions, followed by Stockholm, the capital of Sweden (99 mentions).
Europe is steeped in culture, with each country having its unique forms of architecture, language and traditions, all of which create settings that musicians can draw on for inspiration and create a connection between the geography and the audience.
A spokesperson from QR Code Generator commented, “Using names of places in song titles isn’t just about geography; it’s a way for musicians to tell stories and connect with listeners on a deeper level.
Whether it’s singing about a city like New York or a country road in rural Texas, these names bring up feelings and memories for both the artists and the audience. Songs like “Streets of Philadelphia” or “California Dreamin'” aren’t just songs; they’re like postcards from the places they describe, capturing the essence of those places in music. The top 10 contain notable locations not just culturally but musically, with New York, Texas and Chicago having close ties to historical events and the music that stemmed from those. Others such as London and Paris are often seen as traditional and romantic.
Beyond the emotional connection, these names also help people find music they love. When you’re scrolling through playlists or browsing online, seeing a familiar place name in a song title can catch your eye and make you want to listen. It’s a way for musicians to pay tribute to their roots or celebrate the places that mean something to them, and it helps listeners discover new music that resonates with their own experiences.”
Top 25 locations mentioned in song titles
| Location | Number of mentions |
| New York | 1,374 |
| California | 920 |
| London | 888 |
| Paris | 791 |
| Texas | 567 |
| Chicago | 397 |
| Georgia | 382 |
| San Francisco | 346 |
| Los Angeles | 322 |
| Mexico | 314 |
| New Orleans | 276 |
| Tokyo | 270 |
| Miami | 264 |
| Hollywood | 251 |
| Tennessee | 245 |