Oh, New England! – playlists

For the brief moment that I was a college radio DJ, for one three-hour episode, I played all songs with a New England reference or that referenced the region in some way. To update this approach, I’ve compiled a hefty playlist that I call “Oh, New England,” named for the Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers song of the same name. Almost all of these tracks reference the region in the title, with a few exceptions that are simply about the country’s Northeast Corner. 

The playlist darts here, there, and everywhere, with a heavy emphasis on Jonathan Richman and the Dropkick Murphys, both of which have many songs about New England. When I mean New England, the song could be about a state, town, or location within the six-state area. Boston and Massachusetts take the brunt of it with the most songs, but Connecticut comes in at a surprising second, with the other four trailing in the distance. 

Of course, the Billy Bragg song isn’t about our New England, but it’s in the title! And a few songs reference the area, but not with a place name, including Rappin’ with Mr. Magic which gives a shout-out to lots of CT communities, World Series Beard, which is all about the Red Sox ‘04 win, and the Downeaster Alexa, about fishing off the waters of Block Island and other locales. 

(the playlist name takes you to a Spotify playlist link)

Oh New England

1. Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers – New England
2. John Vanderslice – Plymouth Rock
3. Sonic Youth – New Hampshire
4. David Allan Coe – Please Come to Boston
5. G. Love and Special Sauce – Back to Boston
6. Hallelujah the Hills – Wave Backwards to Boston
7. Slaughter and the Dogs – Boston Babies
8. Van Morrison – Into the Mystic
9. Jonathan Richman – Winter Afternoon By B.U. in Boston
10. The Get Up Kids – Mass Pike
11. Dropkick Murphys – For Boston
12. David Huntsinger – Climbing Katahdin
13. Tom Waits – Bad Liver and a Broken Heart (in Lowell)
14. Dropkick Murphys – The State of Massachusetts
15. Baby Gramps – Cape Cod Girls
16. Brand New – Logan to Government Center
17. Jesse Malin – Block Island
18. Dismemberment Plan – The Ice of Boston
19. Street Dogs – Savin Hill 
20. Dropkick Murphys – Tessie
21. The Allstonians – The Allston Beat
22. Matt Pond PA – New Hampshire
23. The Standells – Dirty Water
24. Jonathan Richman – Twilight in Boston
25. The Zambonis – Brass Bonanza
26. Ben Ancona Jr. – Christmas in Connecticut 
27. Gary Portnoy – “Cheers” Theme
28. Kevin Devine – Rhode Island
29. Augustana – Boston
30. Cheryl Wheeler – When Fall Comes to New England
31. Dropkick Murphys – I’m Shipping Up to Boston
32. Judy Garland and Bing Crosby – Connecticut
33. Mountain – Nantucket Sleighride
34. G. Love and Special Sauce – Cape Cod Winter Blues
35. Bee Gees – Massachusetts
36. Vampire Weekend – Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
37. Erin Harrison and Kevin Salem – Somerset
38. The Kingston Trio – M.T.A.
39. Dropkick Murphys – Skinhead on the MBTA
40. A Smooth Jazz Cafe – Stamford Bistro Jazz
41. Willie Nelson – Moonlight in Vermont
42. Aerosmith – I Live in Connecticut
43. Pernice Brothers – Somerville
44. The Impossibles – Connecticut
45. Scot Haney – The Mystic Christmas Moon
46. David Huntsinger – Farewell to Mystic Harbor
47. Sonic Youth – Providence
48. Kenny Chesney – Boston
49. Patti Page – Old Cape Cod
50. Pondering Judd – World Series Beard
51. Dropkick Murphys – Pipebomb on Lansdowne
52. Jackopierce – Vineyard
53. Into It. Over It. – Connecticut Steps
54. Billy Joel – The Downeaster Alexa
55. Ben Folds – Kylie from Connecticut
56. Street Dogs – In Defense of Dorchester
57. Brian Wilson – Roll Plymouth Rock
58. Death Cab for Cutie – Lowell, MA
59. Scud Mountain Boys – Massachusetts
60. Deer Tick – Smith Hill
61. The Modern Lovers – Government Center
62. Mr. Magic – Rappin’ with Mr. Magic
63. Dropkick Murphys – Queen of Suffolk County
64. Billy Bragg – A New England. And now including……
65. Barry Manilow – A Weekend in New England
66. Reba McEntire – Whoever’s in New England

There is also a second playlist called simply “Massa Chews Its”- and features all artists from the state, again with a heavy emphasis on Boston. And it has to, just has to include the most essential song about the state from who, in my opinion, should be the state’s troubadour. The song is Road Runner by the Modern Lovers. The list could contain some artists that are from the state but got bigger after they left (Guru from Gangstarr) or others who came to Boston to make it big (Aerosmith- with members meeting in New Hampshire). This is a more eclectic playlist ranging from Donna Summer and New Kids on the Block to Blood for Blood and the Street Dogs. 

Massa Chews Its

1. The Modern Lovers – Roadrunner
2. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones – The Impression That I Get
3. Sebadoh – On Fire
4. James Taylor – Country Road
5. New Kids on the Block – Step by Step
6. The Charles River Valley Boys – I Feel Fine
7. Dropkick Murphys – The Boys on the Docks
8. The Lemonheads – It’s All True
9. Guru and Donald Byrd – Loungin’
10. Hallelujah the Hills – Superglued to You
11. Pixies – Here Comes Your Man
12. Donna Summer – Hot Stuff
13. Bobby Brown – My Prerogative
14. Arlo Guthrie – The Motorcycle Song
15. Machinery Hall – Tear it Down
16. Willy Mason – Gotta Keep Movin
17. Cheryl Wheeler – His Hometown
18. The Del Fuegos – Don’t Run Wild
19. David Coffin – Safe in the Harbor
20. Boston Pops Orchestra – Sleigh Ride
21. Passion Pit – The Reeling
22. Big Wreck – That Song
23. The Barbarians – Are You a Boy or Are You a Girl?
24. Frank Black – I Burn Today
25. Jonathan Richman – I Was Dancing at the Lesbian Bar
26. Street Dogs – You Alone
27. The Elevators – Gardenia 
28. Chester French – The Jimmy Choos
29. Aerosmith – Hole in My Soul
30. Speedy Ortiz – Raising the Skate
31. Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch – Good Vibrations
32. Buffalo Tom – Taillights Fade
33. Inca Son – Cuando el Cielo Llora
34. Boston – Peace of Mind
35. Marissa Nadler – Firecrackers
36. The Allstonians – Mariachi Go Ska!
37. Blood for Blood – Goin’ Down to the Bar
38. G. Love and Special Sauce – Hot Cookin’
39. Bishop Allen – Click, Click, Click, Click
40. Pernice Brothers – Baby in Two
41. Big D and the Kids Table – Shining On
42. Dinosaur Jr. – Drawings
43. Scud Mountain Boys – In a Ditch
44. The Sheila Divine – Like a Criminal
45. Kevin Salem – Lighthouse Keeper
46. Charlie Chesterman – Where’d Ya Go?
47. Jim Kweskin Jug Band – Washington at Valley Forge
48. New Edition – Cool it Now
49. Letters to Cleo – Mellie’s Comin’ Over
50. The Modern Lovers – Girlfriend