Denver doesn’t always get the same amount of love and respect as other bigger, more well-known cities. But many musicians — including quite a few who call D-Town home — know what makes this place special and have captured the Mile High City’s magic in song. Alongside some local music experts, we put together a list of songs that we think convey what it truly means to be a Denverite and love this city!
Chinelo "Nelo" Tyler and Wayne Watts feat. The Colorado Symphony
Take a bus ride through the city with Nelo and Wayne as they introduce you to the people and places that make Denver so special. This bouncing, fluid jam takes listeners from Welton to Colfax, introducing figures like former councilman Hiawatha Davis and living dance legend Cleo Parker Robinson, all to the breezy refrain “It’s the Mile High City, take a trip, RTD.”
Pure Devocion
When this song dropped in 1996, car cruising — a way of life captured in this track about driving down Federal Boulevard — was a highly policed activity in Denver. But in recent years, the Mile High City has changed its tune. Now there’s even an official city-recognized “Cruise Down Fedz” holiday to celebrate the Chicano-rooted tradition, making the Kid Gee and D-Boss song a Colorado classic.
Willie Nelson
It feels like pure luck when an absolute legend like Willie Nelson pens a song about the place you love. This velvety track opens with Willie crooning, “The bright lights of Denver are shining like diamonds, like ten thousand jewels in the sky,” instantly transporting the listener back to 1975, when this dusty cowtown was still the best kept secret in the West.
Kid Astronaut
This track from veteran local musician Jon Shockness aka Kid Astronaut is all about ambiance and atmosphere. Whether you’re wandering the Mile High City’s streets late at night or deep in the Rocky Mountains hiking on a sunny day, Shockness’ meditative jam encapsulates the feeling of living and breathing the place we call home.
Malcolm Whyz3
A prideful anthem celebrating everything that makes Denver Denver, hometown artist Malcolm Whyz3’s verses explore what he loves about this place. He namechecks everyone from local NBA icons Nikola Jokić and Chauncey Billups to beloved neighborhoods Five Points and Montbello, showing off just some of the people and places that make the city special.
