The Very Best Songs About Houston, Texas
Discover the very best songs about Houston, Texas. Whether you’re traveling there tomorrow or simply dreaming of classic Houston blues, we’ve got it covered.
From Dean Martin to Beyoncé, from ZZ Top to Paul Wall, from Larry Gatlin to Fat Pat, we’ve gathered the very best songs about Houston, Texas in one place.
Start with our top ten songs about Houston, and then explore by genre – including rock, country, pop, hip hop, alternative, the blues and R&B standards, singer/songwriter, electronic, Christian, Tejano, and even a number of Christmas songs about Houston.
You’ll find all the best songs about Houston, Texas right here, ya’ll!
Top 10 Songs About Houston, Texas
- Houston, The Action Town – Weldon “Juke Boy” Jonner (iTunes | Amazon) Ol’ Juke Boy’s classic blues hit still rings true for many a Houston man and woman out on the town today
- Run The World (Girls) – Beyoncé (iTunes | Amazon) Houston’s chart-topping musical daughter credits the city for making her who she is in 2011’s pop and dance anthem
- Telephone Road – Steve Earle (iTunes | Amazon) Earle captures the potential along ten-mile sprawl of this Southeast Houston thoroughfare. “Everybody’s rocking on Telephone Road”
- Houston, TX – Deer Tick (iTunes | Amazon) It’s in the title, if not the song. Sparked reviews such as “Houston, TX is the best song I’ve heard in a good long while”
- La Grange – ZZ Top (iTunes | Amazon) The Chicken Ranch was 90 minutes from Houston, but ZZ Top is homegrown. So were the Ranch’s clients… a haw haw haw haw
- Houston – Dean Martin (iTunes | Amazon) Dino’s ’65 lament may ring a familiar note to many of today’s biz travelers
- Rothko Chapel – David Dondero (iTunes | Amazon) Dondero’s sincerely tongue-in-cheek lyrics proclaim “Your heart is like the Rothko Chapel, cold dark void yet simple and intriguing, somewhat comforting, got me believing almost anything”
- Houston is Hot Tonight – Iggy Pop (iTunes | Amazon) Early 80s stream-of-(Houston)-consciousness rock with solid horn backup
- Tighten Up – Archie Bell and the Drells (iTunes | Amazon) This Houston group hit No. 1 on both the R&B and Pop charts in ’68. Cover below
- Bloody Mary Morning – Willie Nelson (iTunes | Amazon) Country legend hightails it to H-Town after his girl leaves in the night
Want more songs about Houston, Texas? Check our list below for more favorites, standbys, classics, and a few oddball selections. No matter your musical taste, you can find a sound you like among the best songs about Houston. Like us on Facebook or check out more top 10 songs for other great cities and destinations.
More Songs About Houston, Texas
Houston’s got music in its DNA. Musicians with ties to the Bayou City include Beyoncé, Ray Charles, ZZ Top, Chamillionaire and Robert Earl Keen. And Houston has inspired songs in almost every genre, including rock, alternative, hip hop, country, pop and dance, R&B and blues, singer/songwriter, latino, and a few holiday chestnuts. This is your definitive source for music and songs about Houston.
Rock Songs About Houston
- Telephone Road – Steve Earle (iTunes | Amazon)
- Home to Houston – Steve Earle (iTunes | Amazon) Texas guitarman rocks a truck driver’s desire to get back to the Bayou City
- Heaven, Hell or Houston – ZZ Top (iTunes | Amazon) A guitar rock invite to “some sin-infested street corner in Houston” from a shady PR man
- Master of Sparks – ZZ Top (iTunes | Amazon)
- La Grange – ZZ Top (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston is Hot Tonight – Iggy Pop (iTunes | Amazon)
- Telephone Road – Rodney Crowell (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston Chicks – Doug Sahm & The Tex Mex Trip (iTunes | Amazon)
- Orphan Of The Storm – Tom Petty & Mudcrutch (iTunes | Amazon)
- Dracula from Houston – Butthole Surfers (iTunes | Amazon) Given the band’s Texas roots, we assume this 2001 pop rock song was inspired by an evening in Houston
- If You Ever Go To Houston – Bob Dylan (iTunes | Amazon) Gravelly voiced Bob sings a tale of reminisces about Houston’s streets in this 2009 track
- The Promised Land – Chuck Berry (iTunes | Amazon)
- Fannin Street – Tom Waits (iTunes | Amazon)
- The Long Run – The Eagles (iTunes | Amazon) “Cause all the debutantes of Houston baby, couldn’t hold a candle to you”
- Houston – Lee Hazelwood (iTunes | Amazon) Recorded in 1995, Lee rocks outs on this cover of the 1960s Dean Martin song
- Look Out Cleveland – The Band (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston Don’t Dream About Me – The Black Crowes (iTunes | Amazon)
- Darkest Side of Houston’s Finest Day – Blue October (iTunes | Amazon)
- Telephone Road – Mark May (iTunes | Amazon)
- Galveston Bay – Bruce Springsteen (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston – Rob Fahey (iTunes | Amazon)
- 24 Hours at a Time – The Marshall Tucker Band (iTunes | Amazon)
- Fourteen Black Paintings – Peter Gabriel (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston – The Rumour (iTunes | Amazon)
- Johnny and Paul – Kanude (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston – Ambrose (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston – Stephen Ashbrook (iTunes | Amazon)
- Harris County Jail – Gaylan Latimer (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston – Deadstring Brothers (iTunes | Amazon)
COUNTRY SONGS ABOUT HOUSTON
- Bloody Mary Morning – Willie Nelson (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston (Means I’m One Day Closer To You) – Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers Band (iTunes | Amazon) “Singing at the world’s biggest rodeo show, sure was a treat for the guys” is a handy shout-out in this 1983 classic
- Better Off in Houston – Zac Brown (iTunes | Amazon) Brown knows a good thing when it’s gone, and back in the Bayou City
- Houston – Mary Chapin Carpenter (iTunes | Amazon) Written for Katrina refugees who fled New Orleans and found themselves Houston bound in 2005
- Harris County Blues – Jesse Dayton (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston – Aaron Watson(iTunes | Amazon) Country sweetheart covers Houston with a little modern country swing
- Houston Rodeo Song – Dave Alexander (iTunes | Amazon) Swinging 2007 country ode to Houston’s annual party event
- Neon River – Jubal Lee Young (iTunes | Amazon)
- If You Ever Get To Houston (Look Me Down) – Don Gibson (iTunes | Amazon)
- Chasin’ that Neon Rainbow – Alan Jackson (iTunes | Amazon)
- Galveston – Glen Campbell (iTunes | Amazon) This 1969 ballad is more timeless than it sounds as Campbell sang about the port’s prominence during the Spanish-American War
- Long Night in Galveston – Kenefick | (iTunes | Amazon) Cautionary tale about a love gone wrong in Galveston
- Pasa-Get-Down-Dena – Kenefick (iTunes | Amazon) This southeast Houston country band celebrates the coastal lifestyle of Pasadena, Texas
- Who’s the Blonde Stranger – Jimmy Buffett (iTunes | Amazon) “Gift of the Magi” meets marital infedelities in 1987 Galveston Bay
- Highway 87 – Jimmy Kaiser (iTunes | Amazon)
- Heaven, Hell or Houston – Keith Norris (iTunes | Amazon)
- White Freightliner Blues – Townes Van Zandt (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston – Phil Vassar (iTunes | Amazon)
- White Christmas in Houston – Branded (iTunes)
- South Coast of Texas – Guy Clark (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston (I’m Coming to See You) – New Found Road (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston – Saddle Tramps (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston – Gary Kyle (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston – Colt Ford (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston – Libby Koch (iTunes | Amazon)
- Galveston – Jimmy Webb feat. Lucinda Williams (iTunes | Amazon)
- Pecos Promenade – Tanya Tucker (iTunes | Amazon)
POP SONGS ABOUT HOUSTON
- Run The World (Girls) – Beyoncé (iTunes | Amazon)
- Tighten Up – The Bamboos (iTunes | Amazon) 2006 cover of Archie Bell’s ’68 hit makes for some groovy background for your house party
- Rock DJ – Robbie Williams (iTunes | Amazon)Houston got a quick NASA-related shout out in this self-referential 2000 pop track
- Fueled for Houston – Wilson Phillips (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston – Jesse Bonnano (iTunes | Amazon)
- Brown Arms of Houston – Orpheus (iTunes | Amazon) Cheesy 60s easy listening lyrics could still resonate with locals and visitors
- Houston, Texas – James Kirk (iTunes | Amazon) Quirky folksy 2003 track from former Orange Juice guitarist. Sounds like Houston is home
- Night Flight From Houston – Laurie Anderson (iTunes | Amazon)
- Saturn 5 – Inspiral Carpets(iTunes | Amazon) Another NASA shout out. Poppy rock that could have come from the 60s
HIP HOP SONGS ABOUT HOUSTON
- Welcome to H-Town – Lecrae (Third Ward), Tedashii, Von Won, Wit & Dre Murray (iTunes | Amazon)
- Hate It or Love It Houston – Chamillionaire (iTunes | Amazon)
- Ridin – Chamillionaire & Krayzie Bone (iTunes | Amazon) Nigerian-born Houston rapper is joined by Krayzie Bone to discuss navigating Houston’s cops
- They Don’t Know – Paul Wall (iTunes | Amazon) Houston-based artist raps dirty about life on Houston’s streets
- On My Block – Scarface (iTunes | Amazon)
- Tops Drop – Fat Pat (iTunes | Amazon)
- Texas Boyz (Screwed) – Lil Flip feat. Lil Red (iTunes | Amazon) Houston’s hip hop underground was partially exposed with this profanity-laden 2002 track
- Hip Hop Saved My Life – Lupe Fiasco feat. Nikki Jean (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston (Home of the Texans) – Slim Thug, Paul Wall & Chamillionaire (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston – Slim Thug feat. City (iTunes | Amazon)
- Hustle Town – South Park Mexican (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston – Snob Scrilla (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston – Young Marqus (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston – ZOLA feat. P Dott (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston – Mike Jones (iTunes | Amazon)
- I’m in Houston Trick – LMFAO (iTunes | Amazon)
- I’m in H-Town Trick – LMFAO (iTunes | Amazon)
ALTERNATIVE SONGS ABOUT HOUSTON
- Houston, TX – Deer Tick (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston – Soul Coughing (iTunes | Amazon) Sweetheart has gone to Houston in this alternative ditty. But she’s about to stay if you’ll let her
- Hello Houston – The Starting Line (iTunes | Amazon) Peppy, poppy 2002 break-up song for a long distance fling (We assume she lived in Houston)
- Lord Only Knows – Beck (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston – R.E.M. (iTunes | Amazon) “Houston is filled with promise… Galveston sounds like that the song that I loved. So maybe it’s not been erased.”
- In Houston – Tapes ‘n Tapes (iTunes | Amazon) This modern band recognizes Houston as a major world city along with Oslo
- Arthur Lee at Houston Airport – The Tactics (iTunes | Amazon)Off kilter song from alternative Sydney band about a guy at IAH, or it could be Hobby
- Texas Serenade – The Gun Club (iTunes | Amazon)”He had folks in Houston, but he moved out west…” Edgy Alternative
- Livin’ on the Edge (of Houston) – Reverend Horton Heat (iTunes | Amazon) Rockabilly rationale for living on Houston’s (far) outskirts
- Houston – The Bittersweets (iTunes |Amazon)
- Houston – Rondo Brothers (iTunes)
- Houston Train – Houndmouth (iTunes |Amazon)
- Houston – They Might Be Giants (iTunes)
BLUES, R&B STANDARD SONGS ABOUT HOUSTON
- Houston, The Action Town – Weldon “Juke Boy” Jonner (iTunes | Amazon)
- Tighten Up – Archie Bell and the Drells (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston is the Place to Be – Calvin Owens (iTunes | Amazon)
- Rainy Day in Houston – Lightnin’ Hopkins (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston Bound – Lightin’ Hopkins (iTunes | Amazon) Houston blues classic from a Houston blues classic
- Hit the Road Jack – Ray Charles (iTunes | Amazon)
- Stay Off Lyons Avenue– Weldon “Juke Boy” Jonner (iTunes | Amazon)
- Struggle Here in Houston – Weldon “Juke Boy” Jonner (iTunes | Amazon)Houston’s skilled blues singer, harmonica player and guitarist sings about Houston’s darker past and challenges
- Houston Town – Buddy Ace(iTunes | Amazon) Poor Buddy needs to get out of H-Town
- Midnight Special – Leadbelly (iTunes | Amazon) Leadbelly swapped out some lyrics in traditional folk song to highlight a 1923 Houston jail break in this classic American recording
- Fannin Street – Leadbelly (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston – Johnny Copeland (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston Town – Ted Taylor (iTunes)
- Jammin’ in Houston – Archie Bell and the Drells (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston, Texas – Archie Bell and the Drells (iTunes | Amazon)
- Sitting on the Dock of the Bay – Archie Bell and the Drells (iTunes | Amazon)
- Last Concert Café – Grant Dawson (iTunes | Amazon) Tribute to Houston’s popular Mexican restaurant and live music venue on Nance Street
SINGER/SONGWRITER SONGS ABOUT HOUSTON
- Houston – Robert Ellis (iTunes | Amazon)
- Rothko Chapel – David Dondero (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston Town – The Belleville Outfit (iTunes | Amazon) Folksy and modern take on the city’s rain and namechecks Alabama Street
- Christmas in Houston – Susan Gibson (iTunes | Amazon)
- Clearlake Afternoon – Falling Rock (iTunes | Amazon)
- Galveston – Falling Rock (iTunes | Amazon)
ELECTRONIC SONGS ABOUT HOUSTON
- Houston – Oddisee (iTunes | Amazon)
- The Parish of Space Dust – Gorillaz (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston – Kaos + Karl K + Jae Kennedy (iTunes | Amazon)
- Houston – Spacer (iTunes | Amazon)
CHRISTIAN SONGS ABOUT HOUSTON
CLASSICAL SONGS ABOUT HOUSTON
TEJANO SONGS ABOUT HOUSTON
- Houston El Mover – Joe “King” Carasco (iTunes) Some Tex Mex Pop from the South Texas staple
CHRISTMAS & HOLIDAY SONGS ABOUT HOUSTON & TEXAS
- Here We are in Houston at Christmastime – Stan Keeton (iTunes | Amazon)
- White Christmas in Houston – Branded (iTunes)
- Merry Christmas from the Family – Robert Earl Keen (iTunes | Amazon)
- Christmas in Houston – Red Cap (iTunes | Amazon)
- Christmas in Houston – Susan Gibson (iTunes | Amazon)
- Christmas in Texas – John Evans (iTunes | Amazon)
- Hot Texas Christmas Day – Asleep at the Wheel feat. Dale Watson (iTunes | Amazon)
- Texas Christmas – Sonny Rhodes (iTunes | Amazon)
- Merry Christmas Houston – Personalsongs (iTunes)
- My Best Gift Lives in Texas – Ray Dahrouge (iTunes | Amazon)
Suggest Songs About Houston, Texas
Is there a great, good, or not half-bad song about Houston or that takes place in Houston that we missed? Drop us a line or contact us on Facebook and let us know. If it’s a fit, we’ll be sure to add it to our list of the best songs about Houston, Texas.
