Viva Las Vegas: The best songs about Sin City

On Katy Perry’s 2009 single “Waking Up in Vegas,” the singer details the fun and sometimes unfortunate events that can happen in Sin City. The song starts off with sounds of a slot machine before Perry describes having a hangover, losing a fake ID, and questioning if she got married in front of an Elvis Presley impersonator. “Waking Up in Vegas” became a top-10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. 

In 2022, Doja Cat released her track “Vegas,” which was a featured single on the soundtrack of the Elvis Presley biopic, Elvis. Sampling “Hound Dog” by Big Mama Thornton, Doja uses the track to describe a guy’s player ways and how she’s going to call his bluff by airing out his dirty laundry. On one line she says “This ain’t staying in Vegas,” which refers to the popular slogan, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” 

In addition to Las Vegas being a big city on gambling, it’s also known as a popular destination for couples who want to get hitched. Country singer Faith Hill highlights the city of wedding bliss on her track “Let’s Go to Vegas.” As she sings on the second verse, “We’ll find a little wedding chapel / A pair of rings and a preacher too / Underneath the neon steeple / We’ll take a gamble and say ‘I do.’” 

Sometimes people need a change of scenery in order to see their dreams come true. That’s the sentiment on Sara Bareilles’ 2007 track “Vegas.” Bareilles describes how she’s ready to see her name in lights, but in order to do that, she’s been told that moving somewhere like Las Vegas will help. Her feelings are clear in the first verse, “Gonna sell my car and go to Vegas / Cause somebody told me / That's where dreams would be / Gonna sell my car and go to Vegas / Finally see my name upon the Palace marquee.” 

One of the most popular songs about Sin City came from Elvis Presley on his 1964 single properly titled “Viva Las Vegas.” On the track, Presley describes his excitement and desires for the city. As he sings on the second verse, “Oh, there's blackjack and poker and the roulette wheel / A fortune won and lost on every deal / All you need's a strong heart and a nerve of steel / Viva Las Vegas, Viva Las Vegas.”

In 2014, R&B-pop singer Tinashe released her debut album Aquarius. On the album cut “Feels Like Vegas,” Tinashe uses the city as a metaphor for a night of pleasure with her partner. As she sings on the hook, “Flashing lights / I'll let you love me, cause I can tell that you want me / Just you and I / Feels like Vegas, don’t it?” 

In 1993, Sheryl Crow released her debut album Tuesday Night Music Club. On the third single “Leaving Las Vegas,” Crow describes how she’s placed bets and quit her job as a dancer and she’s ready to leave the city for good. Sometimes a chance is needed, as Crow tells it, “I'm leaving Las Vegas, oh / The lights so bright / Blackjack on a Saturday night / I'm leaving Las Vegas.” 

In 2013, pop rock band Panic! At The Disco released their fourth studio album Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die.” In addition to the few singles that were released, one song that stood out as an album cut is “Vegas Lights.” On the track, the band describes the highs and lows of the city. It’s evident on the hook as they sing, “In the Vegas lights / Where villains spend the weekend, the deep end / We’re swimming with the sharks until we drown.” 

In 1973, pop rock duo Hall & Oates released their sophomore studio album Abandoned Luncheonette. On the track “Las Vegas Turnaround,” they describe a character by the name of Sara, who is a flight attendant with a go-with-the-flow type of persona who needs to settle her feet somewhere. As they sing on the first hook, “Sara's off on a turnaround / Flying gambling fools to the holy land, Las Vegas / Sometimes she's here and sometimes she can't be found, turnaround.”

Mary J. Blige teams up with The-Dream on “Vegas Nights,” a track that stresses their love for their partners and having a great time in Las Vegas. It’s evident from the first verse as Blige sings “Lift off, take flight / I'm living the life / Racing down the boulevard / Under the Vegas lights.”

While Frank Sinatra’s “Luck Be a Lady” doesn’t necessarily describe Sin City, he uses the song to describe a woman who embodies giving him good luck. Sinatra’s swing and big band production is the type of music that long represented the sound of shows held in Las Vegas. On the track, Sinatra details a woman that he is courting to only have eyes for him. 

In 1998, rock band Hootie & the Blowfish released their third studio album Musical Chairs. On the track “Las Vegas Nights,” the band details how the city continues to call their name, but they're more focused on winning the heart of their partner back. 

In 1983, new wave band The B-52s released their third album Whammy! One of the album standouts was the track “Queen of Las Vegas.” On the track, the group describes different elements of games played in a casino such as the roulette wheel. 

In 1990, rock band Cocteau Twins released their sixth album Heaven or Las Vegas. On the titular track, the band seemingly describes wanting to pursue someone but the feelings may not be reciprocal. When they sing “Am I in heaven or Las Vegas,” they’re describing if they’re in a realm where everything goes right or a city where they’re taking a bet on love. 

In 1978, hard rock band AC/DC released their fifth album Powerage. One of the album’s standout tracks is “Sin City” in which the band describes the highs and lows of a city like Las Vegas. As they sing on the hook, “I'm goin' in to Sin City / I'm gonna win in Sin City / Where the lights are bright / Do the town tonight / I wanna win in Sin City.”

In 1964, Elvis Presley released his EP Viva Las Vegas, which was also the name of the motion picture. On the track “Night Life,” Presley describes a night on the town in Sin City. It’s evident from the first verse as he sings, “Oh the neons are a gleaming and the gamblers are a dreaming / Oh it's night life, yeah, night life / The chips are a spilling and it's time to make a killing / Oh it's night life, yeah, night life.”

Since Las Vegas is known for being a party city, there’s no doubt about it that Calvin Harris would make a song about it, properly titled “Vegas.” Although the track doesn’t boast a lot of lyrical elements, he mentions that he has everything he needs as he travels to Las Vegas. 

In 2023, Kylie Minogue released her sixteenth studio album Tension. In typical Minogue form, the singer knows how to keep people dancing to her pop sound, something that was evident on her track "Vegas High." On the song, she implies that she wants a romantic night of pure bliss as she sings, "Losin' track of time / We're rollin' on the night / And fallin' to the sky / Make my eyes roll back when I feel that Vegas high."

Los Angeles G Perico raps about spending a few days in Sin City on his 2021 track "Vegas Weekend." In the song, Perico details going to Las Vegas for a fun weekend of partying, gambling, and spending time in his top-floor hotel suite. 

In 2012, pop singer Conor Maynard released his debut album Contrast. The project garnered four singles including the track "Vegas Girl." On the single, Maynard uses different metaphors to describe a night of pleasure that he desires with a woman. As he sings on the hook, "This is for the girl that can get down low / The whole club wanna see you go / Aye, shake, shake like you're famous, girl / Head back, lay it down like a Vegas girl."