What Place Name Is Missing From These Song Lyrics?

In the early '70s, Neil Young took a shot at the south with critical songs "Alabama" and "Southern Man." In response, Lynyrd Skynyrd released the song "Sweet Home Alabama" on their 1974 album "Second Helping" to celebrate the blue skies and pleasures of this southern state. It pays homage to two Alabama towns, including Muscle Shoals and Birmingham, and also calls out "old Neil" by name.

"Midnight Train to Georgia" became a signature song for Gladys Knight, who released this classic with The Pips on her 1973 album "Imagination." The song about a couple leaving the big city of L.A. for a quieter life in Georgia also won her a Grammy in 1974 for Best R&B Performance.

Journey first released "Don't Stop Believin'," with lyrics about a boy "born and raised in south Detroit" back in 1981. A modest hit at the time, it became much more popular after it was featured in both the finale of "The Sopanos" and on a 2009 episode of "Glee."

Elton John's long-time songwriting partner Bernie Taupin penned the lyrics to "Tiny Dancer" about his girlfriend Maxine Feibelman and his experiences touring the U.S. with Elton.The song about this "L.A. lady" found a new generation of fans after it appeared in the 2000 film "Almost Famous."

Believe it or not, songwriter Bill Danoff had never been to West Virginia when he penned "Take Me Home, Country Roads" for John Denver. He, Denver and Danoff's wife Taffy Nivert used an encyclopedia to read about the state to come up with references like the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah River.

"Ooh-na-na...Half of my heart is in Havana" crooned former Fifth Harmony member Camila Cabello in her smash 2017 song "Havana." Appearing on her solo debut "Camila," the song featured an appearance from Young Thug, and earned Cabello the MTV VMA for Video of the Year in 2018.

After getting a flat in Baton Rouge, Bobby McGee and the song's narrator were lucky to get a ride all the way to New Orleans from a generous trucker in the 1969 hit "Me and Bobby McGee." Written by Kris Kristofferson, the song was famously recorded by Janis Joplin shortly before her death, and also mentions other locales, including Kentucky, California and the city of Salinas.

The Beastie Boys offered a nod to Motorhead's "No Sleep Til Hammersmith" with their rock hit "No Sleep Til Brooklyn." The sixth single from their iconic 1987 album "License to Ill" featured tales of a hard-partying band on the road, including crazy managers and trashed hotel rooms.

Written for the musical "Robin and the 7 Hoods," the song "My King of Town" became a big hit for Frank Sinatra. The tune about the Windy City of Chicago was even nominated for a Oscar in 1964, but lost to "Chim Chim Cher-ee," a song about a London chimney sweep from "Mary Poppins."

Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz was actually born in Baltimore, the subject of his 1993 song "Raining in Baltimore." Despite being about his birthplace, Duritz actually penned this hit from the album "August and Everything After" for Bonnie Raitt before deciding to record it himself.

After a failed reunion with Art Garfunkel and a divorce, Paul Simon was in a funk when he prepared to release his 1986 album "Graceland." Turns out pain is good for art, because the album, with its title track about a trip to "Memphis, Tennessee" became a classic, and won the 1987 Grammy for Album of the Year.

Taylor Swift was really serious about switching from country to pop, and to prove it, she ditched Nashville for the Big Apple in 2014. She wrote the track "Welcome to New York" as the lead song on her 2014 album "1989" to share her love and joy at life in the city — which probably looks pretty good from her $20 million Tribeca loft.

The 1964 movie "Viva Las Vegas" in memorable for its star, King of Rock and Roll Elvis Presley, but also for the chemistry between Elvis and co-star Ann-Margaret. The title track sung by Presley also became a hit, and the unofficial — and official, at times, anthem of Las Vegas.

"London Calling" served as the title track off The Clash's 1979 double-album, but also came with political statements by the band regarding the flooding of the Thames and the Three Mile Island accident. The title was inspired by the words "This is London calling," which was used by the BBC to introduce international broadcasts during WWII.

The Eagles wrote "Hotel California" about their experiences with the crazy L.A. lifestyle. The tune won "Record of the Year" at the 1978 Grammys, and remains one of the band's most popular songs.

David Paich wrote the song "Africa" with Toto bandmate Jeff Porcaro after seeing a documentary showing the suffering of the people on the continent. Despite that somber inspiration, the song became a huge hit when it was released in 1982, reaching number one of the U.S. charts.

Neither Waylon Jennings nor any of the other writers who helped create "Luckenbach, Texas" had ever been to the city before the song was released on Jennings' 1977 album "Ol' Waylon." In fact, Jennings only visited the tiny town once, in 1997, to play a show put on by Willie Nelson.

A whole lot of dreamers head to L.A. each year hoping to make it big, but few songs capture the experience better than "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?" Written by Burt Bacharach, the song became a huge hit for Dionne Warwick and earned her a 1969 Grammy for Best Female Pop Vocal.

Released on Kid Rock's 2008 "Rock and Roll Jesus" album, "All Summer Long" was Rock's ode to living the good life as a teen in northern Michigan. Co-written by Ronnie Van Zant and Warren Zevon, among others, the tune samples "Sweet Home Alabama" and "Werewolves of London."

In addition to being a top movie star, Will Smith topped the charts with his 1997 album "Big Willie Style." The album's single "Miami" took listeners on a tour through the city's clubs and beaches, and also included nods to Chi-town, New York, L.A. and Philly.

Carrie Underwood became a huge star thanks to a win on "American Idol," releasing her album "Some Hearts" in 2015. The single "Jesus Take the Wheel," about a young woman driving home to Cincinnati to see her parents for Christmas earned the country singer two Grammy Awards.

Written and recorded by John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival in 1969, "Proud Mary" became a huge hit for Tina Turner in 1971. And that 'tane the narrator was pumping down in New Orleans? Octane ... indicating he or she was a gas station attendant.

If we told you these lyrics came from a Springsteen song, could you guess the missing word was Jersey? The Boss wrote about his beloved home state in many of his tunes, including this one, "Rosalita," which came out in 1973 on the album "The Wild, the Innocent and the E-Street Shuffle."

Tupac Shakur included "To Live and Die in L.A." on his final album, released in 1997 after his death. Ironically, the lyrics mentioned "Tension between east and west," which ultimately caused the rapper's death.

These lyrics could apply to a lot of Rust Belt cities, but they were written by Billy Joel about Allentown, Pennsylvania. It appeared on his 1982 album "The Nylon Curtain," and lamented the loss of blue-collar jobs and manufacturing as business at nearby Bethlehem Steel slowed. The plant eventually closed in 1995, leaving thousands without jobs.

Born in Brooklyn in NYC, it's no surprise that Shawn Carter grew up to pay tribute to his home state with the song "Empire State of Mind." Featuring Alicia Keys singing chorus, the song appeared on Jay-Z's 2009 release "The Blueprint 3," and references locales from Tribeca to Harlem to Bed-Stuy.

If you ever pass through Winslow, Arizona on old Route 66, take the time to stop and admire the sculpture of a man and his guitar installed on a corner downtown. Originally written by Jackson Browne, the lyrics come from "Take It Easy," which became a huge hit for The Eagles when it was released in 1973.

Dave Loggins earned a Grammy nomination for his 1974 release "Please Come to Boston," a song about a wandering man trying to convince his woman to join him. Despite invites to Boston, Denver, and L.A., his love preferred to stay at home in Tennessee and hope he would return.

The 1993 film "Philadelphia" stars Tom Hanks as a lawyer trying to hide the fact that he was both gay and HIV positive. Bruce Springsteen wrote the film's title track, which went on to earn an Oscar and four Grammys.

Just a few years after twerking on stage at the VMAs with Robin Thicke, Miley Cyrus decided to change things up with her sixth album "Younger Now." The lead single "Malibu" was a sweet ballad inspired by her rough romance with then-fiance Liam Hemsworth.

Townes Van Zandt wrote and recorded outlaw country hit "Pancho and Lefty" for his 1972 album "The late Great Townes Van Zandt." The song in which Pancho met his match down in Mexico and Lefty snuck off to Ohio became a huge success a few years later, when it was rerecorded by Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson.

The 2016 song "Closer" made huge stars out of The Chainsmokers and singer Halsey. This song tells the story of a couple who meet up after some time apart and find a new connection, with lyrics mentioning a roommate back in Boulder who is apparently short one mattress.

Simon and Garfunkel included the song "America" on their 1968 album "Bookends." The tune, which tells the tale of a couple traveling cross-country, including boarding a Greyhound in Pittsburgh, also got a re-release in 1972 for the duo's greatest hits album.

Written by John Phillips of The Mamas and the Papas and sung by Scott McKenzie, the 1967 song "San Francisco" was intended to attract attendees to the city's Monterey International Pop Festival. It ended up helping to make the festival a huge success, while also making San Francisco and the surrounding area a gathering point for counter-culture groups starting in the late '60s.

Three days before the September 11th attacks, Ryan Adams recorded a video for his ode to NYC called "New York, New York." Full of scenes of the city skyline and the Twin Towers, the song became a powerful anthem to New Yorkers after the horrors of the attacks.