Songs About Colorado: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly (VIDEO, VOTE)

Colorado's scenery and culture has been inspiring artists for centuries, many of whom have immortalized their impressions of the state in song for all to hear. Over the years, artists have produced some legendary works about the state. Others have left us scratching our heads.

Vote For The Best--And Worse--Songs About Colorado Below

"Rocky Mountain High"

One of the official state songs of Colorado, this folk-rock classic was inspired by John Denver's move to Aspen in the early 1970s. Although some question it's drug references, Denver explained that the "Rocky Mountain High" has to do with the sense of peace he found in the mountains.

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Seriously? Now That's What I Call Colorado!

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Comments

[surfcitysteven]

How about "Colorado's Calling Me" by the National Lampoon, I believe it was. Where all the toilets freeze and Blanche ran off with a yeti.

[LMPE]

The song that comes to my mind when I think of Colorado is "Midnight, the Stars and You" (played during the ballroom scene in "The Shining").

Emmylou Harris still looks great after all these years!

[Bobjfs]

"Summer Rain" by Johnny Rivers. (She wants to live in the Rockies/She says that's where we'll find peace.../)

"Oh, Colorado," by National Lampoon (Chevy Chase and John Belushi - Very funny)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxTbTcDJvuM

"When It's Springtime in the Rockies," by Gene Autry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UdqENXmaF4

[Tim Hundsdorfer]

Umm...I'm sure it's just an oversight, but why no Spanish songs?

Juan Colorado is a good one.

[Luis Toro - Huffpost Blogger]

Good point. Who did "Que Lindo es Colorado" - is that Roberto Griego?

[jafi]

Any list of songs about Colorado should include Chuck Pyle!!! I prefer the live version of Colorado on his CD but it's a nice song. Rocky Mountain PBS uses it in some of it's promos.

Colorado
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=awXctx9Yk2o&feature=PlayList&p=0644F8573BCCCB3F&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=10

[MrsPeel]

Yeah, definitely NGDB's "Colorado Christmas."

[AmericanFool]

I have to agree, Rocky Mountain High is a great song, but it's a crime to leave out Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's Colorado Christmas. Honorable mention to Jimmy Buffet's Incommunicado with references to Leadville and the Continential Divide.

[btdenver]

C.W. McCall - Wolf Creek Pass

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xC_onLPc-0E

my ain't this purty up here

[Lugnutz]

Back in the '70s during the earthquake paranoia that was going around about the San Andreas fault totally letting go was a song "Sitting On The Coast Of Colorado After California Sinks Into The Sea" was a favorite of mine.

[holyfrak]

What about the song "Colorado" by Dave Allen and Paul Coldwell.... anyone who was in elementary school in Colorado in the 70's knows it... "If I had and airplane I would fly to Colorado.... the state where a man can walk a mile high"

It's kinda bad that one wasn't on the list

[John Larson]

REO Speedwagon's Riding The Storm Out.

[amaboss52]

Love that song but its not Colorado specific, just says full moon night in the Rocky Mountian winter, nothing about Colorado and the Rockies are miles long. I like to think they were on Cottonwood Pass when they wrote that song.

[amaboss52]

Bob Segers' Get outa Denver-cuz you look just like a commie and you might just be a member better get outa Denver, better get outa Denver, better go go

[surfcitysteven]

Joe West , "Jam bands in Colorado".

[snapshot1940]

Colorado will ALWAYS be Rocky Mountain High-always! But I also loved C.W. McCall's Wolf Creek Pass.

[bollman]

Here's another one: "Blue Colorado". I wrote this the day after Barack's election inspired by a much relieved conversation with my friend Graham Nash. The recording was produced by Nick Forster of Etown and Helen Forster added some of her classic harmonies. You can listen or download it free at www.barryollman.com. Hope you like it!
By the way, you missed "Colorado" the very evocative Stephen Stills song on the Manassas record...

[TazoWolf]

I like it! thanks for sharing!

I fell in love with Colorado the day I first stepped off an airplane and saw the mountains in 1992, on a college recruiting trip. Later, after college, I moved away for a few years and was homesick the entire time. Now I'm back... back home.

Here's a poem I wrote my first year in Colorado.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRrykzGcSSQ

[TazoWolf]

And another: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGEIE0b0Gec

Colorado was a lot of inspiration. Still is.