Wikipedia:Articles for deletion/List of songs about California


 * The following discussion is an archived debate of the proposed deletion of the article below. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review).  No further edits should be made to this page.

The result was   keep. However, I agree that a discussion regarding "scope" should be help on the article's talk page. Ron Ritzman (talk) 23:38, 12 May 2012 (UTC)

List of songs about California

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Unsourced, indiscriminate, full of redlinks. This does not give commentary on the purpose of California in a song, nor do the songs have any common theme besides name dropping one of our bigger states. For instance, "80's Ladies" only mentions California in one throwaway line — is that "about" California? This list is just unsourced, indiscriminate and too broad in scope. Ten Pound Hammer • (What did I screw up now?) 07:09, 5 May 2012 (UTC)
 * ETA: Previously kept via no consensus as part of a bundle AFD in 2007. Ten Pound Hammer • (What did I screw up now?) 07:26, 5 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Delete, a 69-kilobyte list of songs which mostly just mention California in passing. Undefined inclusion criteria, little or no sources. J I P  &#124; Talk 08:53, 5 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Keep AFD is not cleanup. As an example of suitable coverage elsewhere, see the entry for songs in A Companion to California. Warden (talk) 09:25, 5 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Keep. No reason to delete, although the lists for individual cities would be better separated into their own articles. Any songs not "about" California can be dealt with by editing. --Michig (talk) 13:21, 5 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Keep but discuss scope. Personally, I'd consider limiting it to notable songs. It seems to include any song by a notable artist. The ones included seems to include not just those about California in the narrow sense, but also those  which the text indicates are set in California--which I suppose in a broad sense implies they are about life in California. This can be discussed, but there are at least a few dozen which certainly qualify on both counts.  DGG ( talk ) 23:20, 5 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Note: This debate has been included in the list of California-related deletion discussions.  • Gene93k (talk) 02:46, 6 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Note: This debate has been included in the list of Music-related deletion discussions.  • Gene93k (talk) 02:47, 6 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Note: This debate has been included in the list of Lists-related deletion discussions.  • Gene93k (talk) 02:49, 6 May 2012 (UTC)


 * Keep and cleanup per the above and per WP:ATD. Gotta say, though, it gave me a chuckle to see California Dreamin' and California Uber Alles in the same list. Jclemens (talk) 07:35, 6 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Keep, but very reluctantly because I consider "lists of songs about" little more than trivia for numerous reasons including that the list is usually expanded to songs that mention... Let's hope those that are voting to keep will trim the list mercilessly, removing songs that merely mention California, adding references to confirm a song is ABOUT California (remember Verifiability applies to list articles too!), keeping to notable songs, and remembering to check back every couple of weeks to remove the rubbish that will be added again. FWIW, If Tenpound had nominated Category:Songs about California, I would have supported the nomination. --Richhoncho (talk) 09:44, 6 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Keep, an index of songs by subject is a pretty obvious index and relevant to culture of and about that state. I don't think it should just be limited to songs that merit standalone articles but should also include songs on notable albums, but that's a matter for editing. Columns should be added for album (if applicable), date of release/publication, and a description for annotating in what way the song is about California. It certainly should not include songs that merely mention "California". postdlf (talk) 15:49, 6 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Comment I'm currently listening to Sir Tim Rice present his playlist of songs about California. You may be able to pick this up on the iPlayer, if you missed it.  Perhaps you can then explain why Walking in Memphis is in his list!  Warden (talk) 18:47, 6 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Comment. Because the word "Hollywood" appears in the lyrics, but I would read this to mean a club called Hollywood situated in Memphis, rather than that place in Cal. I note Walking in Memphis could be in lists about .....Walking, Memphis, Graceland, Shoes, Delta Blues, W. C. Handy (composers), Beale Street, Catfish (fish), Gospel and Piano (musical instruments). Hence, although I sort of voted keep for this list, I abhor these kind of lists - even if there is a kernal of a good idea behind them they soon develop into total trivia. --Richhoncho (talk) 11:36, 8 May 2012 (UTC)


 * Strong delete (or replace with an EL to a search for the word "California" in a lyrics databasejoke) -- blatantly WP:INDISCRIMINATE and of no encyclopaedic use or value. Arbitrary intersection of the categories Category:California and Category:Songs, even if cleaned up. What next? A List of songs about the color black (blue, red, London, Berlin, Kintyre, ...)? HrafnTalkStalk(P) 11:13, 7 May 2012 (UTC)
 * Ambivalent. I started this page a while ago. It helped make a great soundtrack for my road-trip moving back East from LA. But Wikipedia has matured since then. While I find this list very interesting (and I'm going to copy it to my Wikipedia user space for posterity), it is not a well-defined category. On the other hand, there are a notable number of songs in the list that really do focus on California in general or on a particular California landmark. —Ben FrantzDale (talk) 11:50, 7 May 2012 (UTC)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of the debate. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as the article's talk page or in a deletion review). No further edits should be made to this page.