What are the greatest songs about cities ever written, and what makes a truly great city song?

For the Season 3 premiere of Tracks On Trial, Sam, Andy and AJ put some of music’s most famous city songs on trial, exploring the tracks that turn streets, skylines, nightlife, heartbreak, ambition, glamour, poverty, nostalgia and bad decisions into something you can sing along to.

The challenge is simple: merely mentioning a city is not enough.

The best songs about cities make you feel the place. They capture its personality, its mythology and what living there, leaving it or dreaming about it can do to a person.

This week’s main contenders are Brandon Flowers’ “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas,” R.E.M.’s “Leaving New York,” and Camila Cabello’s “Havana.”

Brandon Flowers’ Las Vegas is not simply the neon playground of casinos, Elvis impersonators and bad weddings. His song explores the darker emotional side of the city, where glamour and desperation exist side by side and the famous Las Vegas sign begins to feel less like an invitation and more like a warning. P1 transcript

Andy makes the case for R.E.M.’s “Leaving New York,” one of his favourite songs, arguing that the track works because New York becomes more than a geographical location. The song uses the city to explore transition, memory, loss and the difficult moment when an important chapter of your life comes to an end. P2 transcript

AJ brings Camila Cabello’s “Havana,” the global Latin-pop hit inspired by Cabello’s Cuban roots. The song became her breakout solo success, topping charts around the world despite her label initially favouring another single, and turned Havana itself into part of the track’s identity. P2 transcript

There is also another round of Dogs or Bollocks?, where supposedly obvious facts about famous city songs turn out to be far less straightforward than expected. Is George Ezra’s “Budapest” actually about Budapest? Is Duran Duran’s “Rio” about Rio de Janeiro? Is “Vienna” really about Vienna? And is “Fairytale of New York” actually a love letter to New York City? P1 transcript P1 transcript

The geography continues with a musical challenge featuring capital cities including London, Paris, Stockholm, Bangkok, Rome, Cairo and Moscow, while the usual Tracks On Trial detours ensure that pronunciation arguments, questionable geography and unnecessary innuendo are never far away. P2 transcript

A city can represent opportunity, escape, romance, danger, poverty, ambition, loneliness or reinvention. Stevie Wonder’s “Living for the City” uses New York as both promise and trap, while Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York” turns the same city into the ultimate symbol of ambition and possibility. P2 transcript P2 transcript

And, as always, the songs eventually face the court.

Which selections earn a Topper? Which receive the dreaded Flopper? And can personal taste be separated from whether a song perfectly fits the brief?

By the end of the episode, one thing becomes clear: the greatest city songs are rarely just about buildings, roads or landmarks. They are about what a place does to people. A city can sound magical, miserable, dangerous, romantic and completely unliveable, sometimes all within the same chorus. P3 transcript

Tracks On Trial is the music podcast where songs, artists and musical opinions are put on trial.

Each episode combines music history, songwriting analysis, music production, pop culture, music trivia, forgotten classics, famous songs and passionate debate, before Sam, Andy and AJ deliver the ultimate verdict:

Topper or Flopper?

Season 3 starts here.

What makes a truly great comeback song, and how does an artist return after years away, declining commercial fortunes or a dramatic change in the musical landscape?

In the Tracks On Trial Season 2 finale, Sam, Andy and AJ explore some of the greatest vocal-driven comeback songs in music history, putting the songwriting, vocal performances, production and cultural impact behind several extraordinary career revivals on trial.

From Cher's "Believe" and its enormous influence on modern pop production to ABBA's return after four decades, Heart's powerhouse "Alone", Meat Loaf's remarkable career resurrection, and Duran Duran's reinvention with "Ordinary World", this episode asks what an artist actually needs to achieve for a new release to qualify as a genuine comeback.

Is commercial success enough? Does an artist need to have disappeared completely? Can a change of sound rescue a declining career? And is the greatest comeback the one that recreates past success, or the one that finds an entirely new audience?

We explore the stories behind famous comeback songs and discuss how artists adapt their voices, songwriting and production as musical tastes change around them.

In this episode:

• Cher and "Believe", one of pop music's most influential comeback records
• How the distinctive vocal production of "Believe" helped popularise an entirely new pop aesthetic
• ABBA's extraordinary return after a 40-year hiatus and the challenge of revisiting an enormous musical legacy
• Heart's "Alone" and the power of Ann Wilson's vocal performance
• Meat Loaf and one of rock music's most remarkable career revivals
• Duran Duran's "Ordinary World" and the band's transition from 1980s pop phenomenon to a more mature 1990s sound
• What actually defines a musical comeback
• Why great singers can survive enormous changes in genre, production and popular culture
• The relationship between nostalgia, reinvention and commercial success
• Songwriting and music production techniques behind enduring comeback records
• Music trivia, games, quickfire recommendations and the final Topper or Flopper verdict

Along the way, the conversation inevitably goes considerably off course. There are strong opinions about the Spice Girls' vocal abilities, confusion involving Dolly Parton and Stevie Nicks, and the rather extraordinary conclusion that one legendary country singer occasionally sounds like a billy goat.

And because this is the Season 2 finale, there's another matter to settle.

After an entire season of pitches, quizzes, bonus points, dubious tactical decisions and arguments over what does and does not constitute good music, the final scores are decided and the Tracks On Trial Season 2 champion is crowned.

Tracks On Trial is a music podcast for people who want to go deeper into the songs they love. Each episode explores music history, songwriting, music production, famous artists, classic songs, forgotten tracks and the stories behind the music, with three hosts from Europe, Australia and the USA arguing their cases before delivering the ultimate verdict:

Topper or Flopper?

Can a single song change the course of an artist's career?

In this episode of Tracks On Trial, we're putting two of the most extraordinary comeback stories in music history under the microscope. Roy Orbison and Tina Turner both returned from career setbacks to produce some of the most celebrated music of their lives, but whose comeback deserves the ultimate verdict?

Roy Orbison's remarkable resurgence during the late 1980s introduced a whole new generation to one of rock and roll's greatest voices. Meanwhile, Tina Turner's Private Dancer transformed her into one of the world's biggest stars after years of personal hardship and professional uncertainty.

But which comeback was the more significant? Which artist overcame the greatest obstacles? And which music has stood the test of time?

As always, the courtroom is open.

Alongside our main debate, we also bring you our favourite Quickfire Picks, discuss the latest music news, exchange plenty of questionable opinions, and inevitably descend into complete musical chaos before delivering our final verdict.

Whether you're a lifelong fan of classic rock, soul, pop, or simply love discovering the stories behind legendary artists, this episode is packed with passionate discussion, humour, and deep musical analysis.

Featured artists include:

• Roy Orbison
• Tina Turner
• The Traveling Wilburys
• Plus a host of other legendary comeback artists discussed throughout the episode.

Tracks On Trial is the weekly music debate podcast where three producers, songwriters and lifelong music fans battle to decide which songs, artists and albums deserve to be crowned the week's ultimate Topper.

Subscribe now and join us every week for new musical arguments, surprising discoveries, and plenty of courtroom drama.