Liza Minnelli recorded the song “New York, New York” for Martin Scorsese’s New York, New York. The film’s musical number later became closely associated with Minnelli’s signature concert repertoire.
The movie, released in 1977, stars Minnelli as singer Francine Evans and Robert De Niro as saxophonist Jimmy Doyle. It is a romantic musical drama about performers whose relationship develops amid the changing entertainment culture of postwar New York.
John Kander and Fred Ebb wrote the song for the film, with Kander composing the music and Ebb writing the lyrics. Frank Sinatra’s later recording made the song an enduring popular anthem, but Minnelli’s performance originated in Scorsese’s film. That distinction explains why the song is often linked to both singers.