Liza vs. Sinatra? Composer John Kander Spills His Pick for Top of the Heap

"(Theme From) New York, New York": It's the anthem of Broadway's native Empire state, a Golden Globe-nominated song and has been played after countless victories (and losses) at Yankee Stadium. While most audiences associate the song with the late Frank Sinatra, who recorded it for his 1980 album Trilogy: Past Present Future, Broadway fans know Tony and Academy Award winner Liza Minnelli first sang the tune in the 1977 Martin Scorsese film New York, New York. Broadway.com asked three-time Tony winner John Kander, who composed the song (with lyrics by the late Fred Ebb), to weigh in on the dueling vocalists, once and for all, and name whose version is definitive: Sinatra or Minnelli.

Start spreading the news... the winner is Liza! "She sang it the way it was written," Kander told us. "I’m very grateful for the song’s popularity due to Frank, but we wrote it for her. Fred would’ve said the same."

Click here for an extensive interview with Kander as he discusses his latest Broadway musical (and final collaboration with Ebb), The Scottsboro Boys, as well as other gems from his career. The Scottsboro Boys begins performances October 7 at the Lyceum Theatre with an opening night set for October 31.

Watch Liza and Frank's versions of the classic song below to decide for yourself who's king of the hill in the city that doesn't sleep!