Rock Music Soundtracks

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Lore & Background

The film features 60 tracks handpicked by Randall Poster, yet only 16 appeared on the official album. Robbie Robertson, a long-time collaborator, composed no original score but served as executive music producer and helped select songs, providing recordings like Elmore James' "Dust My Broom" (1951) and Howlin' Wolf's "Smokestack Lightning" (1956). Robertson noted that while these tracks had nothing to do with the 1980s and '90s setting, they offered "raw amazement" and got under the skin immediately. Scorsese and editor Thelma Schoonmaker spent a year cutting image and music seamlessly, adhering to Robertson's view that for Scorsese, music and picture are identical. The goal was finding counterpoint and avoiding the obvious so the music works against the idea, fueling the character development amidst epic debauchery.

In Their Own Story

Promotional efforts initially included Kanye West's "Black Skinhead" in the trailer, but it never appeared in the film as Poster sought a more blues and early rock-and-roll motif. Poster explained that the trailer makers chose the track before the movie was completed to find something impactful and contemporary, despite the period setting. In the final cut, the narrative relies on independent band 7horse's "Meth Lab Zoso Sticker" from their 2011 album Let The 7Horse Run, which bandleader Phil Leavitt received an email about in July, noting Scorsese often finds his own music. Additionally, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings performed a cover of the 1964 Shirley Bassey single "Goldfinger" for the soundtrack, contributing to a soundscape where blues numbers attribute to the libidinous madness shared by the protagonist.

Reader's Guide

Critics praised the soundtrack's eclectic mish-mash, with Gregory Heaney of AllMusic calling it a solid disc offering the film's thrills without the fraud. Paul Taylor of Lemonwire noted Scorsese drew on songs predating the historical setting to strike the right tone rather than ensure radio accuracy. Ryan Leas of Consequence highlighted that most songs were old even in the era depicted, focusing heavily on blues with three Bo Diddley and two Howlin' Wolf tracks. While Leas described the result as a "grab bag" that feels predictable, he praised the use of "Smokestack Lightning" for its ghostly, haunting effect, arguing it pulls up specters of Americana to examine how corruption is endemic to American identity. The music functions as a foundational element, sharing the desire-driven madness of Belfort.

Did You Know?

• Although the film features 60 handpicked tracks by Randall Poster, only 16 were included on the official soundtrack release.
• Kanye West's "Black Skinhead" was used in the trailer but excluded from the final film to maintain a blues and early rock-and-roll motif.
• Robbie Robertson selected specific mid-century blues singles like Howlin' Wolf's "Smokestack Lightning" because they offered raw amazement despite being historically inaccurate for an 80s/90s setting.
• The independent band 7horse's song "Meth Lab Zoso Sticker" was discovered by Scorsese through his own music scouting, with bandleader Phil Leavitt unsure how he found it.
• Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings performed a cover version of Shirley Bassey's 1964 single "Goldfinger" for the film.