Quentin Tarantino’s favourite songs from his own movies
Music has a habit of being a central thread to most modern cultural conversations. Whether dissecting the latest sculptural masterpiece or finding your newest TikTok creator, music has, most usually, provided an outlet for those behind the art. Quentin Tarantino is one man who has never been afraid to share the turns that turned him itno an auteur.
In more recent years, as cinema has slowly turned away from the specifically crafted score towards pop music-focused playlists soundtracking the movies on the big screen, it is fair to say that Tarantino has rarely ignored such an opportunity.
A noted scholar of Ennio Morricone, it is not to suggest that Tarantino doesn’t believe in a good score. But he certainly understands the vital importance a playlist can provide a movie. Form the very start with Reservoir Dogs, Tarantino made music a life-breathing character in the picture. And, ever since, it has become a sincere feature of his work.
In 2019, to coincide with the release of his latest, and somehow still most recent film, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, knowing the value of music to his style, Tarantino created a mammoth playlist combining the favourite songs he has used throughout his films.
It’s a playlist that stretches across his long and distinguished career and highlights how vital music has become for Tarantino’s vision. It grabs you by the ears and refuses to let go until you’re sated and satisfied.
Tarantino, who has long been celebrated for his use of music in his projects, has repeated his combination of tracks taken from the 1960s and 1970s, among other deep cuts, to dominate soundtracks on most of his cinematic efforts. It means his favourite songs from his career in film make for one of the more well-appointed playlists we’ve ever come across.
“One of the things I do when I am starting a movie,” the acclaimed director once said, “when I’m writing a movie or when I have an idea for a film is, I go through my record collection and just start playing songs, trying to find the personality of the movie, find the spirit of the movie. Then, ‘boom,’ eventually I’ll hit one, two or three songs, or one song in particular, ‘Oh, this will be a great opening credit song’,” Tarantino once explained.
When looking through Tarantino’s long-ranging career, it’s hard to avoid the impact music has had on the films in his canon and how, with their unique style and pace, those songs have been equally as vital in establishing the director’s iconography: “To me, the opening credits are very important because that’s the only mood time that most movies give themselves.”
He continued, “A cool credit sequence and the music that plays in front of it, or note played, or any music, whatever you decide to do, that sets the tone for the movie, that’s important for you.
“So I’m always trying to find what the right opening or closing credit should be early on when I’m just even thinking about the story. Once I find it, that really kind of triggers me into what the personality of the piece should be, what the rhythm of this piece should be.”
Such is the vital role of music in his films, Tarantino’s new playlist—which spans nearly four hours and combines around 70 songs—features favourites such as Nancy Sinatra’s ‘Bang Bang’ which famously appeared on Kill Bill:Volume 1, The White Stripes hit ‘Apple Blossom’ which he used on The Hateful Eight and, of course, the undeniable triumph of Chuck Berry song ‘You Never Can Tell’ from Pulp Fiction.
Considering the impressive array of artists on the playlist, it truly pays tribute to Tarantino’s fine ear for a classic song and his deft touch at implementing them into his movies.
While introducing his playlist as part of the Spotify series ‘Film and TV Favourites’, Tarantino said: “We’ll play for you some of my favourite songs off of my soundtrack collection, so sit back, relax, and move into the soundscape of a Quentin Tarantino movie. You may never want to leave.”
It’s a truly fantastic playlist that deserves a spin at any occasion, featuring some of the widespread stars of the music scene as well as some hidden gems.
Quentin Tarantino’s favourite songs from his films:
- ‘Intro’ – Quentin Tarantino
- ‘Bang Bang – My Baby Shot Me Down’ – Nancy Sinatra
- ‘Coconut’ – Harry Nilsson
- ‘Run Fay Run’ – Isaac Hayes
- ‘Django’ – Luis Bacalov, Rocky Roberts
- ‘Lo Chiamavano King (His Name Is King)’ – Luis Bacalov, Edda Dell’Orso
- ‘Son Of A Preacher Man’ – Dusty Springfield
- ‘Summertime Killer – Ricatto Alla Malla’ – Luis Bacalov
- ‘”Major Warren Meet Daisy Domergue”‘ – Jennifer Jason Leigh, Kurt Russell, Samuel L. Jackson
- ‘You Never Can Tell – 1964 Single Version’ – Chuck Berry
- ‘Twisted Nerve’ – Bernard Herrmann
- ‘Street Life’ – Randy Crawford
- ‘Bustin’ Surfboards’ – The Tornadoes
- ‘Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood’ – Santa Esmeralda
- ‘Jeepster – 2003 Remaster’ – T. Rex
- ‘Green Hornet’ – Al Hirt
- ‘Can’t Hardly Stand It’ – Charlie Feathers
- ‘Two Hearts’ – Chris Isaak
- ‘Flowers On the Wall’ – The Statler Brothers
- ‘Now You’re All Alone – From “The Last House on the Left”‘ – David Hess
- ‘Didn’t I Blow Your Mind This Time’ – The Delfonics
- ‘Foolish Heart’ – The Mavericks
- ‘Spooky’ – Peggy Simms
- ‘Little Green Bag’ – The George Baker Selection
- ‘I Gotcha’ – Joe Tex
- ‘Outshined’ – Soundgarden
- ‘Jack Rabbit Slims Twist Contest’ – Jerome Patrick Hoban
- ‘Tennessee Stud – Live’ – Johnny Cash
- ‘Overture – From “The Hateful Eight”‘ – Ennio Morricone
- ‘Satisfied Mind’ – Johnny Cash
- ‘Hold Tight!’ – Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Tich
- ‘Surf Rider’ – The Lively Ones
- ‘Mary Had A Little Lamb’ – Buddy Guy
- ‘Battle Without Honor Or Humanity’ – HOTEI
- ‘She’s Just Killing Me’ – ZZ Top
- ‘Misirlou’ – Dick Dale
- ‘Let’s Stay Together’ – Al Green
- ‘Strawberry Letter 23’ – The Brothers Johnson
- ‘The Love You Save (May Be Your Own)’ – Joe Tex
- ‘The Flower Of Carnage’ – Meiko Kaji
- ‘I Put A Spell On You’ – Kim Circle
- ‘About Her’ – Malcolm McLaren
- ‘There Won’t Be Many Coming Home’ – Roy Orbison
- ‘Ancora qui’ – Elisa
- ‘Lonesome Town – 1990 Digital Remaster’ – Ricky Nelson
- ‘The Surrender (La resa)’ – Ennio Morricone
- ‘Goodnight Moon’ – Shivaree
- ‘Girl You’ll Be A Woman Soon’ – The Film Score Orchestra
- ‘Fever’ – Ann O’Day
- ‘Cat People (Putting Out The Fire)’ – David Bowie
- ‘Baby It’s You’ – Toni Smith
- ‘Since I First Met You’ – The Robins
- ‘I Got a Name – Stereo Version’ – Jim Croce
- ‘Out of Limits’ – The Marketts
- ‘Apple Blossom – From “The Hateful Eight”‘ – The White Stripes
- ‘Who Is He – And What Is He To You?’ – Bill Withers
- ‘Dark Night’ – The Blasters
- ‘Winged’ – James Russo
- ‘That Certain Female’ – Charlie Feathers
- ‘Woo Hoo’ – The 5.6.7.8’s
- ‘Unchained (The Payback / Untouchable)’ – James Brown, 2Pac
- ‘Stuck In The Middle With You’ – Stealers Wheel
- ‘Tu Mira – Edit’ – Lole Y Manuel
- ‘Natural High – Single Version’ – Bloodstone
- ‘Too Old To Die Young’ – Brother Dege
- ‘I Want Your Body’ – Nymphomania
- ‘Across 110th Street’ – Bobby Womack
- ‘Viens Mallika Sous Le Dome Edais’ – Léo Delibes
- ‘Jungle Boogie’ – Kool & The Gang
- ‘Love Is The Tender Trap’ – Robert Palmer
- ‘Staggolee’ – Pacific Gas & Electric
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