Summary

• Once Upon a Time in Hollywood's soundtrack authentically captures 1969 with top hits and historic radio clips from KHJ.
• The iconic music in the film complements scenes, enhancing the mood and energy of key moments throughout the movie.
• Quentin Tarantino's attention to detail in selecting songs and incorporating them into scenes transports audiences back to 1969 Hollywood.

The Once Upon a Time in Hollywood soundtrack tracklist is a great collection of music from the era that director Quentin Tarantino uses to transport audiences to 1969 Hollywood. As an ode to that bygone era, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood impeccably recreates its setting with costumes, styling, and set dressing that accurately captures Los Angeles in the late 1960s. The music is similarly on point, reflecting the tastes of the time and infusing each moment with an energy to match any given scene's mood.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood's soundtrack includes great songs in addition to several archival audio clips and commercials from Los Angeles' radio station, KHJ - a channel that revolutionized pop radio with its "Boss Radio" format of top-40 hits, station jingles, and DJ personalities. Additionally, the soundtrack also includes many pieces of music from the film scores of American Westerns, Spaghetti Westerns, and more films from the period. All the songs and when the music plays in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is noted in detail below.

When Every Song On The Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Soundtrack Plays In The Movie

Several Artists Have Multiple Songs On The Soundtrack

"Treat Her Right" by Roy Head & The Traits - The first song in the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood soundtrack is playing in Cliff's car as he drives Rick to an appointment, all the while Sharon and her husband, Roman Polanski (Rafał Zawierucha) arrive at LAX. Rick's appointment is a meeting with Marvin Schwarzs (Al Pacino), a producer who wants Rick to star in some Spaghetti Westerns. It is one of the great driving songs featured in the movie as the characters chauffeur the audience around 1960s Los Angeles.

"The Green Door" by Jim Lowe - Leonardo DiCaprio actually performs this song in the movie in a cutaway clip. It happens during the meeting Rick has with Schwarz as he recounts Rick's career. This includes a bit of Rick singing and dancing to "The Green Door" on the 1960s variety show, Hullabaloo.

"I'll Never Say Never To Always" by Charles Manson - Though Charles Manson is an infamous figure in American history connected to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, people might not know that he was also a failed musician. This aspect of the character is eerily represented in the movie as it begins to introduce the infamous Manson Family with a scene of the young women - including Margaret Qualley's Pussycat - digging through dumpsters for food while singing, a real song written by Charles Manson.

"Mrs. Robinson" by Simon & Garfunkel - This hit song from Simon & Garfunkel is a period-appropriate tune but it also plays as a little joke referencing its famous use in The Graduate. In the movie, it references a young male character having a relationship with a much older woman. It plays on the car radio in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as Cliff sees Pussycat for the first time, indicating that he is far too old for her.

"Summertime" by Billy Stewart - Some of the best moments of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood simply feature Cliff driving around the town while listening to the radio. One such sequence kicks off after Cliff drops Rick off at his house and heads home. This song from Billy Stewart is the first to play when Cliff turns on the car and drives down Cielo Drive.

"The Letter by Joe Crocker - Cliff's driving sequence continues with this song from English singer Joe Crocker playing as he speeds down Hollywood Boulevard at night, racing past all the nostalgic neon signs. It is a captivating moment with the song adding to the excitement of seeing how Quentin Tarantino brought this nostalgic look at Hollywood to life.

"Ramblin, Gamblin' Man" by Bob Seger - This song from rocker Bob Seger plays as Cliff travels down the highway and finally takes the exit for Panorama City. It is a moment that showcases that, despite being friends, he and Rick live in two different realities of Hollywood with Cliff having to travel well outside the city to go home. Yet as the song points out, there is a lot of freedom and fun to being a "ramblin' man like Cliff."

"Hector" by The Village Callers - This song from the LA band The Village Caller can be heard briefly on KHJ as Cliff pulls into the Van Nuys drive-in. It's a moment that highlights another classic element of Los Angeles of the era.

"Funky Fanfare" by Keith Manfield - This song is heard only briefly at the Van Nuys drive-in but is perhaps a recognizable turn for fans who constantly rewatch Quentin Tarantino movies. The song was sometimes used back in this era as the opening fanfare for drive-ins and grindhouse theaters before the movie plays. Tarantino paid homage to this tradition as he used it in the opening credits of Kill Bill to announce "Our Feature Presentation."

"The House That Jack Built" by Aretha Franklin - This song by the legendary Aretha Franklin plays for only a handful of seconds on the radio as Cliff arrives home and turns off his radio.

"MacArthur Park" by Robert Goulet - Crooner Robert Goulet can be seen singing this song on a variety program on television as Cliff returns home and is greeted by his beloved dog Brandy. There is a charming detail in this moment as it shows that Cliff leaves his TV on when he is gone so Brandy can watch it.

"Paxton Quigley’s Had the Course" by Chad & Jeremy - This song can be heard briefly on television as Cliff prepares his macaroni and cheese dinner as well as Brandy's dog food in his trailer home. It is another moment of solidifying the bond Cliff and Brandy have which adds to the movie's explosive finale.

"Hush" by Deep Purple - For the first time Once Upon a Time in Hollywood switches focus to Margot Robbie's Sharon Tate, this song is heard. It plays as Tate and her husband Roman Polanski drive to the Playboy Mansion. It is another memorable driving song for the movie which has a more feminine vibe than the songs Cliff and Rick listen to in the car which suits Sharon.

Son of a Lovin’ Man by Buchanan Brothers - Despite her lack of dialogue in the movie, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood captures the fun-loving and free spirit of Sharon Tate. One of the scenes that shows this is set to this song as Sharon s her friends on the poolside dance floor at the Playboy Mansion. As Sharon dances, Steve McQueen relays the story of her romance with her ex-fiance Jay Sebring, and how he believes they will get back together.

"Choo Choo Train" by The Box Tops - This song plays on the radio when Cliff drops Rick off at the set of Lancer. Though Rick delivers the bad news that Cliff won't be able to work as a stuntman on the show given the incident on the Green Hornet set, Cliff still helps to motivate his insecure friend as he heads to work by reminding him, "You're Rick f--king Dalton. Don't you forget it."

"Kentucky Woman" by Deep Purple - The second song from Deep Purple that appears on the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood soundtrack is heard when Cliff arrives back at Rick's house as he returns to fix the broken antennae on the roof.

"Good Thing" by Paul Revere & the Raiders - When Cliff is on top of Rick's roof fixing the antennae, he hears this song playing from Sharon's neighboring house. The scene cuts between Sharon playing this record as she packs her clothes and Cliff going about his work. It also plays as Cliff enters into his flashback about his conflict on the set of The Green Hornet and the controversial scene with Bruce Lee.

"Time for Livin'" by The Association - This song is heard faintly in the background during Cliff's flashback to his run-in with Bruce Lee.

"Hungry" by Paul Revere & the Raiders - In an eerie moment back in the present after Cliff's flashback is over, this song plays as Charles Manson pulls up to Sharon Tate's home as Cliff watches. Given the connection Manson had to Tate's murder in real life, it is creepy that he happens to be listening to the same band that she happens to be listening to at that moment, albeit different songs.

"The Circle Game" by Buffy Sainte-Marie - Another scene highlighting Sharon Tate as a lovable character comes as the movie follows her on her drive into the city. This song plays as Sharon picks up a hitchhiker and continues into the city. The song has a bit of a hippie-era vibe which suits the friendly and loving vibes Sharon gives off in the movie and how she is willing to help out this stranger out of the kindness of her heart.

"Jenny Take a Ride" by Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels - The famous scene in which Sharon Tate visits the movie theaters and watches her own movie Wrecking Crew features this song as part of the trailer for the 1970 movie C.C. and Company, an underseen biker movie starring NFL superstar Joe Namath.

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"Can't Turn You Lose" by Otis Redding & "Soul Serenade" by Willie Mitchell - These two songs are also heard during the movie theater scene with Sharon Tate. Instead of Quentin Tarantino recreating movie moments as he does in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood's scene with The Great Escape, he featured scenes from Wrecking Crew with the real Sharon Tate as a way to honor the late actor.

"Bring a Little Lovin'" by Los Bravos - This song plays during another montage moment of Cliff driving around Hollywood. After coming back from Cliff's house, he cruises around town.

"Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show" by Neil Diamond - This song plays while Cliff is in the car and once again sees Pussycat hitchhiking. This time he is able to give her a ride and indicates as such to her, causing her to celebrate in tune with the music. However, she stops celebrating long enough to flip off and cuss out a ing police car. While this amuses Cliff, it foreshadows her anti-establishment ways being connected to Manson.

"Hey Little Girl" by Dee Clark - This song plays as Cliff drives Pussycat to Spahn Movie Ranch where the rest of the Manson Family is living. It is another song to highlight the age gap between Cliff and Pussycat with the song referring to a "little girl". When Pussycat propositions Cliff while driving, he points out the age as a reason for turning her down.

"Mr. Sun, Mr. Moon" by Paul Revere & the Raiders feat. Mark Lindsay - The third song from Paul Revere & the Raiders plays on the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood soundtrack as Squeaky and the others watch television inside George Spahn's house. This scene also features Sydney Sweeney's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood role as one of the Manson Family who keeps an eye on Cliff as he arrives on the Ranch.

"Don’t Chase Me Around" by Robert Corff - This song plays as Cliff attempts to leave quickly from Spahn Ranch after he is clearly no longer welcome. However, when he finds one of the Manson Family has given him a flat tire, he beats up the young man and makes him change the tire right in front of him. The song has a rebellious vibe to it that fits with the Manson family followers and their anti-establishment ways.

"California Dreamin'" by Jose Feliciano - This cover of the song by the Mamas and the Papas begins to play as Cliff drives away from the ranch. It continues over a montage showing the end of the day. The montage includes Cliff picking Rick up from the set, Lancer star James Stacy leaving the set on his motorcycle, and Sharon Tate coming out of the movie theater.

"Dinamite Jim" by I Cantori Moderni di Alessandroni - This movie score is heard in the sequence in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood narrated by Kurt Russell which describes Rick's time making movies in Italy. One of the movies that gets mentioned is the Spaghetti Western Dinamite Jim which is a reference to a real movie of the same name and its title theme is heard.

"Out of Time" by The Rolling Stones - This song from the iconic rock group The Rolling Stones plays over a beautiful moment that begins the movie's final capture. The song begins as Rick and Cliff return from Italy and continues as the Hollywood nightlife comes alive. Iconic and nostalgic signs around the town are lit up, highlighting the bygone era in a bittersweet way with the song's repetition of "out of time" hammering that point home.

"Straight Shooter" by The Mamas & The Papas - Back at Sharon Tate's house, she and her friends enjoy their night together as one of her friends sings this song while playing the piano.

"Twelve Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)" by The Mamas & The Papas - This song from The Mamas & The Papas takes on a creepy quality as it is heard on the radio as Austin Butler's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood character, Tex, arrives on Cielo Drive with the other of the Manson Family. It is a song choice that mirrors the earlier moment with Charles Manson visiting Sharon's house as the Manson Family are listening to a song from the same artists that Sharon and her friends are listening to.

"Snoopy vs. The Red Baron" by The Royal Guardsman - This song plays as Rick is back at his house after a night of drinking with Cliff and listens to music while drinking margaritas in the pool, unaware of the danger that is lurking around him.

"You Keep Me Hangin' On" by Vanilla Fudge - This song kicks off the climax of the movie as the Manson Family breaks into Rick's house and confronts Cliff. The song is a very fitting one for the scene as it has a gradual build-up and peaks just as the scene gets truly wild and shows how Quentin Tarantino is altering history again with Cliff brutally killing the would-be murderers.

"Miss Lily Langtry" by Maurice Jarre - This song is taken from the Paul Newman movie The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean and plays at the end of Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as Rick and Sharon meet for the first time. The dreamy quality of the movie fits with the ending, which imagines a world in which Sharon Tate and her friends were not the victims of the horrific Manson Family crimes.

1966 Batman Theme by Neal Hefti - The iconic theme song from the classic live-action Batman series can be heard at the end of the credits featuring the voices of Batman and Robin themselves, Adam West and Burt Ward.

Where To Stream The Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Soundtrack

Spotify And Apple Music Provide The Complete Soundtrack Plus More

For fans looking to stream the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood soundtrack in its entirety, Spotify and Apple Music are the best platforms. In addition to all of the music listed above, the soundtracks also feature the real radio ments that can be heard on the radio throughout the movie. These commercials come from actual ones used from local Los Angeles radio station KHJ in 1969, with ads for Mug Root Beer, tanning oil, and more.

It is a great addition when listening to the complete soundtrack as it feels like the listener is transported back in time to this era with the voice of real LA radio personality Don Steele chiming in between some of the songs.

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Release Date

July 26, 2019

Runtime

159 minutes

Director

Quentin Tarantino

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  Tim Roth
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Once Upon A Time in Hollywood, which takes place in Los Angeles in 1969, at the height of hippy Hollywood. The two lead characters are Rick Dalton, the former star of a western TV series, and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth. Both struggle to make it in a Hollywood they don’t recognize anymore, but Rick soon realizes he's the next-door neighbor of the infamous Sharon Tate.

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