<\/p>
Pulp Fiction has gone down as one of the greatest films of all time, thanks in large part to its impressive cast, non-linear narrative and endlessly quotable dialogue.<\/p>\n
However there\u2019s no denying that one of the first things that come to mind about Quentin Tarantino\u2019s classic is its excellent soundtrack, which helped energise a resurgence of surf rock in the 1990s and remains wildly popular to this day.<\/p>\n
We\u2019re sure just mentioning the film has you picturing the iconic Pulp Fiction dance performed by John Travolta and Uma Thurman \u2013 so if you\u2019ve ever wondered what exactly they were twisting to you\u2019re in luck, as we\u2019ll be going through the film\u2019s soundtrack scene by scene.<\/p>\n
So grab yourself a royale with cheese and a $5 milkshake and kick back as we list one of the coolest movie soundtracks of all time!<\/p>
The original Pulp Fiction soundtrack<\/a> released in 1994 only had sixteen songs, notably missing a few tracks that were included in the film. This was rectified somewhat by the 2002 Collector\u2019s Edition<\/a>, which added several bonus tracks.<\/p>\n While we haven\u2019t included them here, the official soundtrack also includes snippets of the film\u2019s iconic dialogue \u2013 including that<\/em> bible verse recited by Samuel L. Jackson, which amazingly was listed as its very own song.<\/p>\n There are few more exciting ways to start a film than Dick Dale\u2019s iconic guitar solo, which perfectly set up the rollercoaster ride that was to come \u2013 and did it in style. Originally a Mediterranean folk song, the song gained worldwide popularity when Dick Dale recorded a surf-rock version in 1962, and again when the Black Eyed Peas sampled the tune in 2006\u2019s Pump It \u2013 but for many the song will forever be associated with Pulp Fiction, and one of the coolest film intros in history.<\/p>\n Listen on Spotify<\/a><\/p>\n Not content with just one iconic opening credits song, Tarantino served us a second only halfway through Misirlou \u2013 transitioning us from the \u201960s to the \u201970s, keeping the excitement going but adding a bit of funk. The song is not quite as symbolic of Pulp Fiction as its predecessor but has remained popular on its own terms, and has been sampled by the likes of The Beastie Boys and Madonna since its 1973 release.<\/p>\n Listen on Spotify<\/a><\/p>\n Strawberry Letter #23 was originally written and composed by Shuggie Otis in 1971, but it was the 1977 cover by funk and R&B band The Brothers Johnson that really blew up. The song reached number five on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart and number one on the US Soul Singles Chart, and was even pressed on a red strawberry scented vinyl.<\/p>\n The song did feature on the original 1994 soundtrack, likely as it is only heard very briefly in the film as Jules and Vincent walk through the hallway to Brett\u2019s apartment \u2013 but finally got its due when Tarantino featured the track in length in his 1997 hit Jackie Brown.<\/p>\n Listen on Spotify<\/a><\/p>\n Al Green\u2019s signature song plays when Marcellus Wallace tells Butch Coolidge to throw his boxing match, with the camera focused firmly on Bruce Willis and his reaction \u2013 certainly an ironic choice given where the film takes the two characters. Green initially was not keen on the song and its gentle vocals, but shot straight to number one on the US Billboard chart and has been covered frequently since, most notably by Tina Turner.<\/p>\n Listen on Spotify<\/a><\/p>\n Playing while Vincent procures heroin from Lance, you can practically hear the ocean in this 1962 offering from California surf band The Tornadoes. Complete with breezy whammy bar effects and no unnecessary vocals, it\u2019s easy to see why surf rock made a comeback off Pulp Fiction\u2019s success.<\/p>\n Listen on Spotify<\/a><\/p>\n On the Collectors Edition DVD of Pulp Fiction, Quentin Tarantino can be quoted saying that he probably would have not filmed this scene where Vincent speaks to Mia over the intercom had he not been able to use the Dusty Springfield classic \u2013 that\u2019s how important this song was to the sequence. It paid off, as Son of a Preacher Man received renewed popularity and even topped the Icelandic charts in 1995 \u2013 some 27 years after its initial release.<\/p>\n While now considered one of Springfield\u2019s signature tracks, the song was written with Aretha Franklin in mind \u2013 and following its success Franklin did eventually record a cover in 1969.<\/p>\n Listen on Spotify<\/a><\/p>\n The easy-going surf sax Bullwinkle Part II is famous for contrasts rather heavily with the scene it accompanies in Pulp Fiction, in which we see a close up of blood pouring into a syringe as Vincent takes drugs. Bullwinkle Part II has become the best-known work of The Centurions, a California surf rock band from the \u201950s and \u201960s\u00a0 who reformed in 1995, a year after Pulp Fiction\u2019s release.<\/p>\n Listen on Spotify<\/a><\/p>\n Jack Rabbit Slims is a clear throwback to clubs of the \u201950s and \u201960s, and Tarantino appropriately enough kicks off the scene with two rockabilly songs by 1950s heartthrob Ricky Nelson. However this first track is a cover performed by Gary Shorelle \u2013 which does not feature on any release of the film\u2019s soundtrack and was never commercially released, thus was not available anywhere other than the film itself.<\/p>\n However, an uncut track has since surfaced on YouTube.<\/a><\/p>\n Playing as Mia Wallace orders a shake at the restaurant with Vincent, this 1958 hit was sung by then-teenage heartthrob Ricky Nelson. It has since been covered by everyone from Paul McCartney to Jason Donovan \u2013 as well as instrumental rock band The Ventures, who will also pop up again on this list.<\/p>\n The song is also featured in Heroes in fourth season episode Close To You when Sam Sullivan orders a milkshake in a diner in an apparent homage to Pulp Fiction.<\/p>\n Listen on Spotify<\/a><\/p>\n The retro rock and roll continues at Jack Rabbit Slims as 1950s icon Link Wray plays as Mia and Vincent continue their conversation. As with Waitin\u2019 On School, Ace of Spades has not been included in any of the Pulp Fiction soundtrack releases \u2013 though Link Wray would eventually be included in the 2002 Collector\u2019s Edition for the very next track in the film.<\/p>\n Listen on Spotify<\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s a Link Wray double bill, as this next track plays immediately after Ace of Spades \u2013 though Rumble would eventually make it to the film\u2019s soundtrack. Rumble holds the dubious honour of being the only instrumental single banned from the radio in the US, as the word rumble was slang for a gang fight and there were fears the song would encourage youth violence.<\/p>\n Rumble is said to have influenced the likes of Bob Dylan and Iggy Pop \u2013 though modern listeners may recognise it more from the confused.com adverts.<\/p>\n Listen on Spotify<\/a><\/p>\n American R&B group The Robins provides the soundtrack to this scene, in which Vincent tries the much-discussed $5 milkshake while Mia pops to the toilet. The Robins were influential in the formation of the doo-wop genre, though by the release of this song had suffered a split after Nunn and Carl Gardner had left to form The Coasters.<\/p>\n Listen on Spotify<\/a><\/p>\n Just before the iconic twist competition, we get a brief listen to this Woody Thorne classic as Vincent asks Mia if Marcellus killed someone for giving her a foot massage. Teenagers in Love is the third and final song featured in the film not to make it to either of the film\u2019s soundtracks, though the song has remained associated with the Tarantino film ever since.<\/p>\n Listen on Spotify<\/a><\/p>\n Yep, the song playing during THAT dance scene between John Travolta and Uma Thurman is 1964\u2019s You Never Can Tell by the \u201cFather of Rock and Roll\u201d Chuck Berry. The song was a perfect choice for the Twist Contest \u2013 based on a dance craze from the early \u201960s \u2013 and unsurprisingly the song became popular again following Pulp Fiction\u2019s release, becoming one of if not the most symbolic songs of the film.<\/p>\n Listen on Spotify<\/a><\/p>\n Girl, You\u2019ll Be A Woman Soon was of course written and originally performed by Neil Diamond, but it was the 1992 cover by alt-rock band Urge Overkill that Tarantino chose for his masterpiece. It was enough to launch Urge Overkill into the mainstream, and their cover achieved chart success when it was re-released as a single in 1994.<\/p>\n Listen on Spotify<\/a><\/p>\n Flowers on the Wall was a big hit for The Statler Brothers when it was released in 1965, spending four weeks at number two on the Billboard Hot Country Singles Chart and earning the group a Grammy Award. In the film the song is performed by none other than Bruce Willis as he sings the line \u201csmoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo\u201d \u2013 a year later in Die Hard With a Vengeance, Willis\u2019 character John McClane would describe his suspension from the police also for \u201csmoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo\u201d.<\/p>\n Listen on Spotify<\/a><\/p>\n The one and only original song on the Pulp Fiction soundtrack, Maria McKee\u2019s song is a tad overshadowed in the film by the pawnshop skirmish between Bruce Willis and Ving Rhames. It was not McKee\u2019s first movie soundtrack, however \u2013 she\u2019d previously scored a UK number one with Show Me Heaven, recorded for the Tom Cruise sports drama Days of Thunder.<\/p>\n Listen on Spotify<\/a><\/p>\n Comanche was performed by yet another California surf band, with The Revels performing this track when Butch ultimately decides to save Marcellus and kill Maynard. Comanche wasn\u2019t Tarantino\u2019s first choice, however \u2013 that honour goes to My Sharona by Knack, who declined and licensed the song to Reality Bites instead.<\/p>\n Listen on Spotify<\/a><\/p>\n Originally called Outer Limits as a reference to the iconic \u201960s show of the same name, instrumental surf rock piece Out of Limits was a huge hit for The Marketts in 1963, staying in the US Hot 100 for fourteen weeks and selling a million copies globally. The song plays in Pulp Fiction as Butch escapes via motorcycle with his girlfriend \u2013 one of the few characters with a happy ending, and what is chronologically the last scene in the film.<\/p>\n Coincidentally a popular cover of the song was also released by The Ventures \u2013 who themselves are covered in this next track\u2026<\/p>\n Listen on Spotify<\/a><\/p>\n The final song in Pulp Fiction \u2013 playing in the final diner sequence and during the end credits \u2013 is fittingly from another California surf rock band, namely The Lively Ones. However this particular track was the combined efforts of two instrumental \u201960s rock bands \u2013 originally a song called Spudnik by instrumental legends The Ventures, a sprinkling of sax was added in The Lively Ones\u2019 cover of the song which became a surprise hit.<\/p>\n Listen on Spotify<\/a><\/p>\n V<\/strong>isit our\u00a0Movies<\/a>\u00a0hub for more news and features or find something to watch tonight with\u00a0our\u00a0TV Guide.<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n The latest issue of Radio Times magazine is on sale now \u2013\u00a0subscribe now<\/a>\u00a0and get the next 12 issues for only \u00a31. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to the\u00a0Radio Times podcast<\/a> with Jane Garvey.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/body><\/html>\n By Daniel Furn Published: Sunday, 22 May 2022 at 12:00 am Pulp Fiction has gone down as one of the greatest films of all time, thanks in large part to its impressive cast, non-linear narrative and endlessly quotable dialogue. However there\u2019s no denying that one of the first things that come to mind about Quentin […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":15840,"template":"","categories":[6],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/05\/pulp-fiction-soundtrack-every-song-in-the-movie-by-scene.jpg",2560,1716,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/05\/pulp-fiction-soundtrack-every-song-in-the-movie-by-scene-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/05\/pulp-fiction-soundtrack-every-song-in-the-movie-by-scene-300x201.jpg",300,201,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/05\/pulp-fiction-soundtrack-every-song-in-the-movie-by-scene-768x515.jpg",768,515,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/05\/pulp-fiction-soundtrack-every-song-in-the-movie-by-scene-1024x686.jpg",800,536,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/05\/pulp-fiction-soundtrack-every-song-in-the-movie-by-scene-1536x1030.jpg",1536,1030,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/56\/2022\/05\/pulp-fiction-soundtrack-every-song-in-the-movie-by-scene-2048x1373.jpg",2048,1373,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"By Daniel Furn Published: Sunday, 22 May 2022 at 12:00 am Pulp Fiction has gone down as one of the greatest films of all time, thanks in large part to its impressive cast, non-linear narrative and endlessly quotable dialogue. However there\u2019s no denying that one of the first things that come to mind about Quentin…","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/15839"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15840"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15839"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15839"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Every song in Pulp Fiction by scene<\/h2>\n
Opening Credits \u2013 Misirlou<\/h3>\n
Opening Credits \u2013 Jungle Boogie<\/h3>\n
Vincent and Jules talk \u2013 Strawberry Letter #23<\/h3>\n
Butch meets Marcellus \u2013 Let\u2019s Stay Together<\/h3>\n
Vincent buys drugs \u2013 Bustin\u2019 Surfboards<\/h3>\n
Vincent meets Mia \u2013 Son of a Preacher Man<\/h3>\n
Vincent takes drugs \u2013 Bullwinkle Part II<\/h3>\n
Mia and Vincent arrive at Jack Rabbit Slims \u2013 Waitin in\u2019 School<\/h3>\n
Mia orders a $5 shake \u2013 Lonesome Town<\/h3>\n
Mia and Vincent talk \u2013 Ace of Spades<\/h3>\n
Mia talks about her TV pilot \u2013 Rumble<\/h3>\n
Vincent drinks a $5 shake \u2013 Since I First Met You<\/h3>\n
Vincent and Mia discuss foot massages \u2013 Teenagers in Love<\/h3>\n
Vincent and Mia dance \u2013 You Never Can Tell<\/h3>\n
Mia overdoses \u2013 Girl, You\u2019ll Be A Woman Soon<\/h3>\n
Butch escapes from Vincent \u2013 Flowers on the Wall<\/h3>\n
Marcellus catches Butch in Maynard\u2019s pawn shop \u2013 If Love Is a Red Dress (Hang Me In Rags)<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Butch rescues Marcellus \u2013 Comanche<\/h3>\n
Butch and Fabienne escape \u2013 Out of Limits<\/h3>\n
End Credits \u2013 Surf Rider<\/h3>\n
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