F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is one of the most iconic novels of the 20th century, brimming with wealth, ambition, love, and heartbreak. To deepen your connection with the novel, I’ve curated a Great Gatsby music playlist—featuring pieces that capture the glamour, longing, and tragedy of this Jazz Age masterpiece.
These selections enhance the reading experience, helping readers, teachers, and students resonate more deeply with the novel’s themes while making key scenes even more unforgettable.
This list is just a starting point. Feel free to mix and match or create your own musical pairings for a truly immersive experience.
Also, since this was made into a movie, some of the soundtrack pieces will also work to provide a musical backdrop to the reading. Here's that album.
1. Gatsby’s Lavish Parties (Chapter 3)
Theme: Extravagance, excitement, and the illusion of happiness
"The Charleston" – (Alex Mendham) (A lively, authentic 1920s jazz piece that perfectly captures the spirit of Gatsby’s extravagant soirées, where flappers dance and champagne flows)
"Sing Sing Sing" – Allied (Alan Silvestri) (A bold, big-band orchestral piece filled with infectious energy, mirroring the excess and thrill of Gatsby’s legendary parties)
"Anything Goes" – Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (John Williams) (an orchestral tribute to the 1920s’ glitzy Broadway sound)
"New York, New York" – (Frank Sinatra) (A grand and celebratory anthem that embodies both the glamor and the underlying loneliness of Gatsby’s pursuit of the American Dream)
2. Gatsby and Daisy Reunite (Chapter 5)
Theme: Romance, nostalgia, and overwhelming emotion
"Por Una Cabeza" – Scent of a Woman (Carlos Gardel, John Williams arrangement) (1992, a passionate tango evoking both love and obsession)
"Cinema Paradiso (Love Theme)" – Cinema Paradiso (Ennio Morricone) (an achingly nostalgic theme reflecting Gatsby’s idealized love for Daisy)
"Once Upon a December" – Anastasia (David Newman) (a haunting waltz evoking Gatsby’s dream of rekindling his past with Daisy)
"A Love Before Time" – Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (Tan Dun) (a tragic and sweeping love theme mirroring Gatsby and Daisy’s doomed romance)
3. Tom and Gatsby’s Showdown (Chapter 7)
Theme: Tension, confrontation, and Gatsby’s unraveling dream
"The Prestige" – The Prestige (David Julyan) (a dramatic and tense piece building toward inevitable tragedy)
"Cathedral" – Road to Perdition (Thomas Newman) (sorrowful and tense, reflecting Gatsby’s slow realization that Daisy may never leave Tom)
"Chevaliers de Sangreal" – The Da Vinci Code (Hans Zimmer) (a swelling orchestral piece reflecting Gatsby’s unwavering yet misguided belief in fate)
"Fear Will Find You" – The Dark Knight Rises (Hans Zimmer) (deep pulsing strings create a tense, inevitable sense of downfall)
4. Myrtle’s Death (Chapter 7)
Theme: Chaos, tragedy, and the recklessness of the wealthy
"The Far Road" – The Road (Nick Cave & Warren Ellis) (a hauntingly minimalist piece reflecting sudden and unavoidable tragedy)
"Elegy for Dunkirk" – Atonement (Dario Marianelli) (slow, tragic, and inevitable, mirroring Myrtle’s futile attempts to escape her fate)
"Journey to the Line" – The Thin Red Line (Hans Zimmer) (a swelling, dramatic piece that captures rising tension and heartbreak)
"On the Nature of Daylight" – Arrival (Max Richter) (sorrowful strings echo the weight of Myrtle’s tragic, unnecessary death)
"Stay With Me" – The Fountain (Clint Mansell) (an emotional and deeply reflective string piece that captures the shock and sorrow of Myrtle’s passing)
5. Gatsby’s Death (Chapter 8)
Theme: Isolation, regret, and the finality of dreams lost
"Song for Bob" – The Assassination of Jesse James (Nick Cave & Warren Ellis) (lonely and reflective, a perfect accompaniment to Gatsby’s quiet death by the pool)
"Time" – Inception (Hans Zimmer) (slow-building and sorrowful, mirroring Gatsby’s final moments and the tragedy of his failed dream)
"Road to Perdition" – Road to Perdition (Thomas Newman) (a lonely piano and strings piece evoking Gatsby’s isolation)
"Death is the Road to Awe" – The Fountain (Clint Mansell) (ethereal and tragic, signifying the end of Gatsby’s grand illusions)
"Dumbledore's Farewell" – Harry Potter (Nicholas Hooper) (heartbreakingly nostalgic, a perfect metaphor for Gatsby’s longing and loss)
6. Nick’s Reflection on Gatsby’s Legacy (Chapter 9, Final Lines)
Theme: Nostalgia, regret, and the American Dream’s collapse
"Long, Long Time Ago" – Pan’s Labyrinth (Javier Navarrete) (a bittersweet, dreamlike piece that echoes Nick’s sorrowful reflection on Gatsby’s life and death)
"Main Title" – The Cider House Rules (Rachel Portman) (warm yet melancholy, reflecting Gatsby’s legacy and Nick’s farewell to the East Coast dream)
"The Shape of Things to Come" – Battlestar Galactica (Bear McCreary) (2004, a contemplative, sweeping piece capturing the weight of the past and future)
"Together We Will Live Forever" – The Fountain (Clint Mansell) (2006, a quiet piano and strings piece that embodies Nick’s realization of Gatsby’s loneliness and sacrifice)
"Prospector's Quartet" – There Will Be Blood (Jonny Greenwood) (2007, eerie, unsettling, and reflective, mirroring the novel’s dark meditation on wealth and ambition)
Comments