American Tabloid
Book Playlist

American Tabloid Playlist

by James Ellroy

41 tracks
balanced
May 9, 2026
4 mixes for this book

This playlist captures the dark, tense, and morally complex atmosphere of James Ellroy's "American Tabloid," set in the volatile 1950s-60s America. The tracks blend vintage and modern styles with edgy, noir-inspired tones, reflecting the book's exploration of corruption, ambition, and political intrigue, while also giving voice to the nuanced emotional states of key characters.

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Track List

41 songs
1

Red Right Hand - 2011 Remaster

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds · Let Love In (2011 Remaster)

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2

Red Right Hand

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds · Red Right Hand (Theme from 'Peaky Blinders')

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3

I Put A Spell On You

Nina Simone · I Put A Spell On You

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4

Nobody's Fault But Mine

Dread Zeppelin · 5,000,000*

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5

Bad To The Bone

George Thorogood & The Destroyers · Bad To The Bone

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6

Ain't No Grave

Johnny Cash · American VI: Ain't No Grave

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7

House of the Rising Sun

The Animals · The Singles Plus

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8

Wanted Dead Or Alive

Bon Jovi · Slippery When Wet

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9

Sympathy For The Devil

The Rolling Stones · The Rolling Stones Singles Collection: The London Years

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10

Paint It, Black

The Rolling Stones · Aftermath

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11

For What It's Worth

Buffalo Springfield · Buffalo Springfield

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12

Gimme Shelter

The Rolling Stones · Let It Bleed

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13

People Are Strange

The Doors · Strange Days

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14

The End

The Doors · The Doors

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15

White Rabbit

Jefferson Airplane · Surrealistic Pillow

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16

Hello, I Love You

The Doors · Waiting for the Sun

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17

Riders on the Storm

The Doors · L.A. Woman

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18

Fortunate Son

Creedence Clearwater Revival · Willy And The Poor Boys (Expanded Edition)

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19

I Heard It Through The Grapevine

Marvin Gaye · In The Groove

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20

Chain of Fools

Aretha Franklin · Lady Soul (With Bonus Selections)

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21

Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)

Marvin Gaye · What's Going On

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22

Papa Was A Rollin' Stone

The Temptations · All Directions

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23

Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)

Marvin Gaye · What's Going On

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24

I Fought the Law

The Bobby Fuller Four · I Fought the Law

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25

Ball Of Confusion (That's What The World Is Today)

The Temptations · Gold

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26

White Room

Cream · Wheels Of Fire

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27

Born To Be Wild

Steppenwolf · Born To Be Wild (Best Of....)

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28

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

Iron Butterfly · In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

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29

Season of the Witch

Donovan · Sunshine Superman

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30

The Weight

The Band · Best Of The Band

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31

Light My Fire

The Doors · The Doors

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32

People Get Ready

The Impressions · People Get Ready

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33

What's Going On

Marvin Gaye · What's Going On

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34

I Want to Take You Higher

Sly & The Family Stone · Stand

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35

Fortune Teller

Bobby Curtola · Don't Stop Dreaming of Me

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36

Time Has Come Today

The Chambers Brothers · The Time Has Come

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37

Incense And Peppermints

Strawberry Alarm Clock · Incense And Peppermints

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38

Evil Ways

Santana · Santana (Legacy Edition)

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39

Oye Como Va

Playing For Change · Songs For Humanity

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40

Soul Sacrifice

Santana · Santana (Legacy Edition)

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41

Luminary

Dravelyn · Magical Moments

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Playlist Settings

The preferences requested for this mix.

Mood balanced
Genre mixed
Era modern
Length long
Instrumental request 0%
Environment balanced

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3 more mixes for American Tabloid

See all 4 mixes
  1. Mixed genres All vocal 40 tracks · May 9, 2026Open
  2. Matched to the book 50% instrumental 20 tracks · May 9, 2026Open
  3. Mixed genres 10% instrumental2000s and later 35 tracks · May 9, 2026Open