Note: Below is a complete playlist of all 14 songs that can be heard in the movie “American Gangster”. Some of these commercial songs are not included on the official soundtrack album but are used in the movie.
All 14 songs featured in “American Gangster”:
| Song: | Listen on: |
|---|---|
| Why Don't We Do It In The Road - Lewel Fulson Timestamp: 0:07 | Scene: Richie (Russell Crowe) and Javier serve a guy with a subpoena by throwing it through the door then they break in with a sledgehammer. |  |
| Only The Strong Survive - Jerry Butler Timestamp: 0:17 | Scene: Frank (Denzel Washington) eats breakfast in a cafe as Tango (Idris Elba) enters and tells him he'll need to pay 20% because he's the landlord now. | |
| Hold On I'm Comin' - Sam Moore & Dave Prater Jr. Timestamp: 0:37 | Scene: After Frank finds out his drugs are 100% pure they start production. His employees unwrap the drugs and cut them. Frank watches the drugs changing hands outside from his car. | |
| Guess Things Happen That Way - Johnny Cash Timestamp: 0:40 | Scene: Richie has sex with his lawyer in his apartment and answers the phone. | |
| No Shoes - John Lee Hooker Timestamp: 0:44 | Scene: Greensboro, N.C. Frank calls his family in Greensboro. They all drive out to Frank's new house. | |
| I'll Take You There - The Staple Singers Timestamp: 0:50 | Scene: Frank shows his brothers the production facility. They ask why the girls are naked. | |
| Stone, Cold - Anthony Hamilton Timestamp: 0:55 | Scene: Frank sees Miss Puerto Rico for the first time on the dancefloor. He talks to his brother about his suit being too loud. | |
| Do You Feel Me - Anthony Hamilton Timestamp: 0:57 | Scene: 2nd song at the club. Couples slow dance on the dancefloor. Frank talks to Joe and gives him a gift. Frank talks to Eva (Miss Puerto Rico). | |
| Across 110th Street - Bobby Womack Timestamp: 1:17 | Scene: Frank calls Vietnam. The drugs are picked up at Fort Bragg. Following the drugs journey. | |
| Winter Wonderland - Louis Armstrong Timestamp: 1:53 | Scene: Christmas time. Detective Trupo and his partner watch Frank from the car and are given Chirstmas gifts. Vietnam war on the TV. | |
| Only The Lonely (Know the Way I Feel) - Roy Orbison Timestamp: 2:05 | Scene: Frank in a Vietnamese bar calls home as a lady performs live. The police listen in. | |
| How Great Thou Art Timestamp: 2:19 | Scene: Frank arrives at the church as the choir are singing inside. | |
| Amazing Grace Timestamp: 2:25 | Scene: Frank leaves church to find the police waiting for him. The police simultaneously take down the other places in Frank's empire. | |
| Can't Truss It - Public Enemy Timestamp: 2:37 | Scene: Frank leaves custody after serving his sentence. Plays again in end credits. | |
What’s the movie about?
An outcast New York cop is tasked with taking down Harlem drug lord Frank Lucas, whose real life inspired this partly biographical film.