Robert Downey Jr.’s 2014 movie has just landed on Netflix, so here’s a guide to The Judge soundtrack and all of its songs.
Downey Jr. might be best known for his time as Iron Man in the Marvel movie world — or more recently, his Oscar-winning performance as Lewis Strauss in the Christopher Nolan movie, Oppenheimer — but in 2014, he portrayed no-nonsense lawyer Hank Palmer in 2014’s The Judge.
The movie follows Palmer as he returns to his hometown of Chicago years after he left to support his father Joseph (Robert DuVall), a judge who’s been accused of murder.
While not necessarily regarded as one of Downey Jr.’s best movies or his most well-known, it boasts an incredible soundtrack. So, here’s the lowdown on all the artists and songs featured in The Judge soundtrack, including its original score.
All songs in The Judge soundtrack
The Judge features an eclectic soundtrack of existing songs, including tunes by Hank Williams, Bon Iver, and Fleetwood Mac.
Check out all of the songs featured, alongside exactly when they are used in the movie:
- ‘We’ll Sweep Out the Ashes in the Morning’ – Gram Parsons (Hank has breakfast in a diner)
- ‘Long White Cadillac’ – Dwight Yoakam (Hank drinks with his brothers)
- ‘The Bottle Let Me Down’ – Hank Williams III (Hank is called to the bar by Carla)
- ‘Reason to Cry’ – Lucinda Williams (Hank and Carla kiss)
- ‘Holocene’ – Bon Iver (Hank’s childhood flashback)
- ‘Knock Knock’ – Band of Horses (Hank, Carla, and Sam talk in the car)
- ‘Storms’ – Fleetwood Mac (Hank and Sam talk at the diner)
- ‘Holocene’ – Bon Iver (Hank hugs his brothers at Joseph’s funeral)
- ‘The Scientist’ – Willie Nelson (end credits)
You might have noticed a small change with the final song featured, as Willie Nelson sings a cover of the famous Coldplay song. Nelson is mentioned during the film but doesn’t appear in it — yet surprisingly, the cover was originally recorded in 2011 for a short film for Mexican grill chain of Chipotle, titled Back to the Start.
The Judge original score
The original score for The Judge was composed by Thomas Newman, known for his work on American Beauty, 1917, and The Shawshank Redemption.
The epic 27-track score includes:
- ‘Phantom Witness’ – Thomas Newman
- ‘Mercury Glass’ – Thomas Newman
- ‘Bag of Tricks – Thomas Newman
- ‘St. Francis’ – Thomas Newman
- ‘Indiana’ – Thomas Newman
- ‘Samantha’ – Thomas Newman
- ‘Wooden Nickel’ – Thomas Newman
- ‘The Judge’ – Thomas Newman
- ‘Reward for Dog’ – Thomas Newman
- ‘Blood Evidence’ – Thomas Newman
- ‘Shelby Rd.’ – Thomas Newman
- ‘Never on Pavement’ – Thomas Newman
- ‘Light a Match’ – Thomas Newman
- ‘Hope Stevens’ – Thomas Newman
- ‘Diamond Collapsible’ – Thomas Newman
- ‘Carla’s Father’ – Thomas Newman
- ‘Ten Speed’ – Thomas Newman
- ‘Old Room’ – Thomas Newman
- ‘Night Fit (Velvet Box)’ – Thomas Newman
- ‘Twenty Degree Bend’ – Thomas Newman
- ‘Watch and Learn’ – Thomas Newman
- ‘Tire and Rim’ – Thomas Newman
- ‘Aye of Knute’ – Thomas Newman
- ‘Missing Time’ – Thomas Newman
- ‘Trophies’ – Thomas Newman
- ‘I Choose You’ – Thomas Newman
- ‘Wabash River Float’ – Thomas Newman
When the movie was released in 2014, critic James Southall described Newman’s work as a “Thomas Newman score that’s straight down the middle — everything about it is so familiar. It’s high quality, there’s no doubting that — Newman is as classy a film composer as there is right now and his assured touch is reassuring, as impressive as ever.
“What The Judge lacks is something truly distinctive to set it apart from all the other similarly high quality, classy works Newman’s done so many times through the years.”
Where to listen to The Judge soundtrack
You can listen to the official The Judge Motion Picture soundtrack on Spotify, or you can add the songs individually to your music player of choice.
Be sure to check out more music from this year’s releases, including bangers from the Challengers soundtrack, The Idea of You soundtrack, and the Civil War soundtrack. You’ll also find similar vibes and more Willie Nelson in the Yellowstone soundtrack.
Find even more amazing new movies and TV shows streaming this month, or dive into all the new true crime documentaries around right now. If that’s not enough, find out what’s in store this year for K-dramas coming to Netflix.
