I noticed Scorsese likes to use early rock and roll ballads as opposed to the classical "Rat Pack" pop most mobsters were probably listening to in the 1950s. The music Scorsese uses in this period is typically what teenagers listened to. Makes sense considering he was one at this time. This could have something to do with frequent collaborator Robbie Robertson (of The Band), too, who was music producer in this and many of Scorsese's other films.
Scorsese's great about that. But, this time, the R&R songs did not fit the chronology of the scenes they were used in, whereas in "Mean Streets," "Goodfellas" and "Casino," the songs were exactly those that were popular at the time depicted in the scenes.
Since I am of a certain age, I thought the most brilliant match of song-to-scene was in "Mean Streets," when Charlie is looking in a mirror lovingly at himself trying on the mongrammed shirt his mother bought him. The background song is "I Love You So" by the Chantels--perfecto! I saw the Chantels several times at the Alan Freed R&R shows at the Brooklyn Paramount in the Fifties. Arlene Smith, the lead singer, was about 14 or 15, but she was, uh, completely "filled out" and wore a tight white dress. All the horny teenaged boys (like me) were howling away at her. Her uncle, a churchy-looking type, played piano behind the group--and stared daggers at us. If looks could kill...
