The song used in the opening credits of Pulp Fiction is “Misirlou,” performed by Dick Dale and His Del-Tones.
Released in 1994, Pulp Fiction deliberately avoided a traditional film score. Quentin Tarantino instead assembled surf rock, soul, pop, rock and roll, and dialogue excerpts to create the film’s musical identity. Dale’s rapid instrumental version of “Misirlou” begins over the opening titles, immediately establishing the movie’s energetic, stylized tone.
“Misirlou” is much older than Pulp Fiction. It began as an Eastern Mediterranean folk melody, with early Greek recordings dating to the 1920s. Dick Dale transformed it into a fast surf-rock guitar piece in 1962, drawing partly on an Arabic version remembered from his Lebanese-American family.
A common mix-up is choosing another memorable Pulp Fiction song, such as “Son of a Preacher Man” or “Jungle Boogie.” Those tracks appear later in the film; neither plays over the opening credits. The song’s renewed popularity also helped introduce surf rock to a new generation.