What rock musician composed the score for 'The Irishman'?

Robbie Robertson composed the score for Martin Scorsese’s 2019 film The Irishman. Robertson, best known as the guitarist and principal songwriter of The Band, created music that gives the film’s decades-spanning crime story a reflective, elegiac mood.

Rather than relying on a large orchestral soundtrack, the score uses restrained themes and period-aware textures that complement Frank Sheeran’s memories of organized crime, Jimmy Hoffa, and his own aging. Robertson had previously worked with Scorsese on films including The King of Comedy, Casino, Gangs of New York, and Shutter Island, making him a natural creative collaborator for The Irishman.

The film stars Robert De Niro as Sheeran, Al Pacino as Hoffa, and Joe Pesci as Russell Bufalino. Its 209-minute running time makes it Scorsese’s longest film, and its production used extensive digital de-aging to portray the actors across several decades.

A common mix-up is confusing Robertson’s original score with the film’s many licensed period songs. Those songs help establish the eras, but Robertson is credited with the score itself.