If you could walk into one of Gatsby’s parties, the first thing you’d probably notice—besides the glittering gowns and endless champagne—would be the music. Jazz fills every corner of his mansion, setting the tone for nights of wild dancing and careless laughter. But the music in The Great Gatsby isn’t just background noise—it tells us everything we need to know about the vibe of the Roaring Twenties and the emotional undercurrents of Gatsby’s world.
Jazz, the defining sound of the 1920s, was bold, unpredictable, and full of life. It symbolized freedom, rebellion, and the thrill of breaking rules. That’s exactly what Gatsby’s parties felt like. The music turned his house into a place where people could forget their problems, lose themselves in the rhythm, and pretend—for just a little while—that they were part of something bigger, something magical.
But beneath the upbeat energy, there’s something sad about all that noise. Gatsby throws these extravagant parties, hoping Daisy will show up, but most guests don’t even know who he is. The joyful music becomes a mask, just like the guests themselves. It hides the loneliness, the longing, and the emptiness that runs through so many of the characters in the novel.
Even today, music is still used to shape experiences and moods. Think about how we use playlists to set the tone at parties or choose the perfect song for a social media post. We might blast feel-good music to create a vibe, even when we’re not really feeling it inside. It’s a form of performance, just like Gatsby’s parties.
In the end, the soundtrack of Gatsby’s world is a powerful tool—it energizes, distracts, and seduces. But like everything in his world, it’s also fleeting. When the music stops, what’s left? Just echoes of something that felt real in the moment but couldn’t last.
The next time you hear a jazz song or build a playlist for a night out, think about what it’s saying—not just to others, but to yourself. Because sometimes, the music knows the truth we’re trying to dance away from.
