The original score for Person of Interest is composed by Ramin Djawadi. In addition to the original music, producers Jonathan Nolan and Greg Plageman select contemporary songs and instrumental music to underscore specific scenes. Popular music is chosen to add emphasis in a scene ("I'm Afraid of Americans"), set the tone of a scene ("Boom Boom"), or to sum up the story at the end of an episode ("Sinnerman"); occasionally source music is played which we hear along with the characters ("Para La Habana"). In some cases, the lyrics of the song help move the story forward ("Exit Music (For a Film)"), in the style of a music video.
The following is a compilation of songs and instrumental music used in the series to date.
Season 1
“Pilot”
- "Angel" by Massive Attack - During John Reese's intervention to stop Stills and his men.
“Ghosts”
- "The Truth" by Handsome Boy Modeling School - End of episode.
“Mission Creep”
- "Reaching For Salvation" by Sugaray - Music playing at the bar when Reese meets Sam Latimer's team.
- "Live With Me" by Massive Attack - End of episode.
“Cura Te Ipsum”
- "Exceeder" by Mason - Music playing at the bar where Megan Tillman approaches Andrew Benton.
“Judgment”
- "Intro" by The xx - End of episode.
“The Fix”
- "New York" by Cat Power - End of episode.
“Witness”
- "Sinnerman" by Nina Simone - End of episode.
“Foe”
- "I Know You Are But What Am I?" by Mogwai - End of episode.
“Get Carter”
- "It's Personal" by The Radio Dept. - End of episode.
“Number Crunch”
- "When Things Explode" by Unkle - End of episode.
“Wolf and Cub”
- "Rising Down" by The Roots (ft. Mos Def & Styles P) - During the basketball game
“Blue Code”
- "If I Had a Heart" by Fever Ray - End of episode.
“Risk”
- "Down Boy" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs - End of episode.
“Baby Blue”
- "Building Steam with a Grain of Salt" by "DJ Shadow"[citation needed]
“Identity Crisis”
- "Black & Bleach" by Further Down - At the bar where Reese and Fusco meet.
- "Amongster" by Poliça - End of episode.
“Flesh and Blood”
- "Burn My Shadow" by Unkle - When Reese goes to rescue Taylor Carter.
- "Ne Me Quitte Pas" by Nina Simone - End of episode.
“Matsya Nyaya”
- "Lonely Soul" by Unkle - End of episode.
“Many Happy Returns”
- "Revenge" by Dangermouse and Sparklehorse - End of episode.
“No Good Deed”
- "I'm Afraid of Americans" by David Bowie - During the taxi ambush/End of episode.
Season 2
“Masquerade”
- "Moon Drop" by Sherry St. Germain - During clothing store scene at the beginning of the episode.
- "Titanium" by David Guetta feat. Sia - During the first dance club scene.
- "Say My Name" by Porter Robinson - During the second dance club scene.
- "She's Long Gone" by The Black Keys - End of episode.
“Triggerman”
- "The Greatest" by Cat Power - End of episode.
“Bury the Lede”
- "Building Steam with a Grain of Salt" by DJ Shadow - End of episode.
“The High Road”
- "Boom Boom" by John Lee Hooker - During the card game scene.
- "It Serves You Right to Suffer" by John Lee Hooker - When Graham makes his decision/End of episode.
“Til Death”
- "One of These Mornings" by Moby featuring Patti LaBelle - End of episode.
“C.O.D.”
- "For You" by Trilogy featuring Fred The Godson - Bar scene where Finch meets D3MON8.
“Shadow Box”
- "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones - End of episode.
“2πR”
- The Hop by Radio Citizen - Club scene with Carter.
“Prisoner's Dilemma”
- "Eminence Front" by The Who - When Reese gets released.
“One Percent”
- "Ante Up (Robin Hoodz Theory)" by M.O.P. - Just after opening credits, during basketball game.
“Relevance”
- "Future Starts Slow" by The Kills - End of episode.
Season 3
“Liberty”
- "She's Long Gone" by The Black Keys - In the secret sailor's club.
- "Feeling Good" by Nina Simone - After the shootout with the Russians.
“Nothing to Hide”
- "Falling in Love" by Ben Rector - Opening song of Wayne Kruger's anniversary video.
- "Birthright" (Birthwrong remix by Blue Stahli) by Celldweller - In the edited portion of the anniversary video.
- "Pieces Of Me" by Dying Regret - The first song that comes over the car radio when the car is "hacked" and taken over. Soon after that another song play and video starts to roll on the on-screen nav screen.
“Lady Killer”
- "Give Me Everything" by Pitbull ft. Ne-Yo - when Carter, Shaw and Zoe enter Club Blur.
- "I Know U Know" by Tatiana Owens - when Ian Murphy enters Club Blur.
“Mors Praematura”
- "The Number Song" by DJ Shadow - During the shootout with Vigilance.
- "Hurt" by Johnny Cash - Intro song.
- "Miami Showdown" by Digitalism - During the shootout between Reese and the Marshals.
- "Colour in Your Hands" by D.L.i.d - End of episode.
“Lethe”
- "Whiskey" by The Sam Morrison Band - Heard in the background when Reese orders a whiskey during the first bar scene.
- "Moving in Stereo" by The Cars - While young Harold is with friends by the phone booth.
- "The Sky is Crying" by Elmore James - During the fight scene at the bar in the rain.
“Provenance”
- "Take California" by Propellerheads - during Finch's adventures in 3D printing.
- "Battleflag" by Lo Fidelity Allstars - during the break-in.
“RAM”
- "I Might Be Wrong" by Radiohead - End of episode.
“Most Likely To...”
- "Low" by Cracker - during the bowling scene
- "Fade into You" by Mazzy Star - During the ballroom dance scene.
“Death Benefit”
- "Para La Habana" by Johannes Linstead - During the scene with Root and Shaw in Miami.
- "Medicine" by Daughter - End of episode.
“Deus Ex Machina”
- "Exit Music (For a Film)" by Radiohead - End of episode.
Season 4
“Panopticon”
- "I'd Love To Change The World" by Jetta - End of episode.
“Nautilus”
- "Roads" by Portishead - During the scene with Claire Mahoney in the Octagon building.
“Wingman”
- "Whatta Man" by Salt-n-Pepa feat. En Vogue - When Lionel and Andre meet at the bar.
- "Too Marvelous for Words" by Frank Sinatra- When Lionel and the wingman walk into the bar.
“Brotherhood”
- "Gun" by Emiliana Torrini - End of episode.
“Prophets”
- "Young Men Dead" by The Black Angels - During the scene when Root and Martine Rousseau (Samaritan's operative) fight in the lobby.
“Honor Among Thieves”
- "Infinity" - The xx - When Shaw meets Tomas.
“Point of Origin”
- "Still Alive" - Will Hanson - The song playing in Romeo's bar.