A song from The Cramps was also used in the film as Phillips, at the age of 14, had used to watch the band's punk show for the first time, that changed his life and "It informed everything afterwards for me musically".
Phillips also asked Ed Helms to create a piano ballad for the tiger song, despite not being featured in the script as Helms was a piano player and used to play covers of Elton John songs during the schedule breaks, which insisted him to do one for the film.
[3][5] "In the Air Tonight" was almost did not make the final cut, as Warner Bros. executives felt that it was beyond the music budget and he had to convince them to license the song, which he felt that the song would be similar to what Metallica's "Master of Puppets" for Old School (2003) did, adding "They are moments that define a spirit of a movie.
[6][7] The film uses the Kanye West song "Can't Tell Me Nothing" for which Zach Galifianakis made an alternative music video.
The film's incidental music is scored by Christophe Beck, who previously collaborated with Phillips on School for Scoundrels (2006).
While showcasing the darker side of Las Vegas in contrast to the colorful landscape and environment, Beck wanted the music to travel the same.
Hence, he created a small ensemble score, with rhythm section, drums and bass guitars.
[13]A separate album entirely containing Beck's score was released by Varèse Sarabande along with the music from the second and third instalments on May 21, 2013.