The most topical news in pop culture at the moment is the series finale of Stranger Things. The most common public opinion is that it was a major flop filled with plot holes, cringey dialogue, and generally, insufficient storytelling that didn’t wrap up this epic series with a bow. We don’t agree or disagree with those takes, but one element that the finale did do right was the music. So, you might not have liked how Stranger Things wrapped, but we believe these three songs from the finale were a silver lining. Also, don’t worry, no spoilers.
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“Purple Rain” by Prince
While Stranger Things certainly came up short in a lot of areas, one area in which it never failed is feeding the masses 1980s nostalgia. Well, in the series finale, the piece of music that solidifies this fact, at least to us, is the use of Prince‘s 1984 single, “Purple Rain”.
Again, no spoilers, so we aren’t going to tell you where, when, and why this song turns on. So, if you haven’t watched the show or the season, just know that this song is waiting for you in the finale. Even if you didn’t like the season finale, you have to respect the talent of Prince; hence, this is one of the episode’s silver linings.
“Landslide” by Fleetwood Mac
In film and TV, a cheat code for getting an audience to tear up is either seeing a pet pass away on screen or hearing Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide”. Well, the Duffer brothers utilized this cheat code seemingly for this exact desired effect. Now, it may or may not have worked on you, but regardless, we can all likely agree on the fact that this is a classic that never gets old.
Released in 1975, this single has been gracing silver screens and television sets for decades. Some notable works featuring the iconic classic include Jersey Girl, This Is Us, Jack Frost, and several others.
“Heroes” by David Bowie
If you have an artistic sensibility and are familiar with David Bowie‘s 1977 classic “Heroes”, then you can likely guess where this song appears in the final episode. Ever since its release, Bowie’s “Heroes” has been an epic anthem, and as a result, has been featured in 21st-century films and TV shows such as The Perks of Being A Wallflower, Jojo Rabbit, and The Regular Show.
The most memorable moment in the final episode of Stranger Things is arguably the moment this song comes on. Now, does that have to do with the song or the scene? That is up to you, but to us, this song certainly helped etch the scene into our minds.
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