We saw the impact of "Running Up That Hill" by Kate Bush after it appeared in season 4 of Stranger Things and now season 5 has some brand new needle drops that absolutely left us shocked. In fact, one of them even surprised the Duffer Brothers when they were able to surprisingly get it after it had never been used on TV before. And with the big finale meaning big swings and also big surprises. So which song were they talking about? And what other tracks played in the finale?
Here are all the tracks that played in the Stranger Things season 5 finale.
First things first: what is the special song that the Duffer Brothers said was never used before?
During the season 5 premiere of Stranger Things, the Duffer Brothers made a big reveal about one of the songs that would be used in the finale that left us all wondering what it could be.
"I don't even know how would one go about teasing a needle drop. This year, I will say, there is a song I'm particularly proud of. It's in the finale. It's never been on a TV show before. I think because of Kate Bush, we were able to get the rights," Matt Duffer revealed to Entertainment Weekly. "Under normal circumstances, they would not have allowed us to get those rights. So I think that's an epic needle drop, but you gotta wait all the way to the final episode."
It now has been revealed that is in fac "Purple Rain" by Prince. The song plays as El and Mike say goodbye to the each other in the finale. While we may never know El's exact fate, we do know that the Duffers revealed to Tudum, "[Prince’s] estate does not generally allow that song to be licensed outside the Purple Rain movie."
They said that due to Kate Bush, they were able to score the rights. The two singers previously collaborated together on two songs, so there's definitely a major connection between them.
What other songs were used in the Stranger Things finale?
There we some other key needle drop moments that happened as we said goodbye to Hawkins.
- "When Doves Cry" by Prince
- "Landslide" by Fleetwood Mac
- "The Trooper" by Iron Maiden
- "At Last" by Etta James
- "Here Comes Your Man" by the Pixies
- "Heroes" by David Bowie
According to the Duffers, it was Joe Keery who suggested the finale song that plays over the end credits. The Peter Gabriel cover was used in Season 1, Episode 3.
"It was actually Joe Keery who suggested that we do the Bowie version," Ross Duffer tells Tudum. "Once Joe said that, we immediately knew that was the right song to end the show on because it is, in some ways, an anthem for Stranger Things. To use the original Bowie version just felt fitting for the conclusion."
