Ending an Era in Purple Rain: How Stranger Things Chose Its Final Song.
We started the new year by saying goodbye to an era. The Netflix phenomenon, Stranger Things, released the final episode of the show on New Year’s Day, and it’s left everyone speechless. But throughout the times of the staggered release dates, there’ve been certain things everyone’s been guessing and waiting for, and one of them was the final song.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, the Duffer brothers stated, “There is a song I’m particularly proud of; it’s in the finale. It’s never been on a TV show before.” This then shot across the media, with fans on platforms such as Reddit guessing the final song and explaining their thoughts. Many guesses from Queen, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin and Prince. So therefore, some people’s guesses were right. The Duffer brothers managed to secure not only one but two Prince songs for the emotional last moments of the Upside Down and a main character.
As soon as the Duffer brothers envisioned the climactic moment, which was going to be a bomb to end the upside down triggered by an iconic record, they knew exactly what it demanded. Ross Duffer tells Tudum “Once we came up with the idea that the record was going to be the trigger for the bomb, we knew we needed an epic needle drop … I think there’s nothing really more epic than Prince.” The moment needed a record that had an upbeat song for the triumph of escaping the upside down but then a song that quickly turns sombre for the great ending scene, which perfectly fits ‘Purple Rain’.
The Duffer Brothers state how they have “never talked about a song choice as much as we did for that moment.” What made it such an exciting achievement for the brothers and the show was the fact that Prince’s estate does not generally license that song outside the 1984 Purple Rain movie.
When the brothers sent their request for the songs, they were told it was a long shot. “We were told that it was a really long shot, so we just crossed our fingers. Thank God they agreed.’ Matt Duffert states to Tudum. The brothers openly give their thanks to Kate Bush in many interviews: “And then, thanks to Kate Bush, we were able to acquire the rights.” Kate Bush has a significant impact on the music industry and the show. When her 1985 classic ‘Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)’ appeared in season 4, it had a cultural impact. In 2022, nearly four decades after its release, it reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on the Billboard Global 200. When approaching the request for the Prince songs, they came with proof that the show could elevate the artist and the song. This is seen to be true, as Purple Rain has seen a 243% increase in global streams after the Stranger Things finale.
Written by Isabelle Haughton.
