“This is music,” asserted Joseph Quinn’s metalhead character Eddie Munson in Netflix’s Stranger Things Season 4 when Maya Hawke’s Robin dismissed a stack of CDs featuring legends like Bowie and Beatles — this scene was Duffer Brothers’ nod to the importance of music, in life and on the show.

Since its debut in 2016, Stranger Things has paid tributes to the 1980s — not just through its retro visuals, walkie-talkies, fashion, and pop culture references but also with the power of music from the past.

Cut to 2025, the latest teaser of upcoming Season 5, dropped on Wednesday, featured the bombastic riff and the high-pitched wailing from Deep Purple’s 1970s number Child in Time, promising yet another classic rock addition to the show’s soundtrack.

As the new addition to Stranger Things music draws the attention of Gen Z fans, we take a look at some of the most iconic retro songs the show has revived over the years.

Metallica – Master of Puppets

Season 4, Episode 9: “The Piggyback”

When Eddie Munson shredded Master of Puppets in the Upside Down, it was the most memorable metal moment in the series.

Originally released in 1986, Metallica’s thrash metal anthem belongs to their third album of the same name, which was so influential that it was later preserved in the US Library of Congress.

In Season 4 finale, Eddie’s badass act of distracting the Demobats in the Upside Down emerged as a fan-favourite moment for Millennials and Gen Z, making the track climb back up the charts decades after its release.

Kate Bush – Running Up That Hill

Season 4, Episode 4: “Dear Billy”

If Master of Puppets brought us raw energy, Kate Bush’s 1985 classic Running Up That Hill evoked pure emotion. The Kate Bush classic was the beating heart of Season 4. It played during a powerful scene where Max (Sadie Sink) escapes the clutches of Vecna by tapping into the soul of the song.

The synth-heavy track with elements of art-pop explores the idea of swapping places with someone to truly understand their point of view — a perfect metaphor depicting Max’s trauma of living with her abusive stepbrother Billy and later, the guilt and grief she feels after his death.

The song was so impactful that Kate Bush herself credited the show for sparking a new wave of interest in her music among newer audiences.

Peter Gabriel – Heroes (2010 Cover)

Season 1, Episode 3: “Holly, Jolly”

David Bowie originally wrote the song Heroes during his stay in Berlin, and it was later covered by Peter Gabriel in 2010. Although Stranger Things is set in the 1980s, the show uses Gabriel’s modern rendition of the song, which tells the story of two lovers separated by the Berlin Wall.

Gabriel’s haunting orchestral cover, with slowed-down vocals, amplifies the song’s sad undertones. It is heard twice in the series during emotionally-charged moments — when the group finds what they believe is Will’s body in Season 1, and when Eleven finishes reading Hopper’s letter and Joyce closes the door on the empty Byers house.

Toto – Africa

Season 1, Episode 1: “The Vanishing of Will Byers”

Perfectly setting the tone for the show’s nostalgia-infused world, Toto’s Africa plays in the pilot episode during a make-out scene between Nancy and Steve. However, the yacht rock anthem, which went on to become a chart-topper and a pop culture staple, never made it to the group’s album as band members dismissed it as “goofy”.

The Police – Every Breath You Take

Season 2, Episode 9: “The Gate”

Often considered as a romantic ballad, Sting’s Every Breath You Take is actually a song about a man obsessively stalking his lover. In Stranger Things, the track takes on a different meaning. As the scene shifts from Hawkins and the camera glides into the shadowy world of the Upside Down, it plays in the background, turning the already eerie song into something more sinister.

The NeverEnding Story (Cover)

Season 3, Episode 8: “The Battle of Starcourt”

Gaten Matarazzo and Gabriella Pizzolo’s duet of The NeverEnding Story was a delight to watch as their characters paired Broadway flair with comic timing.

In Season 3, Dustin reconnects with his long-distance girlfriend Suzie over the radio and the duo break into an unexpected duet of the 1984 Limahl classic.

This lighthearted moment unfolds while Dustin, Steve, Robin, and Erica are trying to crack a Russian code to close the gate to the Upside Down along with Hopper and Joyce.

Following the season's release, interest in The NeverEnding Story surged, with viewership of the original music video increasing by 800 per cent within a few days.

Madonna – Material Girl

Season 3, Episode 2: “The Mall Rats”

Madonna’s iconic 1980s anthem of materialism got a revival in Stranger Things Season 3 as the Hawkins gang ditched their walkie-talkies and basement D&D playdates for shopping bags and food courts. It perfectly encapsulates the decade’s consumerist culture and the playful, carefree vibe of teenagers.

Played during a lively montage of one of their mall outings, Material Girl sets the tone for a new chapter in their lives — one where love brews, and friendships grow and break.

Special Mentions

The Clash’s Should I Stay or Should I Go became an anthem of survival for Will Byers while he was stuck in the Upside Down.

A handful of other tracks offered a hearty exploration of nostalgia. Don McLean’s American Pie, an ode to a bygone America, was twisted into something sinister during the dinner scene in Season 3.

While Ray Parker Jr’s Ghostbusters is a callback to childhood and the ‘80s, REO Speedwagon’s Can’t Fight This Feeling complements a coming-of-age moment when Hopper walked in on Eleven and Mike in the same room.