Music from the new season of Stranger Things

In America they call it “Needle drop”, it is the way in which the use and choice of a song within a series or film is defined, as if it were played with the needle coming down on the turntable. It must be said that this is a relatively recent and very journalistic term, rare among professionals and those involved in synchronization (i.e. the professionals who physically manage the agreements and licenses for the use of songs).
Call it what you want, but the “needle drops” of the new season of “Stranger Things” are probably the most anticipated of recent years. Both for the vast following that the Netflix series has, which has used classics such as the Clash since the first season; both because it is the last one, the one that will conclude the story; both because a “needle drop” from the previous season – “Running up that hill” by Kate Bushin one of the most important scenes – had become a case, bringing the English singer back into the charts after over 30 years.
It’s not a new phenomenon, that of success triggered by a song in a TV series, and in these parts we’ve been talking about it for a long time. But that case of Kate Bush set a precedent: eyes and ears were focused on the first episodes of the fifth season, released yesterday – at the same time as American Thanksgiving.

And yes, expect returns, as well as surprises. If you don’t want spoilers, we put the list below – in the meantime here we put the only song already known: the song acts as the soundtrack to the images of the trailer “Who wants to live forever” of the Queen. Song that has a very important audiovisual history: it was part of “A kind of magic” released in June 1986 and with other songs from the album it was part of the soundtrack of the film starring Christopher Lambert And Sean Connery ‘Highlander – The Last Immortal’.

Songs from the new episodes of Stranger Things

(if you don’t want spoilers, don’t go any further)

In this part we will not report spoilers on the plot, but only the list of songs inserted, episode by episode, which were released by Netflix itself on its website. And yes, there is still Kate Bush and her “Running up that hill”, which seems to have become a leitmotif of the series – this is also a recurring mechanism in the use of songs in the series, ever since “Hallelujah” became the symbolic song of one of the most beloved series of the noughties, “The OC”, appearing several times in key scenes, and reinforced by many other titles – above all “Peaky blinders” which used “Red right hand” to build the character of Tommy Shelby, commissioning several covers in addition to the historical version by Nick Cave.
Anyway, here are the songs from the first 4 episodes – “Volume 2” will be released on December 26 (episodes 5-7) and the finale on January 1, 2026. All episodes will be released at 2 am ET.

Episode 1

“Rockin’ Robin” – Michael Jackson
“Pretty in Pink” – Psychedelic Furs
“Upside Down” – Diana Ross
“Running Up That Hill” – Kate Bush

Episode 2

“Fernando” – ABBA
“Running Up That Hill” – Kate Bush
“Mr. Sandman” – The Chordettes

Episode 3

“To Each His Own” – Freddy Martin & His Orchestra
“I Think We’re Alone Now” – Tiffany
“Oh Yeah” – Yello

Episode 4

“Premature Plans” – Elmer Bernstein
“Sh-Boom” – The Chords
“Running Up That Hill” – Kate Bush