Well “Stranger Things” has done it again! Metallica’s 1986 song “Master of Puppets” has hit No. 40 on the Billboard Hot 100. Since the July 1st premiere of the final 2 episodes of season 4, demand for “Master of Puppets” has skyrocketed. According to Luminate, daily on-demand audio streams have grown almost 400%. At least in comparison to the song’s June 2022 streaming totals.
The song is used during a pivotal scene where fan favorite Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) plays the tune on guitar to distract a belfry of hellbats in The Upside Down.
This is also not the first time the show has had this kind of impact on an older song. Some may remember in June, “Stranger Things” gave a huge boost to the 1985 Kate Bush song “Running Up That Hill (Deal With God).” Bush’s song is also played during a character-defining moment for Max Mayfield, played by Sadie Sink. Much like “Master of Puppets” defined Eddie’s character and solidified him with fans of the show.
Could there be a formula here? I mean who could have predicted a show would catapult 35 and 36-year-old songs back into relevance? Possibly “Stranger Things” music supervisor Nora Felder. “After the lightning bolt effect that happened with ‘Running Up That Hill,’ I did have an inkling this could resonate in a big way,” Felder told Billboard. “I knew Stranger Things fans would adore this new exciting character, Eddie Munson, and by default embrace his song.”
Felder believes this popularity is “a testament that amazing songwriters like Kate Bush” can transcend generational divides. “I always felt ‘Running Up That Hill’ felt timeless, and could have been released today,” she says. “So I strongly anticipated that it would chart again. However, with this massively overwhelming response that is still continuing as we speak, I remain completely gobsmacked that it has reached these unprecedented heights. This is truly an exciting moment in music history proving what I’ve always believed, that timeless music and songs can and should live on forever.”
Seasons 1-4 of “Stranger Things” are available to stream on Netflix now. No word on when the 5th (and final) season may hit. We’ll let you know what we hear about this and other news.
