At a Glance
- Stranger Things finale drives Prince’s 1984 hits to record Spotify streams
- Purple Rain climbs 243% globally; When Doves Cry up 200%
- Gen Z listeners see 577% and 128% boosts for the two songs
- Why it matters: The surge shows how a hit TV show can revive classic music for a new generation
The hit Netflix series Stranger Things has once again proven its influence on music charts. Its latest season finale featured Prince’s classic tracks, sending them into a streaming frenzy. The result: massive growth in Spotify plays, especially among Gen Z listeners.
Streaming Surge
Prince’s 1984 hits “Purple Rain” and “When Doves Cry” jumped 243% and 200% respectively on Spotify worldwide after the episode aired. Gen Z listeners experienced even larger increases-577% for Purple Rain and 128% for Doves Cry. Across Prince’s entire catalog, streams rose 190% overall, with an 88% lift in Gen Z traffic.
The Oscar-winning Purple Rain soundtrack, long hailed as one of the greatest albums, had never before been used in a TV show since Prince’s own film.
- Purple Rain (global): 243% increase
- When Doves Cry (global): 200% increase
- Purple Rain (Gen Z): 577% increase
- When Doves Cry (Gen Z): 128% increase
- Prince catalog (overall): 190% increase
- Prince catalog (Gen Z): 88% increase
Getting the Music Approved
Ross Duffer stated:
> “There’s nothing really more epic than Prince.”
Matt Duffer later credited the successful use of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” for opening the door to Prince’s estate.
Nora Felder explained that the request was a “real long shot” and that the brothers had approached her with a script and a specific plan for two songs from the same artist, one from an A or B side and the other from the alternate side.
Nora Felder stated:
> “It’d be a ‘real long shot’ to get approved.”
| Metric | Percent Increase |
|---|---|
| Purple Rain (global) | 243% |
| When Doves Cry (global) | 200% |
| Purple Rain (Gen Z) | 577% |
| When Doves Cry (Gen Z) | 128% |
| Prince catalog (overall) | 190% |
| Prince catalog (Gen Z) | 88% |
Nora Felder said:
> “I’ve been doing this for 20 years, but there’s still always a first.”
Nora Felder added:
> “This is just me imagining it in my head – and it’s got to play through this big, emotional, sad scene.”
Key Takeaways
- Prince’s classic tracks saw a record Spotify surge after Stranger Things.
- Gen Z listeners drove the largest percentage increases.
- The estate approval process took a “grueling” couple of weeks but paid off.
The episode’s musical choices prove that a well-timed TV moment can breathe new life into timeless songs.
