Stranger Things has officially wrapped its fifth and final season. While spinoffs feel inevitable, the original series leaves behind a cultural legacy that extends well beyond Hawkins, Indiana. One of the most unexpected was how it pulled heavy music into the mainstream spotlight, welcoming a new generation of fans. While there are YouTube videos highlighting quotes and scenes throughout the series that honor heavy music, we listed the top three highlights of the music itself.
03) A slow burn toward heaviness…
While not all metal, Stranger Things consistently leaned into darker, edgier sounds from the ’80s, gradually guiding viewers toward heavier beats. Below is a season-by-season breakdown of notable tracks featured throughout the series. You can also check out the complete list here, and double check via the custom made Spotify playlists (Season 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1).
Season 01
Episode 01:
Jefferson Airplane, “She Has Funny Cars”
Jefferson Airplane, “’White Rabbit”
Toto, “Africa”
Episode 02:
Modern English, “’I Melt With You”
The Clash, “Should I Stay or Should I Go”
Episode 03:
Foreigner, “’Waiting for a Girl Like You”
Episode 04:
Joy Division, “Atmosphere”
The Deep, “Color Dreams”
Episode 05:
New Order, “Elegia”
Episode 06:
Corey Hart, “Sunglasses at Night”
Season 02
Episode 01:
Devo, “Whip It”
The Romantics, “Talking in Your Sleep”
Scorpions, “Rock You Like a Hurricane”
Episode 02:
Duran Duran, “Girls on Film’
Motley Crue, “Shout at the Devil”
Ted Nugent – “Wango Tango”
Episode 03:
Psychedelic Furs, “The Ghost in You”
Episode 04:
The Clash, “This Is Radio Clash”
Episode 05:
Hittman, “Metal Sport”
Episode 06:
Queen, “Hammer to Fall”
Ratt, “Round and Round”
Episode 07:
Bon Jovi, “Runaway”
The Runaways, “Dead End Justice”
Episode 08:
Metallica, “The Four Horsemen”
Episode 09:
Pat Benatar, “Love Is a Battlefield”
The Police, “Every Breath You Take”
Season 03
Episode 01:
Foreigner, “Hot Blooded”
Head On, “Nothing to Say”
Motley Crue, “Home Sweet Home”
The Cars, “Moving in Stereo”
The Who, Andy Macpherson & Jon Astley, “Baba O’Riley (Remix)”
Episode 02:
Foreigner, “Cold as Ice”
Weird Al Yankovic, “My Bologna”
Episode 03:
Wham!, “Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go”
Episode 05:
Loverboy, “Strike Zone”
Episode 07:
John Mellencamp, “R.O.C.K. in the U.S.A”
Season 04
Episode 01:
The Beach Boys, “California Dreamin'”
Kate Bush, “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)”
Journey, “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)”
The Cramps, “I Was a Teenage Werewolf”
Extreme, “Play With Me”
KISS, “Detroit Rock City”
Episode 02:
Dead or Alive, “You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)”
Falco, “Rock Me Amadeus”
Talking Heads, “Psycho Killer”
Episode 08:
Creedence Clearwater Revival, “Up Around the Bend”
Rick Derringer, “Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo”
Episode 09:
Metallica, “Master of Puppets”
Siouxsie and the Banshees, “Spellbound”
Season 05
Episode 01:
Psychedelic Furs, “Pretty in Pink”
Kate Bush, “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)”
Episode 02:
Kate Bush, “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)”
Episode 03:
Tiffany, “I Think We’re Alone Now”
Episode 04:
Kate Bush, “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)”
Episode 06:
Kate Bush, “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)”
Rob Simonsen / London City Orchestra, “Running Up That Hill (Instrumental)”
Episode 07:
Kate Bush, “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)”
Butthole Surfers, “Human Cannonball”
Episode 08:
Prince, “When Doves Cry”
Prince, “Purple Rain”
Fleetwood Mac, “Landslide”
Pixies, “Here Comes Your Man”
Iron Maiden, “The Trooper”
David Bowie, “Heroes”
Queen, “Who Wants to Live Forever”
02) Iron Maiden honored with “The Trooper”
Iron Maiden’s “The Trooper” (from 1983’s Piece of Mind) appearing in the Stranger Things series finale was nothing less than excellent. Used during the (spoiler alert) final graduation scene in Chapter Eight: The Rightside Up, the song soundtracked Dustin Henderson’s tribute to Eddie Munson and the Hellfire Club. As “The Trooper” blasts, Dustin reveals a HELLFIRE LIVES! shirt beneath his graduation gown. The choice echoes Eddie’s legacy and what Hellfire represents: embracing outsider identity, loyalty, and self-expression. Co-creator Ross Duffer explained via Tudum:
“A lot of it is honoring Eddie and what Hellfire had been. A lot of what Hellfire represents and a lot of what Dustin’s talking about is one of the major themes of the show, which is that this is a story about outsiders and outcasts. It’s about banding together and embracing your otherness to defeat the evils of this world.”
On January 1, 2026, Iron Maiden said the following:
“‘Stranger Things’ HAS happened… and Eddie got his moment!
Yet to see the finale? Stream now on @netflix
@strangerthingstv”
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01) Metallica’s Master of Puppets moment
While Eddie and Iron Maiden had the moment to officially close the series, or this era of the series, nothing tops the incredible season 4 finale featuring Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” and the astonishing ripple effect it caused ever since. The Season 4 finale scene featuring Eddie Munson shredding “Master of Puppets” in the Upside Down instantly became one of the most iconic moments in the series. The cultural impact hit hard, with the song’s stream surging immediately. The band embraced the moment by releasing a special lyric video and later integrating the imagery into their M72 touring cycle. New fans flooded Metallica shows. Combined with Fortnite and their new album, 72 Seasons, the overall exposure introduced Metallica to an entirely new generation.
