Stranger Things introduced another retro track to Gen Z

The teaser for Stranger Things season finale has been in the news - not just for taking us back to 1980s Hawkins and the lovable monster slayers, but also reintroducing a new generation to another cult classic - Deep Purple’s . The show has been instrumental in reviving that 80s’ nostalgia and interest in pop culture elements. From cassette players to pizza trucks, baggy pants to walkmans. And music has been instrumental in this narrative, turning legendary tracks into chart-toppers for Gen Z. Here’s how. In Season 5, Kate Bush’s 1985 hit , was the leitmotif for the show when key character- Max- turned it on to escape their arc nemesis Vecna. The song became a streaming juggernaut and viral sensation. called it “a song so transcendent it could make even an agnostic believe that Kate Bush actually struck a deal with the Lord to create it”. The show introduced Bush to a whole new generation.Standout character Eddie Munson’s rooftop performance of Metallica’s Master of Puppets (1986) in Season 4 reignited its popularity, with streams surging 650.3% in six days according to Variety. Metallica told , “We were blown away by how used ‘’”. Gram duets and fan tributes cemented the track’s revival among younger fans, turning it into a heavy-metal anthem for the digital age.The Season 5 teaser features Deep Purple’s Child in Time (1970), remixed with strings and synths. Variety calls it a “bombastic riff, buttressed by a symphonic arrangement and high-pitched, operatic wailing”. Louder adds, “.. a song so gargantuan that one wonders why it hasn’t been used for this sort of thing before.”Child in Time draws from by a band called It’s a Beautiful Day. Variety notes its “soft opening (inspired by the song) that builds dramatically”. Jon Lord, Deep Purple's organist, initially played the introduction from "Bombay Calling" during rehearsals, which the band then developed into . Ian Gillan then wrote lyrics about the Cold War to fit the music. ‘Bombay Calling’ is the name of the live album from Deep Purple's 1995 concert in Mumbai.