Prince and "Stranger Things": The Musical Hit That Conquered the Zoomers

The final episode of the cult series “Stranger Things” was released on Netflix on New Year’s Eve, becoming one of the most anticipated events for subscribers of the streaming service. Needle Drops, featuring legends from Kate Bush and Metallica to Prince, attracted a new audience to the show. A particularly high-profile success was the voiceover of Prince's songs ("When Doves Cry" and "Purple Rain"), which not only completed the emotional denouement of the episode, but also led to a sharp jump in the popularity of the musician on Spotify. In particular, Purple Rain won the hearts of buzzers, increasing in auditions by 577%. Music supervisor Nora Felder said Prince's choice was dictated not only by the show's aesthetics, but also by the technical challenge of finding a record where one side fits perfectly into the structure of the stage. Felder considered a variety of options, including Led Zeppelin and Pink Floyd, but neither "The Wall" nor "Stairway to Heaven" met the requirements. The key to success was Prince, whose negotiations were facilitated by the popularity of Kate Bush, whose "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)" also gained a new wave of fans thanks to the series.