With the final episodes of Stranger Things Season 5 arriving on New Year’s Eve 2025, now’s the time to finalize those last-minute predictions! The two-hour finale needs to resolve many unanswered questions left after the last volume – everything from potential character deaths to whether Kali will turn against Eleven. All of this builds towards a massive showdown against Vecna, and the explanation of the Upside Down will be key to understanding it all.
A quick scene in Episode 7 (now on Netflix) has me anticipating a potentially iconic musical moment at the end of the series. This is based on a hint from the show’s creators, the Duffer Brothers, and Stranger Things‘ reputation for using music perfectly to enhance key scenes.
What The Duffer Brothers Said
Since its beginning, Stranger Things has become famous for using ’80s music in key, and often memorable, scenes. In fact, the show brought Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” back to the top of the charts in 2022, almost 37 years after it was first released. When Entertainment Weekly asked about a similar musical moment in Season 4, Matt Duffer explained:
I’m not sure how to even begin describing how exciting it was to secure a particular song for the show. I’m especially proud of it, and it’s featured in the finale. It’s a song that’s never been used in a TV show before. We were able to get the rights, likely thanks to the recent resurgence of Kate Bush’s music, when normally it wouldn’t have been possible. It’s a really special musical moment, but you’ll have to watch until the very last episode to hear it.
After Kate Bush’s resurgence in popularity thanks to Season 4, the creators, the Duffer brothers, managed to license a song that has never appeared in a television show before. This immediately sparked a lot of discussion about what the song might be. However, Matt Duffer clarified that the song hadn’t necessarily been unused entirely, as it could have been featured in a film previously. Ross Duffer later explained more about this upcoming musical moment to Entertainment Tonight.
There’s this huge moment in the show, and from the start, we knew a song would be central to it. But finding the right song was tough – we had a lot of specific things it needed to do. We really put everyone we knew – the whole cast and our friends – to the test, asking for suggestions. We got tons of lists! When we finally settled on the one we used, it just clicked. What made it even cooler was how rarely it’s been licensed – I don’t think it’s ever been used in a TV show before! It felt really special. Hopefully, audiences will love it as much as we do.
It’s impossible to ignore the impact of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” on Max’s story in Season 4, which suggests the Season 5 finale won’t be the first time a popular song – instead of traditional background music – highlights a crucial scene. Season 4 already did this with Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” during Eddie’s heroic moment, and the band even complimented Joseph Quinn’s performance playing the song.
The creators mentioned the song used in the show hasn’t been licensed for television before, and if they chose a song someone suggested, that person deserves major bragging rights! I’m happy to hear we won’t be hearing “Running Up That Hill” or “Should I Stay Or Should I Go” again, but it does mean my joke about Stranger Things potentially Rickrolling us with Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up”—like they did in Ted Lasso—probably won’t come true.
Now that Volume 2 included a couple of songs, I believe we’re getting a better idea of the story’s turning point.
A Possible Clue From Volume 2
Throughout Season 5, music has played a role since the start, as the heroes have been communicating through the WSQK radio station, hosted by Robin. However, a potential hint about the final song didn’t appear until the last twenty minutes of the second-to-last episode, when Mike mentioned that a record is crucial to their plan to close the gate to the Upside Down.
I’m not sure how Mike Wheeler, a high school student, suddenly knows how to build a bomb using things from the radio station. But his explanation to Robin hints at a potentially unforgettable musical moment in the finale.
- Mike: “Just imagine that this bike bell is the bomb’s remote trigger, so when this wire touches this warrior here, kaboom.”
- Robin: “Genius. One thing is, is I don’t know if we can blow up the Upside Down to the dulcet tones of the Butthole Surfers.”
- Mike: “I built the bomb, I should be able to pick the record.”
- Robin: “As far as ‘save the world’ soundtracks go, this one’s lacking.”
As a record player owner, I’m worried Mike’s plan is a bit risky – hoping a record will play perfectly when he’s carrying it to the Upside Down to use as a bomb timer! And honestly, while Robin didn’t like Butthole Surfers, Mike wasn’t thrilled with her suggestion of The Replacements either.
When I heard that snippet of Butthole Surfers’ “Human Cannonball” in the episode, my first thought was, ‘Oh, here we go – a big Upside Down battle is about to happen, and this will be its theme song, just like “Master of Puppets” last season!’ But then I started to wonder if the Duffer Brothers were actually trying to trick us and reveal their big musical moment before it even happened? It felt a little early to play the song, so I wasn’t sure if it was a genuine clue or a clever misdirect.
So, I don’t think the song will be one of the options Mike suggested by Butthole Surfers, or the one Robin proposed by The Replacements. Actually, I believe the episode didn’t give us any direct hints about which song it will be, but it did seem to confirm when the music will play and what kind of song to anticipate. I’m pretty sure it’ll happen when Mike detonates his bomb in the Upside Down, and it won’t be any of the songs we’ve already heard.
How Will It Rank Among Stranger Things’ Most Epic Music Moments?
Even before the final season, Stranger Things has featured many memorable musical moments, and fans could easily argue for hours about which ones are the very best. Last season’s use of Kate Bush and Metallica was particularly impactful, and a song from the fifth season recently gave Diana Ross a significant surge in popularity.
Okay, I’m going to be a little unfair and include a couple of moments from the show’s trailers. I think the music used in the previews for Seasons 2 and 3 was absolutely perfect. Here are my favorite musical highlights leading up to the finale:
- The Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go” – Season 1
- Pete Gabriel’s “Heroes” – Season 1 and Season 3
- Moby’s “When It’s Cold I’d Like To Die” – Season 1
- Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” – Season 2 Trailer
- The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” – Season 2
- The Who’s “Baba O’Riley” – Season 3 Trailer
- Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” – Season 4
- Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” – Season 4
- Journey’s “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) – Season 4
- Diana Ross’ “Upside Down” – Season 5
- Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Alone Now” – Season 5
I was already familiar with some of the songs featured in Stranger Things, and I’m wondering if the next song the Duffer Brothers use will be one I already know—like “Baba O’Riley” or “I Think We’re Alone Now”—or if it will be a song I discover and enjoy thanks to the show.
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2025-12-30 15:16