Stranger Thingspremiered on Netflix in 2016. Created by brothers Matt and Ross Duffer, it explores the supernatural happenings in the small town of Hawkins, Indiana, after Will Byers (Noah Schnapp) disappears. His friends meet Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown), a girl with superpowers who escaped from a lab, and from there, they take on various monsters and normal teenage things like relationships, with the most recent seasonfocusing on Vecna(Jamie Campbell Bower), who kills victims to open a gate between worlds. It has been a massive hit for Netflix since its premiere, with a cast of memorable characters and epic storylines, and its latest season quickly reached overone billion hours streamed. The 1980s-set series has had many memorable music moments. Here’s our ranking of the best music moments in season four.
9Will and Eleven’s Lives in California to “California Dreamin’” – The Beach Boys
This Beach Boys hit plays as we learn of how Will and Eleven are adjusting to their new lives in California. It’s much different from the music we typically hear on the show, and it works to emphasize just how different Will and Eleven’s lives are now. It’s upbeat, but still a little wistful, and shows them struggling to embrace the new while still hanging on to memories of Hawkins.
8The Byers House is Attacked to “Pass the Dutchie” – Musical Youth
This song plays as the Byers house is attacked by secret agents and Will, Jonathan (Charlie Heaton), and Mike (Finn Wolfhard) are waiting for the happy stoner Argyle (Eduardo Franco) to arrive. The carefree song, which Argyle dances along to in his van, provides a perfect contrast for all the shooting action going on inside. Even with all the tension of the scene, this song brings in some humor and makes Argyle even more lovable.
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7Steve Talks About the Future to “Fire and Rain” – James Taylor
“Fire and Rain,” a slow song by James Taylor, accompanies Steve (Joe Keery) telling Nancy (Natalia Dyer) about his dream for the future, where he is happily married with six kids. He also tells Nancy that she is part of it with him. Coming before the group’s attack on Vecna, with the future unknown, the song is a sweet, hopeful moment before all the danger. It also shows justhow much Steve has grownthrough the show, maturing from a popular high school kid to someone thinking about the future.
6The Basketball Game and the Campaign to “Detroit Rock City” – Kiss
Two important scenes in the show’s first episode overlap, with this Kiss song building to the climax in both. We have the Hawkins High championship basketball game, which becomes tenser when Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) is put in to play. We also have the Hellfire Club’s Dungeons and Dragons campaign. The two contrasting situations are united by the song, which perfectly underscores the tension and excitement.
Related:The 80s' Satanic Panic: The True Story Behind Stranger Things Season 4’s D&D Plot
5The Snow Ball Scene to “Every Breath You Take” – The Police
This song by The Police takes on a whole new meaning when Vecna uses it against Max (Sadie Sink). Trapped in her mind and lost in her memories of the Snow Ball as she tries to distract Vecna, the song becomes a weapon and chillingly hints at the upcoming danger, as Vecna is literally watching Max with every breath she takes. After having escaped him once before, it’s unclear if she’ll do it again, and this song is an unsettling reminder of how much danger she’s in.
4Exploring the Creel House to “Dream a Little Dream of Me” – Ella Fitzgerald
Like “Every Breath You Take,” this classic song also becomes chilling and unsettling. First played as we learn what happened in the Creel house, and then replayed several times, the song remains just as chilling, a reminder of Vecna’s evil origins. Its dreamy, ethereal quality is a perfect fit for Vecna’s backstory, and comes to signal him over the season.
3Everyone Prepares for Battle to “Separate Ways (Worlds Apart)” – Journey
In this moment, all the characters, despite remaining in three different locations, prepare to come together and do what they can in different ways – with the group in Hawkins on their way to the Creel House, Eleven preparing to use her powers from afar, and Hopper and Joyce preparing to destroy the Upside Down’s shadow particles before their escape from Russia. We get a great look at thecharacters we’ve come to love,unsure which of them will survive. It’s a poignant, emotional moment strengthened by the powerful song.
2Eddie’s Guitar Solo to “Master of Puppets” – Metallica
In need of a way to distract the Demobats in the Upside Down, Eddie climbs on the roof of his trailer with his guitar. After dedicating the song to Chrissy, Vecna’s first victim, he launches into the classic Metallica song. The solo was reallyplayed by actor Joseph Quinn, and is invigorating. The red sky and flashing lightning make this a visual masterpiece, and the song only adds to how powerful this scene is, as Eddie is able to help and be a hero after feeling useless for so long.
1Max Fleeing Vecna to “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” – Kate Bush
Max, who has been struggling all season after her stepbrother’s death, is poised to be Vecna’s next victim. As she prepares for her death, her friends scramble for a way to save her, playing her favorite song to free her from her own mind. The Kate Bush song hassoared to new popularity, and is absolutely perfect in the scene. Its epic, emotional lyrics represent Max’s struggle in her life, and her struggle to keep living and escape Vecna. The image of Max fleeing from Vecna to rejoin her friends and reclaim her life is one of the most powerful moments of the whole series. Hearing the song later in the series, when Eleven has arrived to help Max, once again serves as a reminder of the song’s importance and poignancy, and shows that it’s worthy of every bit of praise.
