(SPOILER ALERT) Music has always played a huge role in the Netflix series Stranger Things, and the series finale was no exception.
In season 5, episode 8, which debuted on New Year’s Eve, two songs from Prince‘s Purple Rain – “When Doves Cry” and the title track – played a pivotal role in the culmination of the series’ final battle, in which a bomb destroys the Upside Down. Show creators Ross Duffer and Matt Duffer have shared their thought process behind using the tracks.
“Once we came up with the idea that the record was going to be the trigger for the bomb, we knew we needed an epic needle drop, and so many ideas were thrown around,” Ross tells Tudum. “I think there’s nothing really more epic than Prince.”
Ross says the two songs from the album “lined up perfectly for us,” noting the choice was right “because I think it summed up the emotion of the moment.”
But there was some fear they might not get the clearance to use the songs.
“What is also very exciting about it is it just has not been used,” Ross says. “[Prince’s] estate does not generally allow that song to be licensed outside the Purple Rain movie.”
Matt credits the renewed popularity of Kate Bush‘s “Running Up That Hill (Deal With God),” which returned to the charts after it was used on the show, with helping them acquire the rights.
“We were told that it was a real long shot, so we just crossed our fingers,” Matt says. “Thank God they agreed.”
Meanwhile, Variety reports that Spotify streams of the two Prince songs have skyrocketed since they were used in the show. “Purple Rain” has seen a 243% increase in global streams, and “When Doves Cry” has seen a 200% increase. Prince’s catalog has shot up 128% since the episode debuted.
Copyright © 2026, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.