Any news regarding Stranger Things has consumed the summer of 2022. The fourth season of the explosively popular Netflix horror series aired in two volumes, with the second volume releasing most recently on July 1st. Though the second volume only contains a couple of episodes, fans were thrilled to discover that their run times total roughly four hours.
While Stranger Things is first and foremost a series about horror, the show heavily focuses on the period it is in. Set in the 1980s, Stranger Things never wastes an opportunity to recreate the nostalgic era. One of the show's most effective methods of setting the '80s mood is utilizing the music of the decade.
"Chapter One: The Hellfire Club"
The premiere episode of Stranger Things 4 wastes no time throwing audiences back into the whirlwind of teenage life and 80s music. While there are plenty of great songs featured in this episode, from the Beach Boys' "California Dreamin'" to Kiss' "Detroit Rock City," there is one subtle piece from the '80s that arguably fits the best.
"I Was a Teenage Werewolf" by The Cramps (1980) plays when Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) makes his first appearance. He's making fun of a magazine article claiming Dungeons & Dragons is a satanical game. The song plays quietly in the background, and its title fits the scene perfectly. Werewolves are mythological, like D&D, and are generally considered pariahs of society, just like those who play the game. A song about an outcast plays during the introduction of an outcast, making "I Was a Teenage Werewolf" one of the best musical picks of the episode.
"Chapter Two: Vecna's Curse"
Most songs from the second episode are played at the roller rink. "You Spin Me Round" (Dead or Alive), "Rock Me Amadeus" (Falco), and Tarzan Boy" (Baltimora) are all used when the teens of Lenora congregate on the rink. However, one of the songs not featured during the skating scenes is the best of the episode.
Though not strictly an '80s song, "Psycho Killer" by Talking Heads (1977) fits so well into its scene that it can't be ignored. The song plays while Jason (Mason Dye) convinces himself that hunting down Eddie Munson is the best form of retribution for Chrissy's (Grace Van Dien) death. The song serves as a clever double entendre, as Jason starts his "psycho killer" journey by chasing after the alleged "psycho killer" Eddie.
"Chapter Three: The Monster and the Superhero"
Episode three of Stranger Things 4 is the turning point of the story. The light-heartedness of teenage antics and high school drama gives way to jail time, a spy mission, and a murder mystery.
With the shift in tone and rising stakes, it's easy to see why this episode lacks the upbeat '80s music heard in "Vecna's Curse" and "The Hellfire Club." But the original compositions from the show make up for this loss, adding tension and suspense that help set the stage for the future episodes to come.
"Chapter Four: Dear Billy"
Claiming the top spot on iTunes, "Running Up That Hill" by Kate Bush (1985) has skyrocketed in popularity since May 27th, 2022. Even those who have no interest in Stranger Things whatsoever have heard about it. Bush's "Running Up That Hill" is featured quite a lot in season 4, but it is in the fourth episode where the song has the biggest impact.
When Max (Sadie Sink) is next up on Vecna's (Jamie Campbell Bower) murder list, she finds herself trapped in a horrifying mind-scape. Her friends find her favorite song (the only cure to Vecna's curse), and Max makes a narrow escape from the villain while Kate Bush accompanies her race to freedom. The ballad describes the challenges of relationships but is recontextualized in Stranger Things. It becomes a song depicting Max's struggle to cope with her grief and guilt and ends with her ultimately choosing to fight to live.
"Chapter Five: The Nina Project"
The fifth episode highlights Eleven (Millie Bobbie Brown) on her journey to regain her powers and confront her past demons. While the gang in California search desperately for El, the Hawkins group starts to close in on Vecna's trail.
With the fifth episode's songs coming only from very short clips, it's difficult to pick one song as being the best. That being said, there were still a lot of great snippets. "Running Up That Hill" played once more, and part of the WarGames official soundtrack played right after the movie itself was referenced. Will's (Noah Schnapp) gave a brief a cappella of "Never Ending Story" when he talks about Suzie (Gabriella Pizzolo), and a bit of the "Nina" opera, which is the inspiration behind the episode's title project, accompanies Eleven's trip down memory lane.
"Chapter Six: The Dive"
During the lighter side of this tension-filled episode, the California gang is at Suzie's house, seeking aid in the search for Eleven. Argyle gets side-tracked when he meets Eden (Audrey Holcomb), and the two leave the scene in favor of the back of Argyle's pizza van.
Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Johnathan (Charlie Heaton), and Will find Argyle and Eden surrounded by smoke, with the song "Pass the Dutchie" by Musical Youth playing. The song, used previously in the third episode, is a subtle yet hilarious nod to Argyle's (and now Eden's) use of his favorite Purple Palm Tree Delight.
"Chapter Seven: The Massacre at Hawkins Lab"
The seventh episode is the final part of Season Four, Vol. 1. The action-packed, horror-filled installment connects all the separate elements of the season, giving audiences some answers to questions they've had all season and revealing the origins of the villain, Vecna.
The best song from this episode is "Prophecies" by Philip Glass. The composition is haunting and expertly chosen to accompany Henry (soon to be Vecna) as he explains his past and plans to a young Eleven. Henry's monologue and Glass' music combine to create the most formidable villain Stranger Things has seen so far.
"Chapter Eight: Papa"
After a tense month-long wait, audiences see Stranger Things return to Netflix with an epic conclusion on the way. Though the first episode of Vol. 1 holds the record for most songs used this season, the last two installments of Stranger Things 4 make sure to give fans songs worthy of battle.
The remixed "Separate Ways (World's Apart)" by Journey (1983) was first used in a trailer for Season Four, and it makes its second appearance at the end of this episode. The song begins with the Hawkins group members looking solemn as they prepare for battle in episode eight. The music builds as Max, Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin), and Erica (Priah Ferguson) leave the group and venture inside the house. The piece reaches a dramatic conclusion, leaving audiences anticipating the coming finale. Aside from the song acting as a symbol for the epic finale on the way, it also reminds audiences that this group is being divided by this evil.
"Chapter Nine: The Piggyback"
The whopping two-hour and twenty-two-minute finale showcasing drama, tears, and (of course) the best music was more than fans could have hoped for. Though the altered rendition of Bush's "Running Up That Hill" (paired with the Stranger Things theme song) is quite possibly one of the best musical pieces featured on the show, there is one composition in this episode that takes the cake of best '80s song; "Master of Puppets," by Metallica (1986).
A plan to lure Vecna's demobat army away from his friends results in the fan-favorite scene where Eddie shreds "Master of Puppets" on his electric guitar. The song serves as a wonderful dual metaphor; Eddie is the puppet master of Vecna's forces when he lures them away, while Vecna is the puppet master of Max when he traps her in her mind. Eddie's concert gives the soon-to-be hero a chance to live out an epic rockstar fantasy during the harrowing season finale.