After nearly a three-year hiatus, Stranger Things is back with its blend of pulpy sci-fi and nostalgic needle drops. The Netflix hit’s teen heroes are no longer just playing Dungeons & Dragons and riding their bicycles through the forest as the Lovecraftian terror of ‘Vecna’ still looms large.
But no matter how high the stakes are, music continues to be a major motif in the series whether it’s Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up The Hill’ still returning from season 4 or Robin (Maya Hawke) playing some foot-tapping numbers on her ‘Rockin’ Robin’ radio show. Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein are also back as series composers with their synth-heavy theme and dark, atmospheric score.
The Upside Down is a nightmarish dimension for to walk into but, at least, there’s a classic ’80s playlist worthy of playing on your Walkman.
Is Stranger Things finally over?
Netflix is going all out for celebrating the final season till the end of this year. The first four episodes constitute Volume 1 while three more episodes drop on Christmas Day, followed by a feature-length finale on New Year’s Eve. So, if you’re one of those binge-watchers who plan to remain cooped up in the holidays, pay a visit to the town of Hawkins one last time.
What’s on the Stranger Things season 5 soundtrack?
Episode 1
Rockin’ Robin (cover) – Michael Jackson
Upside Down - Diana Ross
Pretty in Pink – Psychedelic Furs
Running Up That Hill – Kate Bush
Episode 2
Fernando - ABBA
Running Up That Hill – Kate Bush
Mr Sandman – The Chordettes
Episode 3
To Each His Own – Freddy Martin & His Orchestra
I Think We’re Alone Now – Tiffany
Oh Yeah - Yello
Episode 4
Premature Plans – Elmer Bernstein
Running Up That Hill – Kate Bush
Sh-Boom – The Chords
The first episode’s songs are filled with fairly obvious Easter eggs, such as Michael Jackson’s cover of ‘Rockin’ Robin’ (originally by Tom Day) providing the namesake for Robin’s ragtag radio station. Then there’s the foot-tapping Diana Ross dance number ‘Upside Down’ which provides a rather merry contrast to the Upside Down in the series, a decaying mirror reality of our world.
Talking about dark dimensions, angsty teen Max is still comatose with her consciousness trapped inside Vecna’s mindscape. As she could often escape the villainous entity with the power of her favourite song ‘Running Up That Hill’, Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin) still hopes for Max to come back to life by playing that Kate Bush art-pop hit over and over across multiple episodes.
However, not every song on the soundtrack is from the Spielbergian decade Stranger Things is set in. There’s the Chordettes’ 1954 scat classic ‘Mr. Sandman’ closing episode 2 while ABBA’s 70s bop ‘Fernando’ plays during an unexpected Demogorgon attack.
Who stars in Stranger Things Season 5?
Much of the main cast returns with the ensemble fronted by Winona Ryder (Joyce), David Harbour (Jim Hopper), Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven), Finn Wolfhard (Mike), Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin), Caleb McLaughlin (Lucas), Noah Schnapp (Will), Natalia Dyer (Nancy), Charlie Heaton (Jonathan), Joe Keery (Steve) and Maya Hawke (Robin).
Jamie Campbell Bower returns as the series villain Vecna (and his human form Henry Creel) while new additions include Terminator star Linda Hamilton as military scientist Dr Kay, while Evil Dead Rise child actor Nell Fisher plays Mike’s younger sister Nancy
Where can I watch Stranger Things season 5?
The first volume of season 5 is available to stream on Netflix with the second volume premiering on Christmas Day and the series finale arriving on New Year’s eve.