US EditionHow Stranger Things Pulled Off the Impossible: Securing Two Prince Songs for Its Epic Series Finale
Prince’s songs saw up to a 577% increase in Spotify streams among Gen Z after debuting in pivotal scenes of the Stranger Things finale, Variety reported.
- On Jan. 1, the Stranger Things finale placed two Prince songs after creators Matt and Ross Duffer secured the rights, prompting a Spotify streaming surge.
- Prince's estate typically resists TV licensing, so the Duffer brothers called the request a long shot, with Matt Duffer saying 'Thank God they agreed' and crediting Kate Bush for opening doors.
- In the finale's climactic sequence, Purple Rain accompanies Eleven as she appears to sacrifice herself, with Side Two of Purple Rain, opening with When Doves Cry, used during the explosives trigger.
- Spotify data show Purple Rain's global streams rose 243% with a 577% Gen Z surge, When Doves Cry increased 200% globally and 128% among Gen Z, while Prince's catalog climbed 190% with an 88% Gen Z rise.
- Looking at Season 5 broadly, other needle drops like Diana Ross's Upside Down saw a 510% increase, with the Prince placement helping cement the episode's impact.
12 Articles
12 Articles
'Stranger Things' Finale Boosts Spotify Streams of Prince's 'Purple Rain' and 'When Doves Cry'
As “Stranger Things” closed out its five-season run with its grand finale, the two-hour conclusion boosted Spotify streams of Prince’s catalog, namely “Purple Rain” and “When Doves Cry,” as fans relived the show’s magic. “Purple Rain,” which was featured in the finale as Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) bid farewell to Mike (Finn Wolfhard) before her sacrifice, saw a whopping 243% increase in global streams, according to Spotify data from the finale …
Prince’s ‘When Doves Cry’ and ‘Purple Rain’ Spotify Streams More Than Double in ‘Stranger Things’ Series Finale Surge
Prince is seeing a significant Spotify streaming boost in his catalog thanks to key syncs in the series finale of “Stranger Things.” Since the episode debuted on New Year’s Eve, “Purple Rain” has seen a 243 percent increase in Spotify global streams and a 577 percent surge in global Gen-Z streams specifically, Variety can exclusively […]
Here’s How ‘Stranger Things’ Scored Two of Prince’s Biggest Hits For Thrilling Series Finale: ‘We Were Told That It Was a Real Long Shot’
How 'Stranger Things' scored two massive Prince hits ('Purple Rain,' 'When Doves Cry') for series finale after being told it was a 'long shot.
How did 'Stranger Things' secure Prince songs for finale? Duffers explain 'challenging' process
Matt and Ross Duffer tell EW about the "challenging" process of securing rights to "Purple Rain" and "When Doves Cry" from Prince's estate.Netflix; Warner Bros. / courtesy Everett Millie Bobby Brown in 'Stranger Things' season 5 finale; Prince in 'Purple Rain'Key PointsMatt and Ross Duffer explain the "challenging" process of securing 2 Prince songs for the Stranger Things finale.The pair credited the success of Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hil…
'Purple Rain' album plays pivotal role in 'Stranger Things' finale
MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota music ended up being part of the “Stranger Things” goodbye. But it wasn’t from the artists many had predicted. Speculation had been running wild online that the Replacements, the iconic Minneapolis group, might be ...
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