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All the Music From the First Volume of ‘Stranger Things’ Season 5 to Add to Your ’80s Playlists
With the first four episodes of Season Five available to stream now, here's every hit to add to your nostalgia playlists
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When the first season of Stranger Things premiered on Netflix in July 2016, no one could have foreseen the cultural impact it would have on the incoming decade. In the nine years since its premiere, the franchise has become a juggernaut of science fiction and ’80s nostalgia, and is a cross-generational series that few modern TV shows have been able to match.
At the centre of the Stranger Things series is its soundtrack. From its famous synth score to the smash hits of the ’80s, music is as much a character as the cast of kids.
During Season 4, which premiered in 2022, Kate Bush’s 1985 track “Running Up That Hill” reached over one billion streams. It re-entered the charts four decades after its release due to its involvement in a central plot line, ultimately saving the character of Max (Sadie Sink). Music became a literal lifeline to the kids who were kidnapped by Vecna.
Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” from their 1986 album of the same name also charted in 2022 after character Eddie Munson played it to distract a horde of demonic bats — creating a hero out of the Hellfire Club leader. In response to its resurgence in popularity thanks to Stranger Things, Metallica released a lyric video for the song.
With this cultural impact in mind, the soundtrack of Season 5 (set in late 1987) is gaining more attention than ever.
In Season 5, Will, Eleven, Mike, Lucas, Dustin and co. are back to defeat Vecna once and for all. The first four episodes of Stranger Things Season 5, Volume One, dropped on Thursday, November 27th. Volume Two, which features episodes five to seven, will premiere on Friday, December 26th, at 12 pm AEDT, and the two-hour Volume Three finale will drop on January 1st, 2026, at 12pm AEDT.
While we patiently wait for the rest of the series to drop, here’s your cheat sheet to the music heard during the first four episodes. And be warned: there may be spoilers ahead.
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Episode One
“Rockin’ Robin” Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson’s 1972 cover of “Rockin’ Robin” is played early on in episode one of Season 5. The fast-talking character of Robin has gained a new radio gig and is informing the locked-down people of Hawkins (and the audience) all of the happenings since we last saw them. Musically, it creates a moment of lightness despite Robin’s updates being anything but.
“Pretty in Pink” Psychedelic Furs
Nostalgia is a driving force for Stranger Things, and what says ’80s nostalgia more than a track that gave a John Hughes movie its name? Stranger Things’ ’80s film references are infamous, and hearing this song crackle over a car radio plants the audience firmly into the ’80s-teenage-drama genre.
“Upside Down” Diana Ross
This disco-funk classic plays a major part in the plot of episode one. Radio host Rockin Robin plays the song whilst sharing facts about Diana Ross over the top. To the average Hawkins citizen, it sounds like a moment of pop music trivia — but to the Stranger Things gang, Robin’s facts are actually coordinates for an important meeting. Considering its name, it’s surprising “Upside Down” hadn’t been featured in series past.
Episode Two
“Fernando” ABBA
Somehow, the creators of Stranger Things have turned one of ABBA’s most heart-warming hits into a horror-movie soundtrack. The 1976 song can be heard in the background as Vecna attacks once again.
“Mr. Sandman” The Chordettes
The 1954 barbershop quartet song, “Mr Sandman” by The Chordettes, ends episode two. We first hear it as Henry Creel shuts the door to his big house — with a kidnapped character inside. The juxtaposition of a sunny ’50s song with a monster kidnapping makes you want to click ‘Next Episode’ before the track plays out.
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Episode Three
“To Each His Own” Freddy Martin & His Orchestra
This 1946 song is older than the usual Stranger Things soundtrack. But its inclusion in episode three signals a shift for the audience into the haunting memories of Vecna.
“I Think We’re Alone Now” Tiffany
Gifted to Holly by Mr. Whatsit, Tiffany’s 1987 cover of “I Think We’re Alone Now″ (originally recorded by Tommy James and the Shondells) plays a major role in Stranger Things Season 5. One of the biggest pop hits of the ’80s, this song may just be Holly’s “Running Up That Hill” moment.
“Oh Yeah” Yello
“Oh Yeah” was popularised in the ’80s thanks to the John Hughes movie “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” — the film is referenced in Stranger Things not just via the famous song, but by using it when Steve is insisting Dustin not to touch his expensive red car. Sound familiar?
Episode Four
“Sh-Boom” The Chords
Another ’50s doo-wop track, “Sh-Boom” is heard in a mysterious memory that Max encounters in the Upside Down, giving audiences a big clue into the history of Hawkins (and their parents).
“Running Up That Hill” Kate Bush
Of course, “Running Up That Hill” (the unofficial Stranger Things theme song) has returned for the fifth and final season. The song is played throughout the series, including when Lucas sits beside Max’s hospital bed, waiting for her to finally wake up from Vecna’s curse.
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