Stranger Things has a gift for picking the perfect song at the perfect moment, turning already emotional scenes into something you never forget. Whether it’s a heart-pounding chase or a tearful goodbye, the music does as much work as the actors.
Rewatching the show often hits even harder because you already know what’s coming when those first notes play. Here are 18 songs from the series that leave the biggest mark every single time you watch them.
1. Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) by Kate Bush
Few moments in TV history hit as hard as Max Mayfield sprinting through the Upside Down while this Kate Bush classic blasts through your speakers. When those opening synths kick in during a rewatch, your heart immediately starts racing, even though you already know what happens.
Kate Bush originally released this song in 1985, and it sat quietly for decades before Stranger Things sent it rocketing back to number one on charts worldwide. That kind of cultural comeback is almost unheard of.
2. Master of Puppets by Metallica
Eddie Munson’s rooftop guitar solo in the Upside Down is pure, unfiltered chaos and bravery rolled into four incredible minutes of Metallica. Watching it the first time is shocking.
Watching it again, knowing Eddie’s fate, turns the whole thing into something tragically beautiful.
Metallica actually praised the scene publicly, and thousands of younger fans discovered the band because of it. The moment feels like a love letter to every misfit who ever found themselves in heavy metal music.
3. Should I Stay or Should I Go by The Clash
Long before Will Byers disappeared into the Upside Down, this Clash track was already the soundtrack to his bond with his older brother Jonathan. It’s one of the very first songs the show uses to build emotional weight, and it works brilliantly from the opening episode.
When it resurfaces in later seasons as a form of communication, the rewatch impact multiplies dramatically. You realize the show had been planting emotional seeds with this song from the very beginning, which is clever storytelling at its finest.
4. Heroes by Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel’s haunting cover of David Bowie’s classic carries a weight that the original, as great as it is, simply doesn’t match in the Stranger Things universe. The slower, more aching tempo turns already devastating scenes into something almost unbearable to watch.
It plays during the heartbreaking moment when the town believes they’ve found Will’s body in Season 1, and again when Eleven reads Hopper’s letter in Season 3. Both moments land harder every rewatch because you understand exactly what each character is feeling.
5. Every Breath You Take by The Police
At first glance, this song feels like pure 80s nostalgia during the Season 2 Snow Ball, scoring Mike and Eleven’s first real dance together. It’s sweet, warm, and exactly the kind of feel-good ending fans needed after a rough season.
But rewatch it knowing Vecna’s backstory, and suddenly the song’s lyrics about obsessive watching feel deeply unsettling. The Duffer Brothers chose this song with layers of meaning baked in, making it one of the most cleverly placed tracks in the entire series.
6. Separate Ways (Worlds Apart) Remix by Journey
Journey’s synth-heavy remix absolutely explodes onto the screen in Season 4, turning what could have been a standard action montage into something that feels like the climax of a blockbuster film. The energy it brings is almost impossible to sit still through.
Hearing those first guitar riffs during a rewatch instantly brings back the rush of watching the group gear up for the fight against Vecna. It’s the kind of song that makes you want to pump your fist and brace yourself at the same time.
7. The NeverEnding Story by Limahl
Nobody asked for Dustin and Suzie to break into a full musical number during one of the most tense moments of Season 3, and yet somehow it became one of the most beloved scenes in the entire show. The sheer unexpected silliness of it makes it unforgettable.
Rewatching it, you notice the way the other characters react with pure disbelief and frustration, which makes it even funnier. It’s a perfectly timed comedic breath of fresh air in an otherwise high-stakes finale.
8. You Don’t Mess Around with Jim by Jim Croce
Hopper dancing around the cabin with Eleven while Jim Croce plays in the background is one of the most purely joyful scenes in the entire series. It shows a softer, goofier side of Hopper that fans absolutely fell in love with during Season 3.
The song perfectly captures his “cool dad” energy without ever feeling forced or cheesy. Every rewatch of this scene is a reminder of just how much the show excels at small, quiet character moments that carry enormous emotional weight.
9. Material Girl by Madonna
There’s something genuinely refreshing about watching Eleven and Max bond over Madonna at the Starcourt Mall in Season 3. After seasons of Eleven being isolated and sheltered, seeing her experience something as normal as a shopping trip with a friend feels like a huge moment of growth.
The song fits the scene’s bubbly, carefree energy perfectly. On a rewatch, knowing how dark things get later in the season, this lighthearted moment hits with a bittersweet quality that makes it even more special to watch.
10. Dream a Little Dream of Me by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong
Few songs in the entire series make as dramatic a tonal shift as this one. What starts as a genuinely beautiful, romantic jazz classic becomes one of the most chilling pieces of music in Stranger Things when tied to the Creel family’s tragic backstory.
Rewatching the Creel house scenes with this song playing feels like watching a horror movie where you already know the monster is hiding in plain sight. The contrast between the song’s sweetness and the terror unfolding on screen is genuinely masterful.
11. Detroit Rock City by KISS
KISS crashing into Season 4 via this hard-rock anthem does a lot of storytelling work in a short amount of time. It immediately sets the tone for Lucas’s internal battle between fitting in with the popular crowd and staying loyal to his real friends.
The song’s rebellious energy mirrors the social pressures Lucas is navigating throughout the season. Rewatching these early scenes, you pick up on all the subtle tension the music was quietly signaling about where his character arc was heading.
12. Pass the Dutchie by Musical Youth
Argyle might be a supporting character, but his theme song makes him impossible to forget. This British reggae-pop hit from 1982 suits his easygoing, carefree personality so perfectly that it almost feels like the song was written specifically for him.
Every time it plays during a rewatch, you can’t help but smile at how seamlessly the show uses music to define a character’s entire vibe in seconds. Argyle is proof that a great song can make even a minor character feel completely memorable.
13. Atmosphere by Joy Division
Joy Division’s hauntingly minimal track adds a layer of grief and emotional stillness to scenes that already carry tremendous weight. The song’s sparse instrumentation creates a kind of silence within the sound, which makes it uniquely powerful in the show’s darker moments.
Rewatching scenes scored with this track, you notice how the music almost slows time down, forcing you to sit with the characters’ pain rather than rushing past it. It’s one of the show’s more understated music choices, but incredibly effective.
14. Burning Down the House by Talking Heads
Talking Heads bring a frantic, almost unhinged energy to Stranger Things that perfectly matches the show’s more chaotic sequences. There’s something about David Byrne’s voice that signals things are about to spiral in the best possible way.
The song’s propulsive rhythm makes it feel like the world is spinning just slightly out of control, which is basically the entire premise of the show. On a rewatch, it works as an almost comedic signal that absolutely nothing is about to go according to plan for these characters.
15. Africa by Toto
Toto’s lush, synth-driven classic has a dreamy, far-away quality that fits Stranger Things’ sense of wonder and longing beautifully. When it appears in the show, it brings an almost nostalgic ache that’s hard to put into words but very easy to feel.
For many younger viewers who discovered the song through the series, it became an instant favorite. Rewatching the scenes it scores feels like being transported somewhere warm and safe, even when the story around it is anything but.
16. Whip It by Devo
Devo’s quirky, new-wave banger is exactly the kind of song that captures the playful weirdness the show brings to its lighter moments. It’s fun, a little strange, and completely impossible to take too seriously, which is exactly the point.
When it pops up during a rewatch, it works as a reminder that Stranger Things has always known how to balance genuine terror with goofy, lovable charm. The show’s tonal range is part of what makes it so rewatchable, and songs like this one anchor the lighter side of that range.
17. Time After Time by Cyndi Lauper
Cyndi Lauper’s tender ballad is tailor-made for farewells and emotional goodbyes, which is exactly where Stranger Things deploys it most effectively. The song has a fragile, aching quality that makes even brief moments of separation feel enormous on screen.
Rewatching scenes paired with this track often hits harder than the first viewing because you understand the full weight of what the characters are leaving behind. Lauper’s voice carries a kind of quiet devastation that the show uses with real emotional intelligence.
18. Psycho Killer by Talking Heads
There’s a darkly funny irony in using a song literally called Psycho Killer in a show packed with actual monsters and murderous supernatural villains. Talking Heads deliver the track with a twitchy, nervous energy that makes every scene it scores feel slightly off-kilter in the best way.
On a rewatch, you catch yourself appreciating how the show leans into the absurdity of the song choice while still using it to build genuine unease. It’s a bold, clever pick that perfectly captures Stranger Things at its most self-aware.