David Bowie’s 1977 classic “Heroes” is seeing a major resurgence on streaming platforms following its prominent placement in the finale of Netflix’s Stranger Things, which premiered Dec. 31.
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According to new Luminate data, the song experienced a spike of nearly 500% in streams after soundtracking the end credits of the series’ final episode.
Over the previous five months, “Heroes” had averaged approximately 94,000 daily streams. That figure jumped sharply in the days following the finale’s release, reaching roughly 342,000 streams on Jan. 1, 456,000 on Jan. 2, and 470,000 on Jan. 3 — representing a 3.6- to 5-times increase over its typical daily performance.
The placement marked a full-circle moment for the series, which has become closely associated with 1980s music throughout its run.
In earlier seasons, the show famously used a cover of “Heroes” by Peter Gabriel, making the finale’s use of Bowie’s original recording a deliberate callback.
In an interview with Netflix’s Tudum, Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer revealed that the idea to use Bowie’s version came from cast member Joe Keery, who plays Steve Harrington.
“It was actually Joe Keery who suggested that we do the Bowie version,” Ross Duffer said. “Once Joe said that, we immediately knew that was the right song to end the show on because it is, in some ways, an anthem for Stranger Things. To use the original Bowie version just felt fitting for the conclusion.”
Keery also saw a streaming boost of his own following the finale. His music project Djo experienced renewed attention, with his 2022 track “End of Beginning” climbing to No. 1 on Spotify’s Global Chart this week, according to Rolling Stone, displacing Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia,” which had held the top spot for several weeks.
Music has long played a central role in Stranger Things, which helped reintroduce a new generation of listeners to catalog tracks from the 1980s. Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” famously returned to global charts in 2022 after appearing in Season Four, while the finale also featured Prince’s “When Doves Cry” and “Purple Rain.”
The Duffer Brothers told Tudum that music selection was especially critical in the final episode, which centered around a record player used as a key plot device. “We never talked about a song choice as much as we did for that moment,” Ross Duffer said.
“We knew we needed an epic needle drop, and so many ideas were thrown around. I think there’s nothing really more epic than Prince.” “Purple Rain” has seen a 243% increase in Spotify streams, with global Gen Z listeners driving a reported 577% surge.
