Last week we have listened to the Rock and Metal songs from the massive TV series Stranger Things in Clubhouse Metal Oda. I was very much excited about this broadcast, I’ll tell you why…The sci-fi, horror drama TV series Stranger Things from Duffer Brothers is airing since 2016. I watched all episodes in four days and with very little sleep due to the excitement of its plot.
It was like a book you cannot put down before you turn the final page. The music selection of Season Four which aired in 2022 was incredible: set in the 1980s, the TV series took me back to my childhood’s wonderful days. The character of Mad Max with her skateboard reminded me of my very young teenage years with my roller skates on, listening to rock music on my walkman.
The use of the power of music to neutralize demons has been a detail that pleased me a lot: Stranger Things introduced singer and songwriter Kate Bush to younger generations with “Running Up That Hill” , Maxine’s favorite song. The huge comeback of “Running Up That Hill” which topped UK charts surprised and thrilled Kate Bush, one of my favorite artists of the era with her very special voice and her musical talents extending from art rock to progressive, from songwriting to dance. I must say that her Elton John “Rocket Man” cover is one of my all time favorites, with her very special touch.
Major bands and artists parade in Stranger Things compilation soundtrack: Metallica who was born in the beginning of the 80s, Mötley Crüe, Queen, Bon Jovi, Foreigner, Kiss, The Police, Beach Boys, The Clash, my rock icon Pat Benatar, the awesome Duran Duran and many more. As a symbol of the strong family bond and love between the Byers brothers, “Should I Stay or Should I Go” was chosen from The Clash, disbanded many years ago. Speaking of the Byers family, I was amazed by the portrayal of the single working mother Joyce Byers by Winona Ryder. Long-forgotten star of the 90s, Winona Ryder successfully starred in Tim Burton’s Beetlejuice as a kid, and was the most sought-after actress in those years. We have seen her in leading roles with Cher in The Mermaids, with Johnny Depp in Edward Scissorhands, with Daniel Day- Lewis in Martin Scorses’s The Age of Innocence, with Keanu Reeves and Gary Oldman in Bram Stoker’s Dracula and in The Crucible adapted from a play by Arthur Miller. But her portrayal of Joyce Byers in Stranger Things overshadows all these roles and shows us how deep, capable and sensational Winona can be as an actress. In that sense, Winona Ryder made a huge comeback with Stanger Things just like Kate Bush.
“Runaway” from Bon Jovi for Eleven who leaves her house, “Waiting for a Girl Like You” from Foreigner in the emotional scenes between Eleven and Mike, “Never Ending Story” -sung while saving the world from the monsters- and “Ghostbusters”: those hits from the 80s were skilfully paired with the plot of the TV series. I personally liked very much the character of Eddie Munson who looks like a teenager Jon Bon Jovi: Eddie fights the monsters of the Upside Down with his electric guitar playing “Master of Puppets” from Metallica! Don’t ask me about the Upside Down, I hate to give spoilers and you have to find it out yourself.
Set in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, with lots of references to the 80’s pop culture and movies such as Spielberg’s E.T. (hooded children with bicycles) and the cult TV series The X-Files, I was especially struck by the resemblance between Dr. Brenner and The Cigarette Smoking Man (both physical and characterwise). The signal music of Stranger Things is also very similar to The X-Files in musical tone and structure.
The interwoven and simultaneous micro-stories of different seasons were skillfully written to further enchance the excitement of the viewer. One of the funniest elements in these stories was the obstacles characters faced in communication: in the 80s, the mobile phones belonged to the fantasy world of the Star Trek and Captain Kirk. Today our mobile phones have almost become an extension of our bodies: we feel disconnected, isolated from life when we don’t keep our phones near. The social media, last minute news, movies, tv series, our family and friends, the endless sea of information which is the internet, all our universe is confined to those small devices. For this reason, I found it hilarious when the characters of Stranger Things couldn’t reach each other through rotary dial phones. And also remember how we had to restart when we did a mistake dialing a number, lol.
Long story made short, I strongly recommend Stranger Things, one of the most succesful TV series of the recent years and take a look at the compilation soundtrack of this series. You may also listen to Clubhouse Metal Oda broadcast entitled “Rock, Metal and Stanger Things” available as a podcast through links here on metaloda.com.
Your demogorgon,
Metal Oda.
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