Be warned, major spoilers ahead for the finale of Stranger Things! One of the biggest surprises in the final episode was the inclusion of not one, but two songs by Prince. It’s well known that Prince’s estate rarely allows his music to be featured in movies and TV shows, making this a particularly unexpected choice.
Two of his most popular songs were prominently featured in the finale of Stranger Things, which was likely the biggest television event of 2025. Netflix heavily promoted the series finale, making it feel like both a large-scale marketing campaign and a significant artistic achievement.
It’s surprising that Prince’s estate agreed to have his music featured so heavily in Stranger Things, a show watched by so many people. However, Stranger Things isn’t just any popular streaming series – it has one of the best TV soundtracks ever put together, carefully chosen by the show’s creators.
Prince’s “When Doves Cry” & “Purple Rain” Were Key Songs In Stranger Things’ Series Finale
The final episode of Stranger Things, “The Rightside Up,” features two songs from Prince’s acclaimed album Purple Rain during crucial scenes. The episode begins with a direct use of Prince’s most famous song, “When Doves Cry.”
As the main characters make their final escape from the Upside Down, Murray Bauman plays an upbeat song on a record player, creating a hopeful and celebratory mood. However, the music stops abruptly when they return to Hawkins and are immediately met by military forces led by Dr. Kay, who are there to arrest them.
Shortly after, Prince’s music returns, this time with a more serious tone. His iconic song “Purple Rain” plays over a moving collection of scenes showing Eleven’s entire journey with Mike throughout the series, as she gets ready to make the ultimate sacrifice to finally destroy the Upside Down.
The song choice isn’t just emotionally fitting for Mike and El’s heartbreaking farewell – it’s thematically significant too. Prince originally wrote “Purple Rain” to represent the end of the world, and that imagery mirrors what happens when El uses her powers to destroy the Upside Down, even though it nearly destroys her in the process.
The Duffer Brothers Getting The Rights To Two Prince Songs Was A Major Achievement
Few songs define Prince’s career as powerfully as “When Doves Cry” and “Purple Rain.” The creators of Stranger Things, the Duffer Brothers, have accomplished a remarkable feat by securing permission from Prince’s estate to feature these iconic tracks in the show’s final episode.
Prince was famously reluctant to license his music for television or movies throughout his career. However, he made a rare exception for the Fox sitcom New Girl. In 2014, he appeared on the show as himself and performed his song “FALLINLOVE2NITE” with Zooey Deschanel.
The Duffer Brothers successfully persuaded Prince’s estate to do something they’d never done before: allow his iconic songs to be used in a TV show. Getting permission to feature songs like “When Doves Cry” and “Purple Rain” seemed like a long shot, but they asked anyway.
As a huge movie and music fan, I was thrilled to hear the Duffer Brothers finally got the okay to use Prince’s “Purple Rain” in Stranger Things. Apparently, the Prince estate was really impressed with how season 4 introduced Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” to a whole new audience – and Kate Bush herself was happy about it! The brothers recently told Tudum the story of how they became the first to feature “Purple Rain” in a TV show’s soundtrack.
Ross Duffer explained that securing the rights to Prince’s song was especially exciting because his estate rarely licenses it for use outside of the film Purple Rain. They were able to get permission thanks to Kate Bush’s influence.
Matt Duffer said they weren’t sure their idea would be accepted, but they were incredibly grateful when it was. He explained, “We were told it was a long shot, so we just hoped for the best, and thankfully, they agreed.”
Fans of Stranger Things agree with Matt Duffer: Prince’s “Purple Rain” was the ideal song for the heartbreaking goodbye between El and Mike. This scene is likely to be remembered as the perfect ending to an incredible TV series, and it’s also introduced Prince’s classic song to a new generation.
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2026-01-04 16:39