By Eliana Nunez
nunee42@mail.broward.edu
The Netflix Original Series Stranger Things first aired in July 2016. Since then, the show has achieved worldwide fame. It has gone on to win countless awards, collaborate with many popular brands, and inspire numerous other TV shows. After nine years, the series is officially coming to an end this November. Over the course of the show, its global impact on pop culture has been undeniable.
Stranger Things has significantly influenced trending music. Made up of mostly ’80s songs, the show’s soundtrack has contributed to a rise in popularity in music from that decade. To illustrate the level of impact, Variety reported that “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush, a very popular song in the show, had an 8,700% increase in global streams on Spotify following the release of the fourth season. Similarly, many other 80’s songs, including “Should I Stay or Should I Go” by The Clash and “Master of Puppets” by Metallica, have also experienced an extreme rise in streams from their appearance in Stranger Things. These various popularized songs highlight the influence the series has had on trending music.
The global comeback of 80’s style fashion is a direct result of the show’s influence. Because the series takes place in the 1980s and features clothing nostalgic to many, Netflix collaborated with popular brands like Nike, H&M, Levi, and Quicksilver to create an appeal straight out of the decade. Quicksilver’s collaboration featured clothing that would fit right into the show’s scenes. Combining retro elements and colorful patterns, Quicksilver worked with Netflix to create collections that seemed straight out of a time capsule. From vintage shirts to denim jackets, these collaboration lines were highly successful, clearly showcasing the influence Stranger Things had on the throwback trend of 80s fashion.
Throughout the years, Stranger Things has constantly dominated social media with the release of each new season, fueling countless trends and edits across numerous media platforms, such as TikTok and Instagram. Many viral audio trends have circulated on the internet, in particular, an autotuned song based on the monologue “Chrissy, wake up” quickly rose to fame. The show has also generated quote-based trends, such as people quoting Eleven’s line. The main character in the show, “You are like Papa,” expresses feelings of betrayal, similar to the scene in the series. The show has been a major influence on many fashion trends on the internet as well. Ranging from fans dressing as members of the “Hellfire Club,” a Dungeons & Dragons club in the show, to fans wearing elaborate cosplays of the main characters. These fashion trends often appear on TikTok for major events like Comic-Con, Halloween, and season premieres.
Since its release, Stranger Things has revolutionized media and film production. The show has been repeatedly praised for its unique nostalgia-charged storytelling and the amazing performances of its young cast. Despite having a cast mostly of child actors, its immense success shifted views on the capabilities of young actors in film, leading many projects to follow suit. The successful nostalgic marketing of the 1980s has had a major influence on studios, making the integration of nostalgia into marketing strategies a highly popular trend.