Prince Music Catalog Sees 190 Percent Jump In Streams After 'Stranger Things' Finale

Prince's catalog saw a hike in streams immediately after this week's Stranger Things series finale. On New Year's Eve (December 31), the hit Netflix sci-fi/thriller series aired its final episode on the streaming platform and in select theaters. While watching the finale, many Gen Z and Gen Alpha fans heard 1980s Prince classics "Purple Rain" and "When Doves Cry" for the first time, piquing their interest enough to stream the late musician's catalog, which surged more than 190 percent on Spotify. "Purple Rain" saw a 243 percent boost globally on the music streaming platform, along with a 577 percent hike specific to Gen Z streams. "When Doves Cry" also received a streaming uptick of 200 percent, with 128 percent in Gen Z streaming. The songs, both featured on Prince's 1984 Purple Rain soundtrack, were synced to crucial moments in the finale, with "When Doves Cry" playing as The Party demolishes The Upside Down, while "Purple Rain" is played as Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) telepathically says goodbye to Mike (Finn Wolfhard). Stranger Things co-creator called the licensing of "Doves" and "Purple Rain" a "real long shot" considering the restrictions of Prince's estate. Co-creator Ross Duffer added that he and his brother "never talked about a song choice as much as we did for that moment." "What is also very exciting about it is it just has not been used. [Prince’s] estate does not generally allow that song to be licensed outside of the Purple Rain movie," Ross said. The renewed popularity of "Doves" and "Purple" is similar to the resurgence of Kate Bush track "Running Up That Hill," which played in season four of Stranger Things. "It’s hard to take in the speed at which this has all been happening since the release of the first part of the Stranger Things new series," Bush wrote in a 2022 blog post. "So many young people who love the show, discovering the song for the first time.

SOURCE