Ever since Netflix’s Stranger Things closed out its five-season run with an emotional and action-packed finale on December 31, 2025, the music world has seen an unexpected ripple effect: the legacy of Prince has hit a new audience in a big way.
When the finale’s pivotal scenes featured not one but two of Prince’s most legendary songs — “Purple Rain” and “When Doves Cry” — millions of viewers responded by streaming the tracks in huge numbers. According to Spotify data following the episode’s debut, Purple Rain shot up 243 percent globally, and among Gen Z listeners — largely younger fans born between 1997 and 2012 — the increase was nothing short of astonishing: 577 percent. When Doves Cry also spiked dramatically, with a 200 percent boost worldwide and a 128 percent rise in streams among Gen Z audiences. Overall, Prince’s entire catalog climbed 190 percent in streams, with an 88 percent bump from Gen Z alone.
The inclusion of these songs was not an easy licensing win. Prince’s estate has historically been very protective of his recordings — especially Purple Rain, which is rarely licensed outside the context of the original 1984 film and album. Creators Matt and Ross Duffer later explained that getting permission was “a real long shot,” and only came together after they crossed their fingers and approached the estate.
In the finale’s narrative, the music choices carried symbolic and emotional weight: When Doves Cry underscores intense, high-stakes action as characters make a decisive push against the Upside Down, while Purple Rain anchors a deeply moving moment tied to one of the show’s central relationships. The tracks carried not just sonic nostalgia, but storytelling power — and for many younger viewers, they became a gateway into Prince’s timeless artistry.
The surge in streams echoes a pattern Stranger Things helped establish with ’80s music in earlier seasons — most famously with Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” during Season 4, which sent that track soaring decades after its original release. Now, Prince’s songs are enjoying a similar renaissance, proving that iconic music from the past can still resonate deeply when paired with the right modern cultural moment.
As both longtime fans and a new generation continue to revisit — or discover for the first time — Prince’s catalog, the numbers tell a simple story: legendary music never really stops growing.
