The Stranger Things effect strikes again. And this time he brings Prince back to the center. After the finale of the fifth season of the Duffer Brothers series, Purple Rain And When Doves Cry have recorded a sensational surge in listening on Spotify, with numbers driven above all by Gen Z.
According to official data released by the platform, Purple Rain recorded a +243% of global streams between December 31st, the day of release of the Stranger Things finale, and January 1st 2026. The generational data is even clearer: ratings among Gen Z users grew by 577%. Similar results, albeit more limited, however When Doves Crywhich recorded a +200% globally and a +128% among the youngest. Overall, Prince's entire catalog benefited from the series effect, with a 190% increase in global streams.
Without giving away spoilers, the two songs play a key role in the final episode, The Rightside Upaccompanying an action scene and final farewell to the series. «We knew we needed an epic needle drop»Ross Duffer told Tudum: «And it doesn't get more epic than Prince».
Obtain Purple Rain it was not at all obvious, given the rarity with which the song is licensed. But Stranger Things has already demonstrated its ability to transform 80s hits into contemporary phenomena, as happened with Running Up That Hill in the fourth season. «Thanks to Kate Bush, we managed to get the rights»Matt Duffer confirmed.
