Interestingly, another iconic 1980s artist, Kate Bush, played a key role in paving the way for those tracks to be featured in the Netflix show's final chapter.

Kate Bush's 1985 synth-pop classic Running Up That Hill, featured in Season 4, experiencing a massive resurgence in popularity and becoming a pop-culture phenomenon. Its success helped persuade Prince's estate to allow creators Matt and Ross Duffer to include his music in the Stranger Things finale.

The Role of Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill In Stranger Things

In Stranger Things Season 4's fourth episode, titled Dear Billy, Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) is trapped by Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) in the Upside-Down while she is at her step-brother's grave. Lost inside the villain's mind, Max appears beyond reach as Lucas, Dustin, and Steve struggle to save her. The turning point comes when Nancy and Robin suggest playing music. The trio put headphones on Max and played her favorite song, Running Up That Hill, allowing her to escape from Vecna and return to the real world.

Following the episode, the song saw a massive resurgence. Running Up That Hill re-entered music charts worldwide, reaching No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in July 2022, while Kate Bush's streaming numbers surged, the International Business Times reported. Similarly, Metallica's music gained renewed popularity after being featured on the show. With these successes, the Prince estate reportedly needed little convincing to allow his songs to be used in Stranger Things Season 5.

"Prince's Estate Cleared The Songs Because Of Kate Bush"

Two tracks from Prince and the Revolution's 1984 album, Purple Rain, were used in some of the finale's most powerful moments. When Doves Cry plays as the heroes make a victorious escape from the Upside Down after defeating Vecna and the Mind Flayer, while Purple Rain sets the tone for the emotional farewell between Eleven and Mike, including her controversial death that left fans divided despite the unforgettable soundtrack.

Speaking to Variety, music supervisor Nora Felder revealed that the script didn't name specific songs, only that both tracks had to come from the same artist, where the first song started side A or B of an album and the second song ended that same side. Prince's Purple Rain fit the brief, though Felder noted she hadn't heard of the song being cleared before.

That created another major challenge, convincing the famously protective Prince estate to approve the use of two of his most iconic songs. As Felder recalled, "I thought, gulp, I'm really not sure, but I was willing to try."

"I majored in English in college, and that helped with creating what I call 'theses', where you give the rights owners all the information of how the song's going to be used, and the backstory of it, the meaning of it," she said.

After discussions with Primary Wave Music, Universal Music Publishing and Warner Records, the proposal eventually made its way to the estate.

She also said, "I know the Duffers feel that Prince's estate cleared the songs because of Kate Bush, and I'm sure that had something to do with it, as the parties reminded them of the impact the show had with Running Up That Hill."

Prince's music has received a huge streaming boost since featuring in the finale aired on New Year's Eve.