After a decade spent watching our favorite group of outcast kids square off against the Upside Down and all of its monsters, we finally bid a sorrowful farewell to Stranger Things. Millions of fans grew up with the show, and for a while, it seemed like it would live forever. Alas, all good things must come to an end. The final episode gave us some of the much-needed closure we needed. For example, baseball coach Steve is a national treasure. Other things were left unsaid, like the ambiguity of Eleven’s ending. Soaking in some of that lingering Stranger Things nostalgia, wouldn’t it be fun to reimagine some of our favorite characters as popular ’80s songs? Of course it would. And so I did.
There is no shortage of iconic synth-heavy tunes out there. Likewise, there are plenty of iconic characters to pair them with. Some are based on personality, some purely on vibes. Buckle up, here we go. Here’s a list of Stranger Things characters if they were popular ’80s songs.
Will Byers – “Should I Stay or Should I Go” by The Clash
Starting strong with this banger from The Clash. Will hums along to the catchy tune plenty of times throughout the series, predominantly in earlier seasons when he’s hiding from the Demogorgon in the Upside Down. He clearly associates the track with happy memories and home. It grounds him, makes him feel safe. Of course, it would be his song. Any time I hear those guitar chords play, I can only think of Will. Duh duh duh duh duh duh duh duh.
Mike Wheeler – “Take on Me” by A-ha
This one is more based on vibes than anything else. I dunno, Mike just screams “something super ’80s with a ton of synth pop” to me. What better choice than A-ha’s “Take on Me?” Plus, the lyrics are actually quite fitting in terms of his relationship with El. Mike spends the majority of the series yearning for her, despite time and circumstance being stacked against them. It just makes sense.
Also! Fun fact: What makes this song extra fitting is that Finn Wolfhard actually starred in the music video for Weezer’s cover of “Take on Me” back in 2019. The more you know.
Eleven – “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper
No one has had a tougher time than Eleven. She spent a chunk of her life growing up in a lab, being experimented on, and constantly hiding from the government. And after all that, season five gives us an extremely ambiguous ending about how her story actually ends. Despite always having to be the strong one, fate of the world in her hands and all, El really is just a girl. All she wants is a fun, normal life with her friends. “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” is a perfect anthem for her. Queue the montage of Max and El at the mall in season three, laughing and having fun. I’d like to think she’s still out there somewhere. Maybe somewhere with waterfalls, maybe even lip-syncing to Cyndi Lauper.
Honorable Mention: “Runaway” by Bon Jovi
Max Mayfield – “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush
This one’s pretty obvious. Is there really any other answer? I mean, thanks to Max’s love for Kate Bush, “Running Up That Hill” will be forever tethered to the very fabric of Stranger Things. And, dare I say, it makes up the most iconic sequence in the entire show. We will never forget the super tense slow-motion scene where Max narrowly outruns Vecna in Season Four: Chapter Four. We understand the significance this song holds for her, from first using it to bury her trauma from Billy’s death to later leaning on that tune as a link to the real world. The song got Max through some tough times. You could say Kate Bush is a friend of hers.
Holly Wheeler – “I Think We’re Alone Now” by Tiffany
We’re able to see a whole new Holly Wheeler emerge in season five. And she absolutely steals the show. But if Holly the Heroic were an ’80s song, she’d be “I Think We’re Alone Now.” One scene in particular makes that very clear. In Volume One, Holly jams out to the upbeat tune while trying on Alice Creel’s old wardrobe in Henry’s mind. It’s a fun dance break, but it’s also the first time we really see Holly begin to grow into herself. This is her song.
Lucas Sinclair – “Africa” by TOTO
There really isn’t any clear answer that sticks out for Lucas based on the show alone. However, I think TOTO’s “Africa” is a great pick. First off, it carries a very care-free, atmospheric vibe, something that reminds me a lot of Lucas’s character. He’s always there for the people he loves. Driving it home is the lyrics, which reflect a theme of love and longing. “Gonna take a lot to take me away from you.” That’s him and Max to a tee.
Honorable Mention: “Forever Young” by Alphaville
Dustin Henderson – “Never Ending Story” by Limahl
Hate to do it to you Dusty Bun, but it was right there. Now, is this a song Dustin would realistically listen to often? At some point, maybe. Anytime after season four, surely not. I’d like to think he’d lean more into metal in honor of Eddie. Nevertheless, “Never Ending Story” is kind of perfect. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed harder during a rewatch than at Dustin and Suzy’s poorly-timed duet. Sorry to say it, but he’ll never escape the annoyingly catchy tune.
Steve Harrington – “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell
Not going to lie, it’s a little tough to narrow down just one song for Steve “The Hair” Harrington. There are a lot of great options. But again, this one mainly comes down to vibes. “Tainted Love” is cool, a little edgy, all of the things that complement King Steve. In a way, the lyrics even line up with Steve in earlier seasons when he’s still with Nancy. It’s more so the musicality I’m going for here. Also, as probably my favorite ’80s song, I was determined to squeeze “Tainted Love” somewhere on this list. I love this song, I love Steve. Boom. Done deal.
Honorable Mentions: “Sunglasses at Night” by Corey Hart, “Everybody Wants to Rule The World” by Tears For Fears
Jonathan Byers – “Every Breath You Take” by The Police
Jonathan’s pretty quiet and lowkey compared to the rest of the gang. Hence, this song is quite fitting for his character. The music is softer, mellow, etc. Another thing about Jonathan is that he is always somehow revolving around Nancy. We know their relationship wasn’t perfect, even down to their semi-confusing breakup. Still, he always stuck by her, always looked out for her. All this to say, we’re ignoring the stalker-y vibe “Every Breath You Take” is actually about. Even then, well, IYKYK.
Nancy Wheeler – “Love is a Battlefield” by Pat Benatar
She’s confident, fearless, and self-assured. Who can forget Nancy “Walk ‘Em Down” Wheeler? From Steve to Jonathan to finally choosing herself, Nancy went through one heck of a journey. And she did that all the while shooting down Demos left and right, mind you. Nancy would so jam out to Pat Benatar. I just know it. This hit from Benatar is fun, catchy, and so perfect for Nancy. Love has truly been a battlefield for her, though she much prefers the actual battlefield.
Honorable Mention: “Material Girl” by Madonna
Robin Buckley – “Two of Hearts” by Stacy Q
You would think the obvious choice here is “Rockin’ Robin” by Michael Jackson. And I admit that is what I settled on in my first draft. It’s right there in the name, after all. Except it’s not technically an ’80s song, so I decided to play by the rules. “Two of Hearts” however? A fine choice. It reminds me a lot of Robin’s love trope with Vicky in season five. Plus, the song itself is super fun and upbeat, much like Robin’s energetic personality. An underrated pick, too, in my opinion.
Eddie Munson – “Master of Puppets” by Metallica
Oh yeah, you already knew this one was coming. What goes down as another iconic moment of the entire series is all thanks to Eddie and this song. Nothing more epic than taking on a swarm of Demobats in the Upside Down with the power of heavy metal. Just hearing the echo of the first few chords ignites something feral in me. Eddie is a diehard metalhead from head to toe. Anything from Metallica, Megadeth, or Dio would have sufficed. But “Master of Puppets” holds something special. And certainly something to remember him by. I’m still in mourning, by the way.
Jim Hopper – “Hold The Line” by TOTO
I stumbled upon this coincidentally when researching for this article, and my brain immediately jumped to Hopper. The rock element and the punchy lyrics add up to his gruff yet caring personality. And yes, I am giving myself a two-year window for the release date because it’s that good. The phrase “hold the line” applies to Hopper in several ways. One, holding steady in the line of battle, something Hop is never afraid to do. And two, as TOTO uses it, being steadfast in love. Bingo, Hop and Joyce.
Joyce Byers – “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper
Speaking of: Joyce Byers and Cyndi Lauper seems like a match made in heaven. ’80s pop is for sure her go-to. Throughout the show, Joyce spends a lot of time worrying about Will (understandably, he did go missing). She will stop at nothing to defend her people. Let’s not forget it’s she who delivers the final blow—or eleven blows—to Vecna. At the end of the day, she’s a lover girl at heart. “Time After Time” is a great representation of that, especially in terms of her and Hop. We love to see them finally get their happy ending.
Honorable Mention: “Cheri Cheri Lady” by Modern Talking
Henry Creel – “Mr. Sandman” by The Chordettes
Wrapping up with the one and only. I know “Mr. Sandman” isn’t technically an ’80s song, but I am making the executive decision to cheat here just a little bit. In season five, the tune becomes a sort of unofficial anthem for Henry. It carries that seemingly innocent, but simultaneously uncanny type of vibe, exactly the same as Henry’s “Mr. Whatsit” persona. Plus, it’s reminiscent of the era he grew up in.
The post STRANGER THINGS Characters If They Were Popular ’80s Songs appeared first on Nerdist.
This articles is written by : Nermeen Nabil Khear Abdelmalak
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