Prince Spotify Streams Surge After Stranger Things Finale

Prince’s Spotify streams have spiked after ‘Purple Rain’ and ‘When Doves Cry’ featured in the Stranger Things finale.

Prince’s music is seeing a major resurgence on Spotify following the release of the final season of Stranger Things, with streams for ‘Purple Rain’ and ‘When Doves Cry’ more than doubling in the wake of the show’s conclusion.

Fair warning: there will be spoilers for Season 5 (including the finale) in this article.

Stranger Things wrapped up on New Year’s Day, closing out the story of Hawkins after almost a decade and five seasons. The finale saw the core group reunite for a final stand against Vecna and the Upside Down, accompanied by a soundtrack that leaned heavily into iconic ’80s pop and rock. Alongside tracks from artists like Iron Maiden, Diana Ross, ABBA, and Kate Bush, Prince’s music played a pivotal role in the closing moments.

According to figures reported by Variety, Stranger Things’ impact on music streaming has been immediate and substantial. Since the finale debuted on Netflix, global Spotify streams of ‘Purple Rain’ have increased by 243 per cent. Among Gen Z listeners specifically, that jump is even more pronounced, with streams rising by 577 per cent. ‘When Doves Cry’ has also seen a significant boost, with a 200 per cent increase in global streams and a 128 per cent rise among Gen Z users.

Taken as a whole, Prince’s catalogue has climbed 190 per cent in global streams following the Stranger Things finale, with Gen Z listeners accounting for an 88 per cent increase on their own. The numbers echo what happened when Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill’ became a cultural moment after appearing in Season 4, solidifying Stranger Things’ ongoing influence on music discovery across generations.

In the final episode, Prince & The Revolution’’s ‘When Doves Cry’ and ‘Purple Rain’ feature as the Party attempt to destroy the Upside Down once and for all, shifting tonally from a triumphant return to Hawkins as the timed bomb trigger begins (alongside ‘When Doves Cry’) to the emotionally heavy scene where Eleven appears to sacrifice herself and says goodbye to Mike (tracked by ‘Purple Rain’).

Prince’s song placement was not always a given in the Stranger Things finale, though. Series creators Matt and Ross Duffer previously acknowledged how difficult licensing the tracks was, with Matt saying, “We were told that it was a real long shot, so we just crossed our fingers.” ‘Purple Rain’ is generally not licensed out by Prince’s estate, with the exception of the Purple Rain movie. However, “thanks to Kate Bush,” the Duffer Brothers were able to acquire the rights for the show’s final sendoff.

It seems like Prince’s estate’s choice to lend the rights for his music to Stranger Things is now paying off major dividends.