The first part of the official “Stranger Things” season 5 soundtrack is here: Volume 1 with 200 songs from Kate Bush, Metallica to Madonna. Volumes 2 and 3 follow.
The first edition of the official soundtrack for “Stranger Things” season five has been released. The digital version was released on the major streaming services on November 28, 2025 – in line with the German series start the day before. Warning: This article also contains spoilers for the first four episodes of the current season.
We already know from previous seasons that “Stranger Things” uses top-class artists in its repertoire for its soundtrack. After all, the successful series still dominates at the top of the ranking for the most expensive Netflix series of all time. Production costs were estimated at $480 million. That’s around $50 to $60 million per episode – which probably includes the licenses for a top soundtrack.
From Michael Jackson to Metallica
Now there is this soundtrack with over 200 songs for streaming – there we can hear all the successful songs from the last 60 years of pop and rock history. Above all, hits from the season’s season, the 80s, support the nostalgic charm of the time. “Rockin’ Robin” by pop icon Michael Jackson joins “Fernando” by ABBA as well as “Material Girl” and “Angel” by Madonna. Tracks from KISS, Metallica, Queen and The Talking Heads will also be heard in the season, as well as Falco’s “Rock Me Amadeus”. Some of the hits could already be experienced in the first published episodes. Diana Ross’ “Upside Down” from 1980 was already part of the first episode – with an important function: it served as a code for the gang as they forged their plan for the search – which, appropriately, involves the shadow world (“Upside Down”).
Kate Bush with special meaning
And the series classics “Should I Stay Or Should I Go” by The Clash and “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush should not be missing. The latter was already recorded in almost the entire length of the fight between Max and Vecna in season four, when he briefly captivates her. This song is particularly close to Ricky Bell actor Caleb McLaughlin’s heart, as he admitted to “Rolling Stone” at the Berlin premiere of the season – it is a song that personally motivates him more than “Should I Stay Or Should I Go” and can take him out of the “Upside Down”: “Because ‘Should I Stay Or Should I Go’ is very indecisive, I am like ‘Should I get out of there or should I stay’. ‘Running Up That.’ Hill’ is like really going for it!”
From Tchaikovsky to the original score
The musical diversity is also convincing again in this soundtrack. The finale of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D Major and his “Dance And Chorus Of Birds” from “The Snow Maiden” are also part of the musical backdrop to the successful series. Last but not least, the 80-song album by Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein, which the two wrote for the fourth season, remains on the soundtrack.
Release schedule and physical editions
Further editions of the soundtrack will be released on December 26, 2025 (“Volume 2”) and January 1, 2026 (“Volume 3”). From January 30th, the complete edition STRANGER THINGS: SOUNDTRACK FROM THE NETFLIX SERIES, SEASON 5 will be available on CD, vinyl and red cassette. The versions are published by Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment.