As I’ve already demonstrated, 1987 was a great year for iconic rock albums. I can’t wait to get to this year in my Decades series. Add INXS’ Kick to the list.
I could see any number of songs from this album making an impactful appearance in the next season of Strange Things. Start with the title track (and today’s SOTD), which has a propulsive chorus that could punctuate a scene of our plucky heroes fighting back against the dark forces of the Upside Down.
If there’s a song that gives ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ a run for its money as one of the greatest openings of all time, it’s U2’s ‘Where the Streets Have No Name.’ This song kicks off 1987’s The Joshua Tree in epic fashion, stately organs giving way to one of The Edge’s iconic guitar licks.
This song would be a brilliant choice for the beginning of a Stranger Things episode, or as the backdrop to a particularly gripping sequence. Or, as I suggested for ‘Welcome to the Jungle,’ it could score an early trailer for the next season, setting the table with a nostalgic jolt. The current season used a haunting remix of Journey’s ‘Separate Ways’ in similar fashion.
When I started looking for songs to fit my Stranger Things “predict the next 80s viral hit” challenge, Guns N’ Roses’ ‘Welcome to the Jungle’ was the first one I considered a slam dunk.
This anarchic classic has the perfect feel for a show about the threat of apocalypse, and the epic sweep of its soundscape — particularly in the opening minute — would beautifully match images of death and destruction.
As I wrote yesterday, I’ll spend the next two weeks featuring songs I believe could (or should) play a prominent role in the next season of Stranger Things. My aim is to predict the next 80s viral sensation, following in the footsteps of Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill.’
I have a few ground rules. First, I’m looking only at songs released in the year 1987, a year after the setting of the most recent season. Granted, the show could pull music from any year leading up to 1987, but I wanted to narrow the scope to give myself more of a challenge. I’ll also set aside the question of whether artists would continue to release music on schedule even as world-threatening events are taking place in middle America.
Stranger Things is a big deal in my house. Equal parts Stephen King and Steven Spielberg, the hit Netflix series is a winning blend of humor, horror and heart. My daughter Fiona has watched every season multiple times, and has bought enough merch to fund the series’ upcoming final chapter.
Fiona is so rabid about the show that her practice is to binge each new season without interruption starting the moment it drops. So for season three, that meant an 8-hour stretch starting at midnight. And I’ll add that we were on a family cruise vacation at the time. She’s crazy.
Meet Me In Montauk 