“Really challenging”: Stranger Things creators reveal how they chose songs for the ‘bomb vinyl’ in Season 5

Stranger Things does not just end with a battle. It ends with a song, and choosing that song was one of the hardest creative calls the show has ever made.

The Duffer Brothers have now revealed that the music on the “bomb vinyl” in the Stranger Things Season 5 finale took more debate, stress, and back and forth than almost any other moment in the series.

As Matt Duffer put it to Deadline,

"I don’t think we talked more about what song we should use than we did for that particular song, because it was really, really challenging, because the first song needed to be upbeat and hopeful on the vinyl."

The record had to carry joy, loss, and goodbye all at once, and that balance was of utmost priority.

---

Why the bomb vinyl in Stranger Things Season 5 became such a big creative puzzle

The final episode of Stranger Things Season 5 does something bold, but quietly. It turns a vinyl record into the emotional engine of the ending. That means the music did not just have to sound good. It had to convey the story.

Speaking to Deadline, Matt Duffer explained how specific the challenge was. The record had to start light, with energy, and end with weight and grief. As he said,

"Then the final song had to work for Eleven’s farewell. So not only are you looking for an iconic song, you need the beginning song and the end song to both work and convey completely different emotions."

That is a very narrow creative thread to needle.

The Duffers did not make this call alone. Matt shared that they asked almost everyone around them for ideas. The cast, their friends, and people working on the show all offered suggestions. Everyone had different favorites. Nothing quite fit until they circled around Prince’s Purple Rain.

That choice came with its own fear. Matt told Deadline,

"Eventually we landed on ‘Purple Rain,’ but the concern with that was whether or not we were going to be able to get the rights. I mean, aside from Michael Jackson, it’s the hardest thing to do, to get Prince rights."

It was not just a creative hurdle. It was a practical one too.

Ross Duffer confirmed that the estate did approve the use. Matt added that the success of Kate Bush in Season 4 of Stranger Things helped open that door, saying,

"I don’t think we would have got them had it not been for Kate Bush, to be honest. Because of the Kate Bush effect, I think that ultimately persuaded the Prince estate."

The bomb vinyl became more than a prop. It became a bridge between joy and loss, between survival and goodbye, and between the show and its audience.

---

How Prince’s album shaped the emotional rhythm of the Stranger Things finale

In a separate interview with Netflix Tudum, Ross Duffer explained why Prince felt like the right emotional language for the Stranger Things Season 5 finale. He explains,

"Once we came up with the idea that the record was going to be the trigger for the bomb, we knew we needed an epic needle drop, and so many ideas were thrown around...I think there’s nothing really more epic than Prince."

What mattered most was structure. The album had to open with celebration and close with something heavy. Ross said they specifically searched for records that could do both without feeling forced. "Prince lined up perfectly for us," he explained.

That is why the vinyl begins with “When Doves Cry” as the group escapes danger, and later shifts into “Purple Rain” as Eleven appears at the gate, and the moment turns quiet and emotional. The songs do not just play over the scene. They guide how the scene feels.

Ross also told Tudum that this choice felt rare and special because the song is not often licensed. He says,

"What is also very exciting about it is it just has not been used. [Prince’s] estate does not generally allow that song to be licensed outside the Purple Rain movie..."

Matt added that the team knew it was unlikely to happen and prepared themselves for disappointment.

"We were told that it was a real long shot, so we just crossed our fingers...Thank God they agreed."

The final emotional layer comes from “Landslide.” Ross shared with Deadline that the song has been close to the team for a long time.

"We love that song, as I think everyone does, and we’ve always wanted to find a place for it..."

He also revealed that Maya Hawke was listening to it during her final DJ moment, making the goodbye feel even more personal behind the scenes.

---

The bomb vinyl in Stranger Things Season 5 was not just a cool idea. It was a storytelling risk that demanded precision, patience, and a lot of trust. The Duffer Brothers had to find music that could hold hope and heartbreak at the same time, and then convince one of the most protected music estates in the world to say yes.

In the end, the vinyl becomes a symbol of the show itself, loud, emotional, messy, beautiful, and impossible to forget once the needle drops.

---

Stay tuned to SoapCentral for more breakdowns and updates on Stranger Things.

Also read: The Duffer Brothers confirm the Stranger Things spin-off will address "some of the loose threads" left after the finale