of Rumours would be a must-have if it ' s ever announced.
– Jeff Elbel
9
VARIOUS ARTISTS Stranger Things 5: Soundtrack from the Netflix Series( Legacy)
The final Stranger Things soundtrack may not create quite the same magic for any of its musical artists that the Season 4 soundtrack conjured for Kate Bush and " Running Up That Hill( A Deal with God)," but this entry still provides a big boost for 13 tracks representing pop and rock music from the ' 50s up to the sci-fi / fantasy series ' fifth season ' s chronological setting of 1987. In 1972, 12-year-old Michael Jackson released his cover of Bobby Day ' s " Rockin ' Robin " as the second single from his debut solo album Got to Be There. The song was the on-air theme for DJ Robin Buckley( Maya Hawke) at Hawkins, Indiana ' s radio station WQSK, " The Squawk." Tiffany ' s " I Think We ' re Alone Now " was a fresh single in 1987, topping the charts twenty years after the original single by Tommy James and the Shondells reached the Top 10. Season 5 ' s pre-teen protagonist, Holly Wheeler, is gifted a boom box and a Tiffany cassette by the disguised and villainous Vecna. The Psychedelic Furs ' signature 1981 alternative rock single " Pretty in Pink " was updated for the 1986 John Hughes film by the same name, and the later version is included here as a theme for Robin ' s love interest and Molly Ringwald stand-in Vickie Dunne( Amybeth McNulty). The innocent melodies of 1954 pop confections, " Sh-Boom " by the Chords and " Mr. Sandman " by the Chordettes, were cast in an eerie context during the show. Country pianist Floyd Cramer ' s 1960 rendition of Hoagy Carmichael ' s " Heart and Soul " is another vintage track that contrasts childhood innocence with looming danger. Yello ' s iconic ' 80s electropop track " Oh Yeah " places the show firmly in the era of Ferris Bueller ' s Day Off and serves as an
homage to the film as Dustin drills into Steve " The Hair " Harrington( Joe Keery)' s beloved BMW for tactical advantage. Abba ' s wistful " Fernando " lends a misplaced sense of calm to an impending Demogorgon attack, and the Butthole Surfers ' " Human Cannonball " plays a pivotal part in a weaponized turntable system. Iron Maiden ' s " The Trooper " from the 1983 album Piece of Mind appears in the series ' final episode as a tribute by protagonist Dustin Henderson( Gaten Matarazzo) to fallen friend, metalhead, and Hellfire Club ringleader Eddie Munson( Joseph Quinn). The Pixies ' deceptively upbeat-sounding " Here Comes Your Man "( 1989) and Cowboy Junkies ' mesmerizing 1988 cover of the Velvet Underground ' s " Sweet Jane " were both released after the series ' climactic action but align with the main characters ' graduation and transition into adulthood in the ' 90s. David Bowie ' s 1977 anthem " Heroes " is a fitting final song for the series, playing as the credits roll. With genre-skipping selections spanning 35 years of popular music, this soundtrack doesn ' t offer a unified listening experience. However, it ' s a fine souvenir of the end of the beloved monster-hunting series, and it ' s ready to send a new generation of listeners down 13 different musical rabbit holes.
– Jeff Elbel
7
JASON SINAY The Mountain
( Next Revolution)
Veteran guitarist and singer Jason Sinay expanded his recognition and audience by holding his own alongside revered Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell in The Dirty Knobs. Other notable sessions have ranged from work with pop legend Neil Diamond to alt-country singer-songwriter Tift Merritt. Sinay departed the Knobs following 2022 ' s
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18 illinoisentertainer. com march 2026