Kerry Parnell: Yesterday’s music stars given second life by hit TV shows
It looks as if Gen Z has finally found taste in music as the music giants of yesteryear find a second audience through hit TV shows. Stranger Things isn’t the only series taking a step back in time.
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Just when they thought they were over, yesterday’s music stars are being given a second life by hit TV shows. As Gen Z discovers classic tracks on their favourite TV series, they’re sending old acts back into the charts and giving them a bonus payday in the process.
The latest singer of yesteryear to become the next big thing is Linda Ronstadt, whose 53-year-old tune Long Long Time has soared up the streaming charts, thanks to HBO’s hit zombie series The Last of Us.
Ronstadt joins Kate Bush, who saw her 1985 hit Running Up That Hill get a rapturous Gen Z reception, thanks to featuring in Netflix teen horror drama Stranger Things.
Here are eight hits which got another spin on the TV turntable.
Wednesday: The Cramps, Goo Goo Muck
Netflix’s new Addams Family spin-off, Wednesday, has proved a hit with Gen Z and for retro bands. When Wednesday danced to psychobilly band The Cramps’ 1981 single Goo Goo Muck recently, she sent it back into the streaming charts as fans re-created it on social media. It’s now been listened to 44 million times on Spotify. The Cramps’ version was a cover of the 1962 original by Ronnie Cook and The Gaylads.
Peaky Blinders: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Red Right Hand
Australian rock star Nick Cave has the bad boys of TV to thank for extending his fan base. The band first released single Red Right Hand in 1994 and it became a cult hit – even appearing on the Scream movie soundtrack – but in 2013 Peaky Blinders gave it a wider audience when the show used it as its theme and the band re-released it the following year. Nick, 65, said, “So many people come up to me and say, ‘I’m a huge fan’ and have discovered my music through Peaky Blinders.”
Emily in Paris: Edith Piaf, Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien
What Edith Piaf would make of it, we’ll never know, but the French chanteuse reached a new generation of fans 60 years after her iconic song Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien was first released in 1960, thanks to Emily in Paris. In 2020, the Netflix show rebooted the classic, which had been a number one in France, and sent it back into the top 10 of Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart. It’s been streamed 127 million times on Spotify.
The Umbrella Academy: KISS, I Was Made For Lovin’ You
Another TV series with a knack for reviving songs, is Netflix’s superhero drama The Umbrella Academy, as its young audience discovers a new playlist every season. So it was for KISS, who enjoyed another moment in the spotlight, when their 1979 single I Was Made For Lovin’ You appeared in season two. Having reached number two in Australia originally, it saw a surge in streaming in 2020 and has now clocked up 688 million listens on Spotify.
The O.C.: Alphaville/Youth Group, Forever Young
Hit TV drama The O.C. was a noughties’ classic, with a great soundtrack, but the standout song in Australia was Forever Young. This haunting track was first released by Alphaville in 1984, with modest success. Sydney band Youth Group recorded a cover version, which was featured on the TV show and then promos for Channel 10 in 2006. It subsequently sped up the Aria charts to the top spot and earned the group an Aria Award.
Stranger Things: Kate Bush, Running Up That Hill
First released in 1985, Running Up That Hill reached number three on the UK singles chart. So it’s all the more incredible that Kate Bush achieved her first number one for 44 years, when the single went to the top of the charts all over the world, in 2022, thanks to featuring in Stranger Things, season four. Kate, 64, told BBC Radio, “It’s so exciting. But it’s quite shocking really, isn’t it? I mean, the whole world’s gone mad.”
Stranger Things: Metallica, Master of Puppets
It wasn’t only Kate Bush who enjoyed a payday from Stranger Things – Metallica also re-entered the charts thanks to season four, last year. When Eddie Munson heroically played the guitar solo from 1986’s Master of Puppets to keep back the demobats, Metallica went Top 20 in Australia and charted in the US and UK. The band even posted a remix dedicated to Eddie on Instagram. Rock on.
The Last of Us: Linda Ronstadt, Long Long Time
Thanks to The Last of Us, Linda Ronstadt, 76, saw her hit Long Long Time re-enter the charts this year, after, yes, a long, long time. The single was first released in 1970 and peaked at number 25 in the American Billboard charts and Linda was nominated for a Grammy. After the series used the song heavily in episode three, the single went to number three in the US iTunes chart and has been streamed 10 million times on Spotify.
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