If you were to look at the charts over New Year, you’d be forgiven for thinking we had just entered 1986.
While the whole world was looking forward to 2026, the UK Top 40 was decidedly looking backwards, with the line-up dominated by the likes of Diana Ross, Tiffany, David Bowie and, of course, Kate Bush.
What was the impact of Stranger Things on vinyl?
While Netflix has largely given up on releasing Blu-rays (I was a big fan of the VHS-style collector’s editions they made for seasons one and two), the streaming giant been a lot more consistent with physical media on the audio side. Both the score and soundtrack for each season have had some rather nice vinyl releases.
Stranger Things 3: Music From the Netflix Original Series topped the US vinyl album charts back in July 2019 according to Billboard, while the more recent Stranger Things: The WSQK Collection reached number three last month.
Here in good ol’ Blighty, Stranger Things: Soundtrack From The Netflix Series, Season 5 reached number two on Amazon‘s vinyl charts (on pre-order) despite the album not releasing until 30th January, and has now sold out.
Songs featured in the show also had a vinyl resurgence. Prince’s Purple Rain jumped back into the vinyl album charts at number 25 according to the Official Charts, after Stranger Things became the first TV show to be granted the rights to use the title track. Fleetwood Mac’s Greatest Hits also reappeared in the vinyl album charts at number 28 after Landslide was used in the finale.
It’s not quite as prominent as the impact on the overall UK Top 40, which saw Prince, Kate Bush, The Police and Fleetwood Mac all crack the top 20 at the start of January. But there is clearly some overlap between vinyl and Stranger Things fans – so who knows which inspired the other?
What was the impact of Stranger Things on turntables?
Following the season four finale, eagle-eyed fans at EDM.com were able to deduce that a turntable used in a school ball scene was the Technics SL-1200MK2, a classic turntable popular with DJs after Technics changed the rotary pitch control to a slider style.
The 1979 model had long since been discontinued, but proved there was at least an appetite for turntables amongst Stranger Things fans.
So in November 2025 Victrola then partnered with the show for the Victrola Stranger Things WSQK Bluetooth Turntable & Speakers, named after the WSQK radio station that featured prominently in season five.
It was very much a novelty set for collectors and fans rather than for dedicated audiophiles, but it may well have been someone’s gateway drug into the world of vintage hi-fi. There are no sales numbers available, but a promotional video of the set became one of Victrola’s most-watched TikToks ever, with over 69,000 views.
It’s also worth noting that the turntable and vinyl market did experience significant growth since Stranger Things premiered, with UK vinyl sales growing from 3.2 million sales in 2016 to 7.6 million in 2025 according to the British Phonographic Industry. This was, of course, hardly down to one Netflix series alone, but it is interesting that the retro revival occurred while nostalgia had pop culture in a vice-like grip.
While the ’80s have largely been rinsed for forgotten hits and throwback references, it does make you wonder what the next nostalgic streaming sensation will be. Perhaps a ’90s-set series will see grunge-loving teens save the world with a MiniDisc?
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