Prince classics ‘When Doves Cry’ & ‘Purple Rain’ surge on Spotify following Stranger Things finale

Post date: 6 January 2026

Reading time 2 minutes

Written by Ouranios Savva

6 January 2026

2 minutes · By Ouranios Savva

The mastermind behind some of the most iconic tracks of all time, Prince engraved his name in the pantheon of greats, with his music inspiring generations to this very day. Illustrating just that, two of his classics were used as soundtracks in the season finale of Netflix’s hit show, Stranger Things, and in turn, have now had a surge in Spotify streams, as they have more than doubled since the fifth and final season aired.

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Prince’s classics ‘When Doves Cry’ and ‘Purple Rain’ have surged on Spotify following their use in the season finale of Stranger Things.

Utilised during some crucial scenes of the show, the two tracks in question are Prince’s 1984 hits ‘When Doves Cry’ and ‘Purple Rain,’ with the former seeing a 200% rise in global Spotify streams, and a 128% rise in Gen Z listeners, whilst the latter has seen a 243% rise in global Spotify streams, and a 577% boost in Gen Z-related streams worldwide. Moreover, the total streams of Prince’s Spotify catalogue have increased by 190%, with an 88% rise in Gen Z streams also evident.

A clear indicator towards the impact that highly popular series such as Stranger Things can have on the wider audience(s), Prince is one of a number of artists to have seen their music gain even further traction when used on the various seasons of this particular show, and as the newer generations get a glimpse of the greatness of the past, it is only fair to say that such outcomes can be beneficial for all parties involved, in more ways than one. Intriguing to say the least, don’t forget to leave your own thoughts in the comments section!