Stella Taylor

An old vinyl spins on a record player.

A well-placed song in movies and television can bring back old songs. From classic hits to forgotten tracks, a scene can introduce older music to a younger generation, proving that great music will never truly be forgotten.

When an older song is “revived,” it sparks popularity among both a new and existing audience.

“It’s almost like I get to hear the song for the first time through someone else’s experience and it makes me appreciate the song all over again,” the former bassist of the local band Spindle and AC Chris Rebholz said.

In 2022, Kate Bush’s 1985 hit ‘Running Up That Hill’ topped global charts after its use in the fourth season of Stranger Things.

The show made the song reach the Billboard Hot 100 about 40 years after its initial release.

“I first watched Stranger Things when it came out and the 80s vibe and music made me really curious about not only the music but also the fashion and just overall trends,” Ashley Cestary (9) said.

While watching Stranger Things, Xander Bailey (9) also discovered the song ‘Running Up That Hill’.

“I think the song really made the scene all that more thrilling and I enjoyed listening to 80’s music when watching an 80’s themed show,” Bailey said.

The right song paired with the right moment can evoke several emotions out of an audience, including sadness, joy, and oftentimes nostalgia. Viewers who grew up with the song might feel a sense of connection. 

“Whoever made that show clearly wanted to get the real 80s vibe and really reached back into the pop culture of that era to try and make Stranger Things feel 80s authentic and so for people who didn’t grow up in the 80s at all they can feel what the 80s felt like. And for people who did grow up in the 80s, it gives them a little nostalgia kick,” History and pop culture teacher Kym Grillot said. 

The Hollywood industry is anything but cheap, so if producers can save money on music while still having people connect to a song, they’ll jump at the opportunity.

“I think people who work in Hollywood are always looking for something new and different and to create something brand new is really expensive so if you can use something that’s already made and just pay copyright fees..that saves Hollywood money,” Grillot said.

Younger people often enjoy older music because it is something different than what’s tackling the charts at the moment.

“Right now there’s a certain musical style, we focus on individual performers..But in the 80’s it was all about bands, and so because young people aren’t hearing that now, it sounds new and fresh..so your kids will go back and listen to everything you’re listening to now. And it’s going to sound new and fresh to them because something else will become new,” Grillot said

There will always be new songs and new artists, but that does not mean people are forgetting about the older ones. Just because the song isn’t getting constantly streamed does not mean it’s non-existent anymore. A great song is not defined by numbers. 

At the end of the day, music in movies and TV shows connects generations through songs that define the past while also introducing it to new audiences. As long as great songs continue to resonate, they will never truly fade away.