Have you ever been watching a film or TV show and discovered a song that you love, only to find out later that it was released decades before?
It is not uncommon for films and TV shows/series to use previously released music, and it tends to pay off. The songs often regain popularity, appearing in the charts and reaching a brand new, and often younger, audience that it may not have been able to attract when first released, whether that be due to taste or age.
A key example to look at to see this revival of music would be Stranger Things season 4.
Please do not read this paragraph if you wish to avoid spoilers.
Stranger Things as a whole has brought about a resurgence in popularity of 80's music, however in season 4 there is a very specific example of this. During numerous scenes in the season, we can see and hear that the character Max is listening to ‘Running Up that Hill (A Deal with God)’ by Kate Bush on her Walkman. The song was released in 1985, aligning with the decade in which the series is set, whilst season 4 of Stranger Things aired on Netflix in 2022. One particular scene and sequence is centered around the use of the song, in which it is used to save Max from the villain Vecna by awakening her consciousness from his grasp. This sequence is referred to as a key part of season 4 and is why ‘Running Up that Hill (A Deal with God)’ is associated with it. Due to Netflix’s decision to use the song, it gained popularity and began to air on the radio and climb the charts once again, despite first entering the charts in August 1985. The show's use of the song provides clear evidence of the power that film and TV can hold over music. In 2022, 37 years after its initial release where it peaked at number 30, the song managed to reach number 3 in the Billboard Hot 100, and stayed at number 1 for 3 weeks in the UK charts.
There are many other instances of increases in the popularity of songs due to their use in films and TV shows/series. Some more recent examples include ‘Talking in Your Sleep’ by The Romantics (1983) appearing throughout Five Nights at Freddy’s (2022), ‘Something in the Way’ by Nirvana (1991) being used in The Batman (2022), and ‘Murder on The Dancefloor’ by Sophie Ellis Bextor (2001) featuring in Saltburn (2023), amongst many others.
However, it is not only songs themselves that are being revived through film and TV, but also styles of music. A very current example of this, with the second part of its 3rd season having been released on 13th June, is Bridgerton. The Bridgerton soundtrack is composed of a classical and orchestral score, with orchestral covers of contemporary songs including songs by Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift, Coldplay, and more. Although there are many pre-existing fans of classical and orchestral musical styles, Bridgerton, and other films and shows in the same sub-genre, have boosted the popularity of this genre of music and welcomed a widespread number of new fans.
There is no doubt as to the power that film and TV holds in the revival of music, its styles, and its genres. It brings to question what songs or genres will be revived next and what the future of music’s use in film and TV will look like.
WORDS BY GRACE PATIENT
PROOFREADING BEA GOMES
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