'Stranger Things,’ ‘Bridgerton’ and other TV shows that gave songs another life

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Thanks to TV shows like "Stranger Things" and "Bridgerton," songs that were once popular, some even decades ago, have been revived and introduced to new audiences.

Musical scores in both movies and TV shows may go unnoticed by viewership. However, scenes are often crafted to emphasize the score, rather than the actors or the scene itself.

The following popular TV shows put a significant stamp on various songs that once lost their edge only to be found again by future generations.

"One Tree Hill" used Gavin DeGraw's "I Don't Want to Be" as the theme song for the show. (Gregory Pace/FilmMagic)

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1. "Stranger Things"
2. "Umbrella Academy"
3. "Bridgerton"
4. "One Tree Hill"
5. "The Sopranos," "Glee" and "Laguna Beach"
6. "Wednesday"

1. ‘Stranger Things’  

Seeing that "Stranger Things" is set in the '80s, the well-received supernatural TV show has offered audience members a look back at many songs from the past.

Specifically, the 1985 hit song "Running Up That Hill" by Kate Bush was repopularized during season 4.

Snippets from the song are heard, beginning in the first episode of season 4, as character Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) listens to the song in an attempt to keep herself grounded and safe from the evil Vecna.

Sadie Sink starred in the memorable scene that features Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" in "Stranger Things." (Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

The most memorable scene, and where most of the song is leveraged, is in episode 4, season 4, where Mayfield is frantically running away from Vecna in order to get back to her friends.

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Metallica's "Master of Puppets" is another song that reappeared on music charts following the aired episodes of "Stranger Things."

The guitar solo from the 1986 rock song is played by "Stranger Things" actor Joseph Quinn in the finale of season 4. In the show, Quinn, who plays Eddie Munson, performs an upside-down guitar solo while red lightning appears in the background.

Metallica recognized the songs' resurgence due to the show, and performed the hit for fans during their Lollapalooza set in 2022. The performance embraced the newfound love and showed Eddie and upside-down scenes on their big screen backgrounds.

2. ‘Umbrella Academy’

Season 1, episode 1, of 2019 drama TV show "Umbrella Academy" sees the Hargreeves siblings spontaneously breaking into dance to Tiffany's 1987 cover of "I Think We're Alone Now," helping the song to become popular once again.

"I Was Made For Lovin' You," originally released by Kiss in 1979, is another song that saw an uptick in streams after being used in season 2 of the series starring Aidan Gallagher, Elliot Page, Robert Sheehan and Tom Hopper.

3. ‘Bridgerton’

"Bridgerton" masterfully combines modern music into a story set during the Regency era. This is frequently done in the show through orchestral covers of songs like "In My Blood," "Sign of the Times," "Wrecking Ball" and "Dancing on My Own." 

"Bridgerton" uses many modern songs in the story set during the Regency era. (Chona Kasinger/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Madonna's "Material Girl," originally released in 1984, was one song that was used in season 2 of the show in an orchestral version. 

Through the use of this song in "Bridgerton," the hit appeared to be used by creators on TikTok, and reappeared on music charts nearly 40 years after its release.

4. ‘One Tree Hill’

"One Tree Hill" used American singer and songwriter Gavin DeGraw's 2003 song "I Don't Want to Be" as its introductory theme. The song is from his debut album, "Chariot."

"One Tree Hill" producer Joe Davola reached out to DeGraw for permission to use the song in the TV show. DeGraw, who doesn't tune into TV, said "absolutely not," according to a 2022 interview with "The Bobby Bones Show." However, DeGraw was convinced due to the fact that he was in need of the money at the time.

DeGraw's music, especially "I Don't Want to Be," was widely played by audiences due to its association with the drama TV series. Over 20 years later, the song is still popular among fans.

Singer, songwriter and producer T-Pain recently released a rendition of "I Don't Want to Be" as part of a live album. The cover is available on streaming platforms.

5. ‘The Sopranos,’ ‘Glee’ and ‘Laguna Beach’

What does a crime drama, a musical and a reality show all have in common? They all used "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey as a musical score in TV episodes. Because of this, the 1981 classic has peaked in streams a number of times throughout various decades.

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The song from the early 80s was first heard again on MTV's 2004 reality series "Laguna Beach." It was used in the premiere of season 2, which caused the song to creep into the iTunes Top 10.

Then, in 2007, the song was used in the widely discussed series finale of "The Sopronos" 

The show was already popular among television fans. However, following the controversial finale, more viewers tuned into the show from the start. The Journey song became a staple memory of the drama and today, remains a talking point for fans.

Being that "Glee" was a music-based show, there were many songs covered by the cast throughout the series. (FOX Image Collection via Getty Images)

Music is a major premise of the TV show "Glee." Because of this, many songs, old and new, were sung by cast members of the show. "Don't Stop Believin'" was heard multiple times throughout the show's development. It was first sung in the first episode of season 1.

6. ‘Wednesday’

One of the most widely discussed scenes in the 2022 Netflix horror "Wednesday" was when Wednesday Addams, played by Jenna Ortega, is seen dancing to "Goo Goo Muck" by The Cramps.

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The song is heard in episode 4 of the show.

The scene went viral on social media, and many fans recreated the dance to a sped-up version of Lady Gaga's "Bloody Mary," including the singer herself.