‘Stranger Things 4’: Metallica’s ‘Master of Puppets’ Is Getting the Kate Bush Treatment
Following the release of Stranger Things Season 4 Vol. 1 on May 27, Kate Bush’s 1985 single “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” saw a resurgence in popularity. More than a month later, it remains at the top of Spotify’s Global chart, broke three Guinness World Records, and became Bush’s first Top 10 hit in the U.S. Now, it’s time for Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” to shine. Here’s what Stranger Things has already done for “Master of Puppets” on music charts.
Eddie Munson shreds Metallica’s ‘Master of Puppets’ in ‘Stranger Things 4’
In the epic Stranger Things 4 finale, Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) pulls out his electric guitar for a solo on the roof of his trailer. He plays Metallica’s “Master of Puppets,” which was first released in 1986, to attract a swarm of monstrous bats in the Upside Down. The guitar solo prefaces Eddie’s final heroic act before his death, so many fans are listening to “Master of Puppets” as a way to remember the beloved character.
On July 5, Metallica took to Instagram to give Stranger Things and its creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, a shoutout. The metal band said they were “beyond psyched” to see “Master of Puppets” have such a huge spotlight in the finale.
“The way the Duffer brothers have incorporated music into Stranger Things has always been next level, so we were beyond psyched for them to not only include ‘Master of Puppets’ in the show, but to have such a pivotal scene built around it,” the post read. “We were all stoked to see the final result and when we did, we were totally blown away … it’s so extremely well done. So much so, that some folks were able to guess the song just by seeing a few seconds of Joseph Quinn’s hands in the trailer!!”
Metallica concluded the post by calling it an “honor” to play a role in Eddie’s journey.
‘Master of Puppets’ is climbing the charts
Since Stranger Things 4 Vol. 2’s release on July 1, “Master of Puppets” has climbed to the No. 1 spot on the iTunes rock chart, according to New York Post. Meanwhile, it reached the Top 30 overall on iTunes. Over on Spotify, “Master of Puppets” sits at No. 14 on the Global Chart as of July 5. On Apple Music, the song is in the 25th spot on the Top 100 USA playlist.
“Master of Puppets” is the eight-minute-long title track of Metallica’s 1986 album. The album peaked at No. 29 on the Billboard 200 chart and has been certified six times platinum. “Master of Puppets” has also become one of Metallica’s most-played songs.
How ‘Stranger Things’ chose to include Metallica’s song in the finale
In an interview with Variety, Stranger Things music supervisor Nora Felder revealed that the Duffer brothers always knew they wanted “Master of Puppets” for that scene.
“This part of the story was anticipated to be a pivotal and especially hair-raising scene in which Eddie heroically stood tall for the fight of his life. I believe the Duffer brothers felt that playing ‘Master of Puppets’ throughout the extended scene was the clear choice,” Felder said. “No other song was discussed further, and we jumped in to clear it straight away.”
Felder added that she went to Metallica’s management team with a clear pitch for the scene. The band agreed to let Stranger Things use “Master of Puppets.”
“I wanted to be respectful in making sure that Metallica fully understood what context the song was being used in, plus how integral it was to the scene and for this exciting new character, Eddie Munson, who no one had met yet in previous seasons,” Felder continued.
Stranger Things 4 is now streaming on Netflix. Fans of Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” can listen to the track on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and more.
