Stranger Things Music: How a TV Show Reignited the Love for 80s Synths

Stranger Things Music: How a TV Show Reignited the Love for ’80s Synths

And Why Producers Still Feel Its Impact Today

When Stranger Things first dropped in 2016, most people talk about the story, the characters, or the whole upside-down vibe.
But if you’re a music producer, chances are the sound hit you just as hard.

That dark, slow-burning synth theme.
Those eerie arps.
That unmistakable analog tension.

The score, composed by Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein (from the synth band S U R V I V E), instantly became part of the show’s DNA. You could literally recognize the series within the first few notes. And what’s interesting: the music works even without the visuals. You can just listen to it and see the world of Stranger Things in your head.

That doesn’t happen often.

What they nailed perfectly was the balance:
pure ’80s nostalgia, but produced in a way that still feels relevant today. Not dusty. Not gimmicky. Just emotional, cinematic, and raw in the right places.

For a lot of people — especially younger listeners — this was the first real exposure to analog-style synth music. And for many producers, it quietly re-ignited an obsession we maybe had parked somewhere in the back of our brains.

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The Synth Sound That Made It Feel Real

One big reason the Stranger Things soundtrack feels so authentic is how obsessively Dixon & Stein leaned into real vintage gear.

They weren’t just “going for a retro vibe” — they actually used the same types of instruments that shaped ’80s soundtracks and records in the first place. Synths like the Prophet series, Oberheim gear, and classic ARP machines were all over their setup.

And you can hear it.

There’s movement in the sound.
Tiny tuning drifts.
Slight inconsistencies that make chords feel alive instead of frozen.

Those aren’t mistakes — that’s the magic.

Anyone who has ever worked with analog gear knows this: two notes played twice are never exactly the same. And that’s what gives the music its emotional weight. It breathes. It feels human. That’s why the Stranger Things score doesn’t just sit in the background — it pulls you into the scene.

In a way, the show reminded a whole new generation that electronic music doesn’t have to be ultra-clean and hyper-perfect to be powerful.

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From TV Scenes to Global Charts: The “Stranger Things Effect”

The impact didn’t stop with the score.

Probably the most insane example is Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush.

A song from 1985 suddenly exploded in 2022 — hitting #1 in multiple countries, breaking chart records, and becoming unavoidable on streaming platforms and social media. A track that was already legendary found an entirely new audience almost 40 years later.

And then came Master of Puppets by Metallica.

Not exactly a synthwave track — but same effect. After that Season 4 scene, streams went through the roof, the song entered charts it had never touched before, and suddenly teenagers were wearing Metallica shirts again.

That’s when the industry really started talking about the “Stranger Things effect”:
one placement, one scene, and decades-old music gets a second life.

For producers, that was a huge reminder of how powerful sound + storytelling can be when it’s done right.

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Analog Imperfections: Why That Sound Still Works

One thing Stranger Things indirectly brought back into focus is the beauty of imperfection.

Back in the ’80s, music was shaped by limitations:

• hardware synths

• tape machines

• noisy signal paths

• drifting oscillators

And instead of fighting those flaws, artists leaned into them.

The Stranger Things sound design does exactly that. Slight instability. Subtle saturation. A bit of wobble. Nothing extreme — just enough to give the sound character.

As producers today, we have infinite options. Infinite plugins. Infinite presets.
But sometimes that actually works against the vibe.

The Stranger Things score is a reminder that committing to a sound — and letting it be a little imperfect — often hits harder emotionally than endlessly polishing something until all personality is gone.

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Why Synthwave Came Back (And Never Really Left)

After Stranger Things, you could feel it everywhere.

Pop, dark pop, EDM, techno, cinematic music — suddenly everyone wanted:

• analog-style pads

• nostalgic leads

• vintage basses

• retro drum textures

Artists like The Weeknd leaned heavily into that neon-soaked synth aesthetic, and producers across all genres followed.

At the same time, modern tools made it easier than ever to get those sounds without owning a room full of hardware. Synths like Xfer Serum (especially Serum 2) became perfect platforms to recreate that vibe — if done properly.

That also explains why analog-inspired preset packs exploded. Producers wanted the feel of vintage gear, but with modern punch, clarity, and workflow.

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Turning That Vibe into a Usable Tool

That exact idea is what led to Stranger Serum Synths.

The goal wasn’t to clone Stranger Things — but to capture the feeling behind it:
nostalgia, darkness, warmth, tension.

A lot of time went into mimicking analog behaviors inside Serum:

• subtle detuning drift

• gentle saturation

• movement inside static sounds

So when you hit a key, it doesn’t feel flat or sterile — it feels alive.

The pack is meant for producers who want that cinematic, retro-inspired sound but still need it to work in modern productions: dark pop, techno, synthwave, film cues, or anything emotional and moody.

No hardware needed. No complicated chains. Just sounds that sit right.

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Final Thoughts

Stranger Things is a perfect example of how music can shape culture.

It didn’t just support the visuals — it created emotion, revived forgotten sounds, and even pushed decades-old songs back into the charts. At the same time, it reminded producers why analog synths — and their imperfections — still matter.

Today, that influence is everywhere.
And thanks to modern tools, anyone can tap into that world without sacrificing workflow or sound quality.

If there’s one takeaway from all of this, it’s simple:

Sometimes looking back is exactly what pushes music forward.

— Timon / RAW GEMZ