Thanks to the prevalence of streaming platforms and social media, it's become easier than ever for a song to be catapulted to the top of the charts. And combining hot pop tracks with must-see TV is a recipe for a viral moment — and a boost in sales for music makers.
For some artists, licensing music to a popular show is one of the fastest ways to rack up streams and downloads, attract a wider audience, and secure a new stream of revenue. sLuckily for music makers who hope to land a sync deal on a major streamer, the market is thriving. In the first half of 2022, synchronization royalties were valued at $178 million according to the Recording Industry Association of America's mid-year report — a $50 million increase compared to the same period in 2020.
While sync licensing can offer exposure to new talent, it can also introduce older artists to a new wave of fans — see Harry Nilsson's dozen or so uses in "Russian Doll," which brought the singer renewed attention 25 years after his death — or elevate a song from obscurity, as with Malvina Reynolds, whose 1962 song "Little Boxes" became the theme song for the Emmy-winning Showtime dramedy "Weeds."
As syncs gain ground in the music industry, expect more pop hits from yesteryear to make a viral comeback — and some, like Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill," may break world records in the process. Check out seven pop tracks that experienced a resurgence on TV. Spoilers ahead.
"Running Up That Hill" Unlocked The Key To Survival
From memes of Eleven stealing waffles to epic Halloween displays, the hit Netflix show "Stranger Things" has had its fair share of viral success across social media — including breathing life into classic rock songs from the '80s. When music supervisor Nora Felder was tasked with finding the perfect song for the showdown between Vecna and Max in the season 4 episode "Dear Billy," Kate Bush's alt-rock classic "Running Up That Hill" was high on the list.
"It immediately struck me with its deep chords of the possible connection to Max’s emotional struggles and took on more significance as Bush’s song marinated in my conscious awareness," Fedler told Variety in 2022.
The song, which peaked at No. 30 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1985, was an instant hit among "Stranger Things" fans. Shortly after season 4 hit Netflix, Bush landed the first Top 10 Billboard 100 hit of her career; the song reentered the charts and peaked at No. 4. And on the heels of this milestone, the visionary singer will take her place alongside the greatest artists in music history when she gets inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame later this year.
"Long Long Time" Underscored A Post-Apocalyptic Love Story
Toward the end of one of the most touching episodes of 2023, HBO's post-apocalyptic drama "The Last of Us" brought fans to tears when "Long Long Time" crackled to life on an old truck radio, punctuating the love story between two beloved characters. Linda Ronstadt's GRAMMY-nominated 1970 ballad of enduring unrequited love received a huge bump on the streaming, racking up a 4,000-percent increase in streams on Spotify alone.
"I knew that song needed to hit certain things about longing and aching and endlessly unrequited love," Craig Mazin, TLOS director and executive producer, told Variety. "I could not find the right song for the life of me. I was trying and trying, and then I texted my friend Seth Rudetsky, who is the host of SiriusXM on Broadway and a savant. I told him, ‘Here’s all the things I need,’ and two seconds later: Linda Ronstadt, 'Long, Long Time.' I was like, there it is. That’s it!"
"Drive" Highlighted Characters' Motivations, On & Off The Road
When selecting a song for "Beef" — a show about a pair of elder millennials on a mission to destroy each other's lives over a road-rage incident — Incubus' breakthrough single "Drive" might not be the first track to come to mind. Even though the characters are introduced to each other while driving, music supervisor Tiffany Anders and "Beef" creator Lee Sung Jin chose the song because it touches on how fear can drive a person's behaviors and actions.
Anders and the creators used the 1999 track in two different ways. First, Danny (Steven Yeun) offers a compelling performance in front of an audience of adoring parishioners. As the credits roll, Danny's cover transitions into the track by Incubus. Thanks to the sync, "Drive" received a 15-percent bump in streams while quadrupling its weekly digital downloads shortly after the series launched on Netflix. After a clip of Yeun's performance went viral, Incubus lead singer Brandon Boyd uploaded his playful reaction to the cover on TikTok.
"Cornflake Girl" Drew Lyrical Connections In A '90s Teen Drama
From props and dialogue to a stacked musical lineup, the Showtime drama "Yellowjackets" is a love letter to the 1990s. The gripping, suspense series follows the aftermath of a plane crash that leaves an all-girl high school soccer team stranded in the middle of nowhere with a narrative that unfolds in 1996 and the present day. To reinforce the nostalgia, the series brought in a slew of actors from hit '90s movies to play present-day versions of the distressed high schoolers: Juliette Lewis, Christina Ricci and Lauren Ambrose.
The sounds of the '90s are also given new life in the series. Among them, Tori Amos' 1994 single "Cornflake Girl" was deployed during a pivotal scene in the season 2 opener. (The song also closes out an episode of the A24 revenge comedy "Beef.") "The lyrics in connection with the ending of the first episode felt like a befitting underlying message," music supervisor Nora Felder, who also revived Bush's "Running Up That Hill," told Variety.
"I’ve always felt that the meanings behind Tori Amos’ lyrics tend to be multi-layered, which adds to their fascination. When I first heard 'Cornflake Girl,' my take on its core meaning was that it deals primarily with betrayals between women," Felder continued. "'Cornflake Girl' adds to the anticipation of things to come with these rich multilayered and downright compelling female characters, our Yellowjackets."
"I Was Made For Lovin' You" Brought Disco To The Battlefield
Released in 1979, KISS' platinum-selling hit marked a new era for the group and was initially met with criticism for featuring elements of disco, instead of the band's usual hard rock. Decades later, "The Umbrella Academy" ushered the track back into the pop-culture conversation — for an epic fight scene between a group of assassins known as the Swedes and series' heroes Lila, Diego and Five.
More than four decades after its release, "I Was Made for Lovin' You" received over 4 million U.S. streams in August 2020, a month after the Emmy-nominated series' launch.
Based on the graphic novels created by My Chemical Romance's Gerard Way, the Netflix superhero series is known for repurposing pop anthems for fight scenes. Included in the soundtrack are They Might Be Giants' "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)" in the pilot and Frank Sinatra's "My Way" in the season 2 opener.
"Master Of Puppets" Summoned The Underworld In The Most Metal Way Possible
Season 4 of "Stranger Things" had another knock-out musical moment, courtesy of GRAMMY-winning heavy metal rockers Metallica. In the season finale, edgy fan-favorite Eddie Munson attempts to draw Vecna's underlings' attention in the Upside Down by playing the title track of the band's 1986 album as loudly as possible.
"It was another one of those ‘it has to be this song,’ moments," Felder told Variety. "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. No other song was discussed further, and we jumped in to clear it straight away."
Metallica embraced the song's resurgence and expressed gratitude for the wave of love being shared across social media for the influential thrash metal banger. "It’s an incredible honor to be such a big part of Eddie’s journey and to once again be keeping company with all of the other amazing artists featured in the show," the band said in a statement about the track which received a 400 percent bump in streams after the series launch.
"Goo Goo Muck" Made Wednesday Addams Go Viral
This supernatural horror comedy follows the clever and morose Wednesday Addams as she tries to find the culprit behind a local murder spree while navigating the never-ending drama at Nevermore High. As with all great series about high schoolers, there's always peak drama at the school dance. Wednesday's spin on the trope took social media by storm thanks to a dance sequence set to the Cramps' 1981 psychobilly cover of "Goo Goo Muck."
Across TikTok and YouTube, fans donned their best Wednesday getup to recreate her dance routine, giving the novelty song about a monster that lurks at night a major bump in streams and a new lease on life. According to Billboard, two weeks after the show hit the streaming platform, listeners in the U.S. streamed "Goo Goo Muck" more than 2 million times.
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