The Season 4 finale of “Stranger Things” took Metallica’s classic “Master of Puppets” to the top of the charts this weekend.
The iconic song (but inactive for about 40 years) ranks 1st among the most listened to rock songs on the iTunes platform and ranks 29th in the overall streaming chart. Also, this Monday it peaked at # 26 on Spotify’s world rankings (4/7).
This is the first time the Metallica recording has been commercially successful since its release in March 1986, repeating the phenomenon of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” that exploded when it was included in part 1 of “Stranger Things 4” .
According to the series’ music supervisor Nora Felder, the co-creators had written the song in the script since pre-production. “It was another one of those ‘must be this song’ moments,” she told Variety.
“I think the Duffer Brothers felt that playing ‘Master of Puppets’ for the whole extended scene was the right choice. No other songs were discussed and we decided to buy it immediately.”
The supervisor also added that the song, originally about drugs, serves as an analogy to the situation the characters face with Vecna. “Everyone has destructive powers, which rob people of their personal and essential strength,” he compared him.
“‘Master of Puppets’ is a very significant song in Metallica’s repertoire, and I think it’s considered a favorite in their live shows,” he pointed out. “I wanted Metallica to fully understand what context the song was being used in, as well as how integral it was to the scene and to this exciting new character, Eddie Munson, who no one had met in previous seasons,” he explained.
The band bought the idea at the presentation, without further discussion.
In the series, the song is played by the character Eddie Munson (Joseph Quinn) during the Hawkins teenage battle against the evil forces of villain Vecna.
Felder believes the track was perfect for Eddie, as it amplified the most emotional scene of Season 4 and aligned with the character’s “seemingly arrogant and abrasive public persona”.
And yes, it is the actor who plays the guitar in the scene. “Joseph took the time to learn the guitar riff and follow the record. Everyone thought he did a great job.”
However, despite the British actor’s scene drawing attention for his alleged musical prowess, Joseph Quinn assumed he received a little extra help for Eddie to do well on the pitch.
In an interview with Collider, the actor explained that he had played most of “Master of Puppets”, but needed a “black belt as a metal guitarist” for the insane and fast solo.
“I was lucky to play from a young age. But when I read the scripts, I bought the guitar and started practicing like crazy,” he said. “But the solo wasn’t mine. I’m not a mental heavy guitarist,” he admitted.
In this way, the “Stranger Things” series proved to be much more than a hit attraction, but also a great source of musical rescues.
Source: Terra
Emily Jhon is a product and service reviewer at Gossipify, known for her honest evaluations and thorough analysis. With a background in marketing and consumer research, she offers valuable insights to readers. She has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Marketing and Consumer Research from the University of Oxford.
