
Last weekend I rewatched the first season of Stranger Things and was reminded how it has always been right on point with its musical selections. Songs that have been prominently featured include “Should I Stay Or Should I Go,” Peter Gabriel’s cover of “Heroes,” “Neverending Story,” “Master of Puppets,” and, of course, “Running Up That Hill.” After “Running Up That Hill” was first featured in season four, Kate Bush’s career got a huge bump and the song ended up hitting #3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In season five, Stranger Things’ music department did it again. The last hour of the finale featured a killer lineup of “When Doves Cry,” “Purple Rain,” “Landslide,” and Bowie’s OG version of “Heroes.” In the immediate aftermath, Prince’s music had a huge surge in streaming numbers, with a reported 88% increase among Gen Z. Now, the youths are loving Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac. “Landslide” just hit the Hot 100 for the first time.
Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” is getting its flowers. The iconic rock band’s 1975 song was recently featured in the series finale of Netflix’s Stranger Things on Dec. 31, and now the original recording is charting on the Billboard Hot 100 for the first time ever.
“Landslide” sits at No. 41 on the publication’s chart dated Jan. 17, thanks to 7 million streams, 888,000 radio audience impressions and 1,000 paid downloads, according to Luminate via Billboard.
Nicks responded to the inclusion of “Landslide” in Stranger Things with an Instagram Stories post on Tuesday, Jan. 20. “Thanks for including us in such an incredible series,” she wrote alongside a clip from the Netflix show from Fleetwood Mac’s Instagram grid.
The ballad, which features lyrics and vocals from Stevie Nicks as well as guitar from Lindsey Buckingham and production from Keith Olsen, was first released on the band’s 1975 self-titled album. Despite never charting its original recording on the Billboard Hot 100, “Landslide” is certified two times platinum by the RIAA for over 2 million units sold.
A live version of “Landslide” was released on Fleetwood Mac’s 1997 live album The Dance and subsequently issued as an official single for the first time. That version reached No. 51 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Nicks reflected on crafting the song’s lyrics about aging and looking toward the future in a 2014 interview with The New York Times. “I wrote ‘Landslide’ in 1973, when I was 27, and I did already feel old in a lot of ways. I’d been working as a waitress and a cleaning lady for years. I was tired,” she said at the time.
“Landslide” earned major chart success in 2003, thanks to a cover by country trio The Chicks. The cover, released on the band’s 2002 Home album, reached No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.
As an Elder Millennial who lists The Dance version of “Landslide” in her Top 10 (the one that starts with “This is for you, Daddy”), I find it so crazy that there’s a whole-ass generation out there who are possibly discovering this song for the first time. That’s awesome, though, because it is perfection. “Landslide” is used at the start of the epilogue, which flash-forwards 18 months into the future and shows how Hawkins is rebuilding and getting back to normal. It’s a perfectly valid, wonderfully cliche place to play it, especially because the finale ends with the remaining original party members plus Max leaving their childhood behind.
I love that Gens Z and Alpha are getting exposed to the music that I listened to while growing up, like Prince, Bowie, Metallica, Fleetwood Mac, and more. I recently found out that I’m almost the exact same age as the Duffer Brothers, which explains why I’ve always related to their music selections. But, man, if younger generations are just discovering Fleetwood Mac’s discography, I cannot wait for them to also learn their gossipy lure and how they made incredible music while being an absolute sh-tshow behind the scenes. Someone please, open the schools.


















It’s a brilliant, accessible way for younger generations to discover older music, so I’m all for this kind of exposure. I’m sure a lot of music “purists” will find a way to be elitist about it though.
When I was a GenX kid, we were all in love with 50s music following Stand by Me. We started listening to the 50s radio station and buying used albums. Yes, we even wore poodle skirts. But of course 80s music is where my heart is. So I love everything about this trend.
Unpopular opinion: The Chicks’ cover of Landslide is better than the original. I said what I said. 🤷🏾♀️
Hold my Jolt:
I prefer Pat Benatar’s version of “Wuthering Heights” to OG Kate Bush’s (and I love Kate).
Boooooo, *throws tomatoes.* Just kidding. It’s a good cover. I hope everything went well with the storm!
Ha! We did not lose power, thankfully. Hope y’all are doing well, too!
The original is not my favorite but fits well for Stranger Things. My favorite is from the FM Live album in 1980, you can just hear the exhaustion in Stevie’s voice and its just so real to me.
Even though I think Billy Corgan is insufferable, I love Smashing Pumpkins’ cover the most.
Stevie Nicks forever. 🌹🌙❤️
Hear hear!
Agree! 💯
Love that STEVIE’s still able to cash those cheques from songs from the 70s/80S! MY FAVORITE FEMALE SONGWRITER OF ALL TIME!
When my daughter was little (20 plus years ago) I remember her singing along with a KISS song. I was shocked and asked her how she knew it. Her answer- Scooby Doo. I love when shows sneak classic songs into kids music library!
Another unpopular opinion: Billy Corgan’s Landslide cover is pretty nice. Heard it live in concert at a Smashing Pumpkins concert and I’ve been a fan of it ever since.
I can’t listen to this song without getting choked up. I remember being a kid in the 80s and my mom was playing it, and I realized that one day my mom was going to get old, that we’d all god willing get old, and one day wouldn’t be here. Sometimes music unlocks levels of understanding that can’t be accessed in other ways.
Also, I think the Chicks version is beautiful but Stevie’s original embodies the weariness of the message so well. They are both great.
I introduced my kids to the Blues Brothers at a young age and my oldest insisted that we back up Minnie the Moocher and play it again.
I love how Gen Z listens to oldies and act like they discovered it. My teen will often be listening to something and then when I sing along she’ll say surprisingly “oh, you know that song?”. Um yea, duh!
I thought it was one more way that ST seemed to paying homage to movies from the 80s or even 90s, when the soundtracks were SO crucial even if the songs weren’t original. I mean my boys LOVE Cyndi Lauper because of the Goonies. Who didn’t own the Romeo and Juliet soundtrack in the 90s?!!? The music in ST was authentic to the time period and it just added an extra layer of nostalgia to the show.
That song always brings me to tears.
The fictional CBS series Cold Case also used this song to stunning effect. Amazing music choices in that show, as well…https://coldcase.fandom.com/wiki/Fireflies
I have it and everything else Stevie Nix on my iPod classic. I’m 74.
😉😉 A fellow iPod fan! I’ve got a few, and will never give them up. First time my music collection has been in one place and easily added to. Apple made a huge mistake discontinuing it…but, then big media companies want us to buy, not own.🙄🙄
Poetry in lyrics. Open the schools indeed. Stranger things was great fun until the one Duffer brother divorced. His wife clearly took all the good ideas and writing skills in the divorce settlement.