David Bowie’s "Heroes" sees huge surge in streaming after Stranger Things finale

6 January 2026, 12:21 | Updated: 6 January 2026, 13:18

David Bowie at the 36th Cannes Film Festival in 1983. Picture: Raph GATTI / AFP via Getty Images

By Jenny Mensah

The late icon’s 1977 single played out over the credit sequence in the last-ever episode of Netflix's hit sci-fi show.

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David Bowie's "Heroes" has witnessed a surge in streams following the Stranger Things finale.

The late icon’s 1977 single – which comes from his 12th album of the same name – played out over the credit sequence in the last-ever episode of the hit Netflix sci-fi show, which was released on New Year’s Day (1st January 2026).

Now, according to Rolling Stone, it has been revealed that "Heroes" has seen an uplift of almost 500 per cent on streaming services since the show concluded just six days ago.

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The news comes after it emerged that one of the show's stars Joe Keery was behind the decision to feature the song at the end of the show.

It turns out that Keery - who played Steve Harrington in the hit sci-fi show and and releases music under the alias Djo - is responsible for "Heroes" being the show's final track, suggesting the idea to its creators The Duffer Brothers.

“It was actually Joe Keery who suggested that we do the Bowie version,” Ross Duffer told Netflix's Tudum.“Once Joe said that, we immediately knew that was the right song to end the show on because it is, in some ways, an anthem for Stranger Things. To use the original Bowie version just felt fitting for the conclusion.”

Stranger Things star Joe Keery, Stranger Things s5 poster, David Bowie performs Heroes on Bing Crosby's Merrie Olde Christmas. Picture: Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty, Netflix, TV Times via Getty Images

David Bowie's official Instagram account reflected the news with a post which showcased outtakes from the icon's Heroes album cover.

It included in the caption: "New Year’s Day saw the broadcast on Netflix of the final episode of the phenomenally successful and critically lauded Stranger Things. Ten years in the making, the final song of the entire series is "Heroes" by David Bowie, one of music’s boldest innovators and most enduring visionaries.

"After the final scene of Series 5 Episode 8 plays, the show doesn’t jump to its typical credits sequence. Instead, it rolls into a nostalgic animated end-credits segment and lets Bowie’s “Heroes” play all the way through."