Season five of Netflix’s hit original series Stranger Things debuted to over 50 million viewers, according to Variety magazine, making it the biggest English-language show debut in Netflix’s history. While many are polarized over the quality of the hit show’s final season, no one can doubt the massive impact the show has had on streaming culture and on popular culture as a whole.
However, Stranger Things isn’t the first hit streaming-exclusive show, and it’s not even the first hit exclusive show on Netflix. Shows like Orange Is the New Black and House of Cards have previously had huge cultural impacts in the shift from traditional television to streaming platforms in the early 2010s, but nothing has had the physical cultural impact as Stranger Things has had.
In case you don’t know, the first season of Stranger Things was released on July 15th, 2016, written by the Duffer Brothers and was only meant to be a single-season short sci-fi series. It began with the story of the strange disappearance of a boy named Will Byers on a fall night in 1983, following his family and friends as they venture to find him, only to discover a whole other dimension beyond their world and find a mysterious girl named Eleven. It was an immediate (and surprise) smash hit because of the amazing performances of the cast and the unique story, and since then four more seasons have been released continuing along the same story, even developing a stage play on Broadway, “Stranger Things: The First Shadow”, as well as multiple spin-off shows on the way.
The biggest cultural impact Stranger Things made was the revival of 80s fashion and music. Songs like “Should I Stay or Should I Go” by The Clash and “Every Breath You Take” by The Police became focal points during key memorable moments in the show, and had a revival amongst fans of the show both young and old upon its use. Most notably, Kate Bush’s 1985 song “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” went viral on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram, leading the song to top music charts in multiple countries, including the UK, despite being released over 40 years ago. The show even shocked viewers in the season finale by playing Prince hits “Purple Rain” and “When Doves Cry”, which were considered to be impossible to get the rights to play in shows and movies.
Stranger Things has also brought nostalgic 80s fashion to a Gen Z audience. The use of vibrant colors and more classic fabrics became very appealing to viewers. The representation of staple 80s brands like Levi’s and Nike, despite still being mainstream in 2026, became much more popular again among casual wearers. This connection back to the vibrancy of 80s fashion not only revives otherwise dead trends, but allows Gen Z to connect with an older audience. “This show introduced me to many styles of 80’s culture which allowed me to appreciate the show’s representation of pop culture,” said Sewanhaka junior Remy Caballes, who is an avid fan of the show. “Stranger Things introduced me to 80’s culture and has helped me incorporate it into my daily fashion choices and music taste,” said Sewanhaka eighth grader Andrew McCool.
Stranger Things has been the catalyst of so many trends and revived arts, from fashion, to music, to Dungeons & Dragons, and it’s hard to believe how the pop culture landscape would look without Stranger Things in 2026.
