Some TV shows just own certain songs, delivering unforgettable needle drops that you can’t hear without thinking of the show itself.
For example, long before it became a TikTok meme thanks to 2022’s The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Cass Elliot’s “Make Your Own Kind of Music” was inextricable from Lost. Elsewhere, Black Mirror‘s “San Junipero” is forever associated with Belinda Carlisle’s “Heaven Is a Place on Earth,” while The Last of Us made heartbreaking use of Linda Ronstadt’s “Long Long Time.”
Over its five-season run, Stranger Things has similarly taken honorary ownership of several songs. The Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go” proved a memorable bonding moment for Jonathan and Will Byers (Charlie Heaton and Noah Schnapp). Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” became Eddie Munson‘s (Joseph Quinn) anthem, so much so that Quinn actually jammed out with Metallica himself. And of course, Stranger Things Season 4 sent Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” back to the top of the charts, over 35 years after its initial release.
In Season 5, though, Stranger Things tries to take hold of a song that another Netflix show owns so thoroughly and completely, I’m shocked any other series would try to use it. I’m talking, of course, about Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Alone Now,” which, let’s be real, belongs to The Umbrella Academy.
The song appears in The Umbrella Academy‘s first-ever episode, when the Hargreeves siblings, fresh off their father’s death, dance along to it by themselves in their mansion. It’s the first image that pops into my head when I think of the show: the massive cross-section of the Umbrella Academy, with each of the Hargreeves letting loose in their own section of the house. It’s freeing, fun, and the perfect setup for The Umbrella Academy‘s offbeat tone (and killer soundtrack). Yet I fear Stranger Things tries to copy its magic in Season 5, episode 3.
Stranger Things‘ take on “I Think We’re Alone Now” comes after Henry Creel/Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) steals Holly Wheeler (Nell Fisher) away to a memory of the Creel House. Here, he gifts her pancake breakfasts, cute dresses, and a Tiffany cassette tape that plays — what else? — “I Think We’re Alone Now.” Cue a montage where Holly bakes herself a cake, tries on several outfits, and dances through Creel House.
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Yes, the montage is undeniably adorable, but it’s also eerily reminiscent of the scene from The Umbrella Academy. Huge mansion? Check. Solo dance sequence? Check. The sweet, sweet sounds of Tiffany? Check. All on a big Netflix genre show? Check.
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The similarities are downright blatant, to the point that I wondered if this was a bizarre Umbrella Academy homage meant to create synergy between two major Netflix IPs. After all, Stranger Things loves an homage… but mostly to ’80s nostalgia, not to a 21st-century show that just ended.
Here’s the thing: Just because The Umbrella Academy deployed “I Think We’re Alone Now” to perfection doesn’t mean it should be off the table for other shows to use in their own soundtrack. Netflix’s own Sex Education used The Rubinoos’ version of the song in its sex-fueled Season 3 opening. An “epic” version by Hidden Citizens made a memorable appearance in Paradise. Tiffany’s version also found its way into Yellowjackets Season 3, for a lovey-dovey montage that ends with a very abrupt death.
Each of these use cases recontextualizes “I Think We’re Alone Now,” often bringing in new covers. (Tiffany’s recording is itself a cover of the original by Tommy James & The Shondells.) Contrast that with Stranger Things, which makes the exact same use of the song as The Umbrella Academy.
Look, none of this is the end of the world. It’s just one needle drop! Yet for a show that has often featured some fun, inventive soundtrack choices — including an inspired use of Diana Ross’ “Upside Down,” whose title alone makes its pairing with Stranger Things inevitable — this one fell oddly flat. Maybe it’s time to leave onscreen solo dance parties set to “I Think We’re Alone Now” truly alone.
