Score (90)
Six Songs TV And The Web Brought Back For Good
If you haven’t heard by now, the latest season of Stranger Things is out and it’s catapulted an 80s pop song to viral hit status. Kate Bush’s 1985 electro pop hit Running Up That Hill was featured prominently in the first part of the show’s Season 4, and its subsequent popularity on the internet has made it even more loved than when it was first released.
Today, we’re rounding up six times TV and the internet have given new life to songs.
1. “Bohemian Rhapsody” - Wayne’s World
Everyone knows Queen’s “Bohamian Rhapsody” these days. But did you know that the song became a huge hit in the 1990s thanks to an iconic lip-syncing scene in 1992’s “Wayne’s World”? The movie, which was inspired by an SNL skit of the same name, opens with a hilarious scene of metalheads jamming to the song in a 1976 Pacer car. The movie introduced Queen to a whole new generation of listeners and made Bohemian Rhapsody a staple on MTV.
2. “(Don't Fear) The Reaper” - SNL Cowbell Sketch
The Blue Oyster Cult’s 1976 hit exploded again thanks to the star-studded 2000 SNL sketch “More Cowbell”. Will Ferrell, Christopher Walken and Jimmy Fallon recreate a comedic look at how the band recorded the song in what has since become one of the most popular SNL sketches of all time.
3. Dreams - Cranberry Juice Skateboarding TikTok
While big production TV and movies can breathe new life into an old track, so can something as simple as a skateboarding video on TikTok. In 2020, TikTok user Nathan Apocada posted a short clip of himself drinking cranberry juice and singing along to Fleetwood Mac’s 1977 hit while cruising along on his board. The wholesome vibe clip went viral, with approval from Stevie Nicks and new streaming milestones for the track. In fact, “Dreams” re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 thanks to the clip.
4. How To Save A Life - Grey’s Anatomy
The staple U.S. hospital drama Grey’s Anatomy often uses music to tie together episode themes and plotlines, but in 2007 its use of The Fray’s emotional ballad “How To Save A Life” became emblematic of the show and arguably brought the band 2005’s song into the mainstream. It was even used in a promo for Grey’s third season.
5. “Never Gonna Give You Up” - Rick Rolling
Rick Astley’s 1987 hit song was on its way to becoming a one-hit wonder, but the track became cemented in popular consciousness when it fell into one of the internet’s earliest memes. In 2008, 4chan users started “rick rolling” — a bait-and-switch prank where someone shares a link with the pretence that it's relevant to a conversation but it redirects back to Astley’s song. The meme has had an enduring legacy, and has inspired many modern renditions of the song in recent years
6. Don’t Stop Believin’ - Glee
Journey’s iconic rock song became a classic in the 1980s, but had a resurgence in popularity thanks to an acapella rendition of the song on the first season of Glee. In fact, their version ended up reaching higher in the charts than Journey’s original.
