Photo by Metallica/Stranger Things
Although Metallica’s heavy metal classic Master of Puppets was released 36 years ago, the song has been sweeping social media since its inclusion in the hit series Stranger Things 4 finale. The episode featured beloved ’80s metalhead Eddie Munson, played by Joseph Quinn, shredding on his guitar to the song in order to save the world so it’s no surprise viewers would be so drawn to the tune.
Since the epic scene that aired on July 1st, Master of Puppets has reached over 17.5 million streams, proving the power of Netflix’s influence. The song has been a sensation amongst adults and kids of all ages, many of whom have also tackled the song on guitar as a tribute to Eddie. Similarly to Kate Bush’s 1985 song Running Up That Hill which has also gone viral because of the sci-fi series, Master of Puppets is now in the Hot 100 for the first time ever. It seems the song is even more popular than when it was released on July 2nd, 1986 during the heyday of heavy metal.
Joseph Quinn has sure earned our respect for his dedication in portraying Eddie Munson genuinley. The actor not only studied heavy metal before filming, but he also committed to the challenge of mastering the difficult Metallica song on his own. Watch Quinn rehearse Master of Puppets here:
Hopefully, the trending phenomenon of Master of Puppets brings even more young kids to heavy metal and rock ‘n’ roll in general. It is also predicted that the song may even make it to the very top of the charts, which has surprisingly has never happened for Metallica despite their large fan base.
Metallica has been hopping on the Stranger Things fun and have posted multiple statements about their appreciation for being included in the series. They also posted a fun play-along video side-by-side with Eddie Munson while he performs in the Upside Down. You can watch the duet here:
