Wednesday, January 7, 2026

“Stranger Things” Have Happened: Actor Joe Keery Latest TV Star to Get a Number 1 Pop Hit as “End of Beginning” Beats Taylor Swift

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“Stranger Things” have happened.

Joe Keery, who plays Steve Harrington on the Netflix show, has the number 1 song on Spotify and on iTunes.

“End of Beginning” is even topping Taylor Swift.

Shows you the crazy popularity of the series as it ends with Season 5.

Keery’s song came on a 2022 album under the aka DJO. It’s been a fan favorite since then but has never been included on a “Stranger Things” soundtrack.

Nevertheless, fans have made YouTube videos using the song as their own soundtrack.

Keery is not the first TV star to get a pop hit off his TV show. That started maybe with Ricky Nelson in the late 50s, on through hits by John Travolta, David Soul, Jack Wagner and others.

Is this the end of the beginning of his pop career? Or will we have more Keery releases in 2026? One thing’s for certain: any music connected to “Stranger Things” is a hit. Kate Bush’s whole career was revived by the show’s usage of “Running Up that Hill” (Number 8 on iTunes today). This season Diana Ross’s “Upside Down” suddenly blew up after it was played in the first episode (number 67). Two Prince songs, “When Doves Cry” (45) and “Purple Rain” (19) are on their way back as well.

PS Also on iTunes, used in Season 5: David Bowie’s “Heroes,” Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide,” the theme music from the show, and a few more.

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Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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