In a twist worthy of the Upside Down itself, Joe Keery—best known to many as Steve Harrington from Netflix’s Stranger Things—has just scored an unexpected musical triumph. His synth-pop project Djo’s track “End Of Beginning” has rocketed to the Number One spot on the UK singles chart, more than two years after its initial release, and has simultaneously conquered the Spotify Global chart. The story behind this sleeper hit is as much about the unpredictable power of pop culture as it is about the song’s irresistible hook.
On January 9, 2026, “End Of Beginning” officially claimed the top spot on the UK chart, dethroning RAYE’s “Where The Hell Is My Husband?” and holding off Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia,” which settled at Number Two. According to NME, the song’s sudden ascent follows the finale of Stranger Things’ fifth and final season, which dropped on December 31, 2025. Oddly enough, the song wasn’t even featured in the climactic episode. Instead, it rode a wave of viral TikTok edits where fans paired emotional scenes from the finale with Keery’s nostalgic lyrics: “And when I’m back in Chicago, I feel it/Another version of me, I was in it/I wave goodbye to the end of beginning.”
It’s not the first time Stranger Things has sent a forgotten or underappreciated song soaring up the charts. Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” famously topped the UK chart for three weeks in 2022 after its prominent placement in the show’s fourth season. But as Billboard notes, Djo’s “End Of Beginning” is unique in that its resurgence is almost entirely fan-driven—an organic phenomenon fueled by social media, not a direct soundtrack feature.
The numbers behind this chart-topping run are staggering. As reported by the UK’s Official Charts Company and BBC, “End Of Beginning” racked up 5.4 million streams in the UK alone in the week following the Stranger Things finale. Globally, the song notched more than 55 million plays on Spotify, easily knocking Taylor Swift’s “The Fate of Ophelia” off the platform’s global summit on January 2, 2026, after a remarkable 78-day reign. The track also surged up the US Spotify chart, surpassing a million streams in a single day, and received significant placements on official charts in multiple countries.
Keery, who has released three LPs as Djo—Twenty Twenty (2019), Decide (2022), and The Crux (2025)—has watched his music career quietly build momentum in the background of his acting fame. “I’m not trying to live in the past. I have new memories that I’m linking to [Chicago]. I’m not 27 anymore. That’s a part of me, maybe, but not the whole part,” Keery told NME in a reflective interview last year. But if there’s one thing Stranger Things has shown, it’s that the past has a funny way of coming back around—sometimes with a vengeance.
The Stranger Things effect didn’t stop with Djo. The show’s final season has turned the UK Official Charts upside down, injecting a raft of classic tracks back into public consciousness. Prince’s “Purple Rain” soared to Number 12, its highest position since the late icon’s passing a decade ago. Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” climbed to Number 14, while The Police’s “Every Breath You Take”—originally featured in season two—vaulted to Number 17, its best UK chart placing in 43 years. Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide” made its UK chart debut at Number 20, a staggering 41 years after its release.
Other vintage gems also reaped rewards from their Stranger Things exposure. Diana Ross’s “Upside Down” returned to the Top 40 for the first time in 46 years at Number 26, and Tiffany’s 1988 hit “I Think We’re Alone Now” jumped to Number 27, its highest spot in 38 years. David Bowie’s “Heroes”—used in the show’s final credits and coinciding with the tenth anniversary of Bowie’s death—saw a 172% week-on-week uplift, rebounding to Number 34. The Clash’s “Should I Stay Or Should I Go,” forever linked to the show’s early seasons, cracked the Top 40 for the first time in 35 years at Number 40.
According to BBC, these chart surges are not just about nostalgia. “TikTok has a habit of tapping into nostalgia as a way to engage audiences,” explained Sarah Kloboves of music data firm Chartmetric. “For older generations, the familiar catalogue hits keep them engaged because they feel sentimental. For younger users, though, the release date doesn’t matter because they’re hearing everything for the first time. These older tracks ultimately appeal to a broader audience.”
Social media’s role in this musical revival can’t be overstated. Viral trends on TikTok and Instagram have propelled not only Djo’s song but also tracks like Zara Larsson’s “Lush Life” (up to Number 8 thanks to a dance trend) and even The Police’s “Every Breath You Take,” which reached Number 8 on Spotify’s global chart with more than 25 million streams in a week. As Music Business Worldwide points out, the crossover between television and music is more potent than ever, with cultural moments catalyzing renewed interest in songs old and new.
Meanwhile, Keery’s victory is more than just a personal milestone. It’s emblematic of a new era where the boundaries between screen and sound are increasingly blurred. The Stranger Things finale may have marked the end of an era for Netflix’s beloved series, but for Keery and a legion of classic artists, it’s proven to be just the beginning of a fresh chapter in their musical legacies.
Elsewhere on the charts, Olivia Dean continued her reign atop the UK Album Chart with The Art of Loving, while Taylor Swift and RAYE rounded out the singles Top Three. But it’s the unlikely resurgence of “End Of Beginning”—and the wave of nostalgia riding alongside it—that’s turned the Official Charts upside down this week.
As the dust settles on Hawkins, Indiana, one thing is clear: in the age of streaming and social media, a song’s story is never truly over. Sometimes, all it takes is a little help from Netflix, a viral video, and a devoted fanbase to wave goodbye to the end of beginning—and say hello to a brand new Number One.