The Special Reason The Who's 'Baba O'Riley' Was Used in 'Stranger Things' Trailer

Still obsessively rewatching the first full-length Stranger Things trailer for season three? Same. Between the fan-favorite kids growing into teens, to the new dangerous threats lurking in Hawkins, there’s a ton of promising action coming at us this year. But many would argue the best part of the trailer is the music, which transports us back to the 1970s and 1980s.

As the new season takes place in 1985, it’s not shocking that "Home Sweet Home" by Mötley Crüe can be heard in the preview, as the hit was originally released on their album Theatre of Pain of that same year. However, the inclusion of The Who’s track “Baba O’Riley” is a bit inconsistent, as that song debuted years earlier in 1971. Although the song’s lyrics (“It's only teenage wasteland”) go perfectly with the vibe of the series’ main characters, an argument could be made that the track would be too old for the kids.

One Redditor realized something, though, which puts everything into perspective. Taking to the platform, user Lunayesca explained that after some digging on the Stranger Things Wiki page, they discovered Mike, Will, Dustin, Max, Lucas, and Eleven were all born in 1971, the year “Baba O’Riley” came out. While no one behind the show has confirmed this as the reason the track was used, we’re going to assume it can’t just be a coincidence.

Our beloved characters are leaving childhood behind, and we can’t wait to see what they get into next when the Netflix series returns on July 4.