Sadie Sink, Joe Keery, Maya Hawke: ‘Stranger Things’ stars who parallel show’s love affair with music

Stranger Things has served as one of the foremost sources of discovering and revisiting classic musical hits since its premiere in 2016 till its recent conclusion in 2025.

The Netflix series often featured some of the best songs from the different eras of the 1980s which it aged through.

Whether it was part of the casting’s objective or not, many of the actors who became part of the show were also discovered to double as musicians or coming from a diverse musical background.

Here are their stories:

Joe Keery

The actor behind fan-favourite Steve Harrington, Joe Keery is actually a full fledged musician on the side. Keery — musical alter ego Djo — used to perform with the indie rock band Post Animal, moving on to a solo career in 2019. He recently dethroned Taylor Swift’s The Fate of Ophelia on Spotify to reach the first spot himself with the single End of Beginning.

Sadie Sink

The red-headed Sadie Sink, who played Max Mayfield on Stranger Things, began her career onstage. She made her Broadway debut in 2012, starring in and as Annie. Appearing in other musical productions like Tuck Everlasting before her big break with the Netflix hit, Sink recently performed the music for her 2025 musical drama film O’Dessa.

Maya Hawke

Maya Hawke is also a dedicated musician, performing vocals and songwriting duties for her own solo career. Playing the quick-witted Robin Buckley on Stranger Things, Hawke released her debut album in 2020, titled Blush.

Jamie Campbell Bower

Jamie Campbell Bower doubled as the villainous Vecna and Henry Creel onscreen, with the theme continuing in his real life, where he alternates as an actor and a singer. Following various appearances in multiple bands, Bower officially launched his heavy metal group BloodMagic in 2024, while its debut single Death / Rebirth was released shortly after.

Gaten Matarazzo

Gaten Matarazzo also spilled into acting from Broadway, where he started his career with significant roles in musicals like Les Misérables, Dear Evan Hansen, and Sweeney Todd. His musical prowess became widely known to the Stranger Things fans after his performance of Never Ending Story as Dustin Henderson back in Season 3.