Stranger Things vinyl: the soundtracks on record, season by season
Music · Vinyl · Soundtracks
A seventeen-disc box set is announced for the fall of 2026, while a single vinyl record can be found between 13 and 35 euros in France. In this article: the two volumes of season 1 from July 2017 and their first pressing, seasons 2 and 3 with the Halloween album, the two volumes of season 4, the last season, the table of releases and five reflexes before buying. By the end, you will be able to tell an original score, written by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein, from a compilation of hits.
There are two families of records, and mixing them up is the most common mistake. On one side the original score, electronic, by two Texan composers; on the other the compilations of 1980s hits heard in the show. Here is what really exists on vinyl, season by season, with the dates and the prices recorded.
The essentials
- Composers: Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein, from the band Survive
- Label for the original scores: Lakeshore Records and Invada Records
- Label for the compilations: Legacy Recordings
- First vinyl: July 2017, for the two volumes of Season 1
- The complete box set: 17 records, announced for fall 2026
- Observed prices: from 13 to 35 € per record in France
Contents
- Two families of records not to be confused
- Season 1: two volumes, and the first pressing
- Seasons 2 and 3, and the Halloween album
- Season 4: two volumes, out of necessity
- The final season, and the complete box set
- The release table
- How much it costs, and where to look
- Five checks before you buy
- Why this show met vinyl
Two families of records not to be confused
Standing in front of a record store bin, two black sleeves can carry the same title and have nothing in common. The first family is the original score: the synthesizer layers composed by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein, members of the electronic band Survive. It is released by two labels that work together, Lakeshore Records on the American side and Invada Records on the European side.
The second family is the song compilations: the 1980s tracks the show plays, gathered by Legacy Recordings, a subsidiary of a major record group. You find the hits, the snippets of dialogue cut in between the tracks, and the covers recorded by the cast. Two catalogs, two logics, two audiences.
| Original music | Song compilations | |
|---|---|---|
| Who | Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein | 1980s artists, covers by the cast |
| Label | Lakeshore and Invada | Legacy Recordings |
| Contents | synth pads, themes, atmospheres | songs heard in the episodes |
| Who it speaks to | those who want the show's atmosphere | those who want the playlist |
The season's poster, next to the turntable.
In the shopKids' Max Running Up That Hill T-shirt24,90 €See the product
Season 1: two volumes, and the first pressing
The music of the first season came out in two separate volumes, digitally as early as August 2016, then on compact disc in September of the same year. Vinyl arrived later, in July 2017, in limited runs, available individually as well as in a box set. Each volume is a double album.
It is the most sought-after pressing in the catalog, because it is the first one and because it has been released in several colorways across the reissues. A cassette also came out the same week, with a cardboard sleeve imitating a VHS case — an object that has become collectible, more for its box than for its content.
What creates the valueIn this catalog, rarity comes down to the color and the pressing run, not the content: the tracks are identical from one pressing to the next. A standard black record and a marbled record contain the same music.
Seasons 2 and 3, and the Halloween album
The second season's record came out digitally on October 20, 2017, then physically the following year, with a cover different from the one on the digital version. Thirty-four tracks in the standard version, and bonuses depending on the platform.
Between the two, one album apart deserves the attention of collectors: a compilation of fourteen previously unreleased tracks taken from the second season's sessions, released October 5, 2018, pressed on orange vinyl, and issued as a picture disc for the independent record stores' special Black Friday edition. It is the only album in the catalog designed for a holiday.
The third season, for its part, came out on June 28, 2019: forty-one tracks, one hour and twenty-two minutes, on digital, compact disc, vinyl and cassette. It is the sunniest album of the show, in the image of the summer it accompanies.
-
August 2016
the first season's two volumes, digital first
-
July 2017
the first vinyl pressing, in a limited run
-
October 2018
the Halloween album, on orange vinyl
-
June 2019
the music of the summer of 1985, in forty-one tracks
Season 4: two volumes, out of necessity
The music of the fourth season came out digitally on July 1, 2022, then physically on December 2 of the same year. One particularity: it was released in two separate volumes, not by artistic choice but by format constraint. Eighty tracks and more than three hours of music fit neither on a compact disc nor on a double vinyl.
It is also the season where the two families of records sold the most side by side: on one side the synth pads, on the other a compilation carried by Running Up That Hill, the 1985 hit that went back to the top of the charts worldwide after Max's scene. The compilation's vinyl came out on November 4, 2022, with a square poster slipped into the sleeve.
The final season, and the complete box set
For the final season, the usual order was reversed. The song compilation came out in three digital volumes between late November 2025 and January 1, 2026, then on physical formats on January 30, 2026 — compact disc, red cassette and vinyl, the latter offered in five colorways depending on the retailer. The album was designed with the series' music supervisor, Nora Felder.
The original score, for its part, first came out digitally on January 1, 2026: ninety-five tracks, close to three hours, in two volumes. Vinyl followed in July 2026, each volume a double album, pressed in a smoky blue that recalls the parallel dimension, gatefold sleeve, at around 35 dollars a volume.
The box set at the endA seventeen-record box set bringing together the music from the five seasons and the Halloween album has been announced at 350 dollars, on red and orange vinyl, with shipping planned for the end of October 2026. It is the most expensive item in the catalog, and the only one that contains everything.
The figure that watches over the record bins.
In the shopBuildable mini figure Max Mayfield and her red bike14,90 €See the product
The release table
Enough to get your bearings before buying. The dates given are those of the physical release when it differs from the digital release; the formats mentioned are the ones that were actually pressed.
| Season | Original music | Song compilation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | two volumes, vinyl in July 2017 | 30-track album, late October 2017 |
| 2 | digital release in October 2017, physical the following year | — |
| 3 | full album on June 28, 2019 | colored vinyl in July 2019 |
| 4 | two volumes, physical release in December 2022 | vinyl on November 4, 2022 |
| 5 | two volumes, vinyl in July 2026 | physical on January 30, 2026 |
One extra album escapes this table: the Halloween compilation from October 2018, tied to the second season but sold separately.
How much it costs, and where to watch
A new compilation vinyl goes for around 22 € in the standard black version, a little more for the colored editions reserved for certain retailers. The fourth season's records, fuller, run around 30 to 35 €. The imported original music records, sold by the American label, cost about 35 dollars a volume, plus shipping.
For older pressings, prices depend entirely on the colorway and the condition of the sleeve: there is no stable market value, and the gaps between two sales of the same record can be considerable. The rule of caution is the same as for any collectible vinyl: compare several recent sales before paying, and be wary of catalog photos.
- To listenthe song compilation, in standard black, around 22 €
- For the moodthe original score, on a double record
- As a gifta colored pressing, a few euros more expensive
- To collectthe complete box set, or a 2017 pressing
Five checks before you buy
The catalog is vast, the titles look alike, and sellers do not always specify what they are selling. Five reflexes head off most disappointments.
-
Check the label
Lakeshore or Invada for the original music, Legacy for the songs: it is the most reliable clue
-
Count the records
a double vinyl and a single one do not have the same content, even in the same sleeve
-
Check the stated colorway
the color editions are limited, and catalog photos often show the black one
-
Read the track list
the compilations change from one season to the next, and some songs are not on them
-
Beware of bundles
a record sold with a poster or a cassette can be a reseller bundle, not an edition
Why this show met vinyl
The connection is no commercial accident. The show's music is played on analog synthesizers chosen for their imperfection, with slow chords and round basslines that hold up better on a physical format than in a compressed stream. Vinyl is not just a collector's object: it renders a texture that is part of the point.
There is also a coherence of period. The characters listen to cassettes, record mixtapes for their friends, and Max's walkman saves a life after four minutes of song; the music of the series is a character in its own right. A series that tells music as an object you handle had to end up in the record bins.
The T-shirt of the band you play on repeat.
In the shopAdhesive poster Max floating in the sky16,90 €See the product
Frequently asked questions
Who composes the show's music?
Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein, two musicians from the electronic band Survive, on analog synthesizers. Their albums are released by Lakeshore Records and Invada Records.
What is the difference between the two types of records?
One holds the original score, instrumental and electronic; the other gathers the 1980s songs heard in the episodes, on a different label. The covers look alike, the contents have nothing to do with each other.
When did the first vinyl come out?
In July 2017, for the two volumes of the first season, in a limited pressing, individually or as a box set. The music had already been available digitally since August 2016.
Is there a vinyl of the last season?
Yes, two: the song compilation came out on physical formats on January 30, 2026, and the original music in July 2026, in two double volumes pressed in smoke blue.
How much does a vinyl record from the show cost?
Expect around 22 € for a new compilation in standard black, 30 to 35 € for the fourth season editions or the colored pressings, and around 35 dollars per volume for the records imported from the American label.
Is there a complete box set?
Yes: a seventeen-record box set bringing together the music from all five seasons and the Halloween album was announced at $350, with shipping expected in late October 2026.
What is the Halloween album?
A compilation of fourteen previously unreleased tracks from the second season's sessions, released on October 5, 2018 on orange vinyl, with a picture disc version for independent record stores' Black Friday.
Are older vinyl records worth anything?
Some 2017 pressings are sought after for their color and their print run, but there is no stable market value: better to compare several recent sales before buying.
