Dustin Henderson - Blog Posts
Songs I Think Stranger Things Characters Would Listen To (The Party + Erica: Edition)
Note: For these lists, I tried to include songs that we haven't really seen in canon for the characters. We know that Max likes "Running Up That Hill", we know Mike likes "Small Town Boy", and we know Will likes "Boys Don't Cry". I love those songs and they are included in these playlists but I'm more interested in using music as a way to expand on and flesh out these characters.
I have also linked to Spotify playlists for each character. If you agree or disagree with any of my picks, please let me know!
Will Byers
Will has inherited a lot of his music taste from Jonathan but it's evolved in a way that's distinctly his own. Unlike his brother, Will's music tends to be more pop-focused. He likes new wave, post-punk, and moody songs that he can listen to while he paints. I think Will really pays attention to the lyrics of the music he listens to and it serves as a kind of therapy for him.
In Between Days by The Cure
Elegia by New Order
Mad World by Tears For Fears
Lost in the Supermarket by The Clash
It's A Sin by Pet Shop Boys
Major Tom (Coming Home) by Peter Schilling
Without You by David Bowie
This Charming Man by The Smiths
Mike Wheeler
Mike is always trying to appear slightly cooler than he is. He likes classic rock in a very Eric Forman way (if that makes any sense). By the time he joins Hellfire Club, he's trying to emulate Eddie's style and music taste because he just thinks Eddie's that cool. At his core, Mike enjoys sappy songs about love, life, and heartbreak because he's a dork who likes to jam out in his room.
Never Surrender by Corey Hart
Dream On by Aerosmith
Suburbia by Pet Shop Boys
Punishment For Love by Bronski Beat
Hold Me Now by Thompson Twins
Hells Bells by AC/DC
Summer of '69 by Bryan Adams
Eighteen by Alice Cooper
El "Jane" Hopper
El is just finding her own music taste. She’s only been shown music by her friends or Hopper so she picks and chooses what she likes. Mostly that’s a lot of pop music and ballads. She also watches a lot of MTV so her taste tends to skew pretty mainstream. When Max teaches her how to put together mixtapes her’s tend to be pretty upbeat or dramatic depending on her mood. While she’s contemplating her relationship with Mike she listens to a lot of gaudy break-up ballads.
Hey Mickey by Toni Basil
She Bop by Cyndi Lauper
The Promise by When In Rome
Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler
Talk Talk by Talk Talk
Could've Been by Tiffany
Destination Unkown by Missing Persons
Two of Hearts by Stacey Q
Max Mayfield
Max’s music taste is kind of hard to pinpoint. It’s really a grab bag of pop, rock, experimental, and softer punk. The only way I can describe it is like “spunky”. There are also moments when the music she listens to becomes more introspective and brooding. In “Runaway Max” she mentions liking The Go-Go’s and The Beach Boys.
Dreaming by Blondie
We Got The Beat by The Go-Go’s
Kids In America by Kim Wilde
The Girl U Want by DEVO
Bette Davis Eyes by Kim Carnes
Hounds of Love by Kate Bush
California Dreamin by The Beach Boys
White Wedding - Pt.1 by Billy Idol
Dustin Henderson
Dustin is the nerdiest of nerdiest teenage boys (we wore a "Weird Al" t-shirt on his first day of high school I mean come on). He thinks that "Weird Al" is a genius for his use of parody and critique of pop culture (which, he's not wrong). He's always liked metal but it's only become more prominent for him since hanging out with Eddie so much. Being in Hellfire though has caused him to be more stealthy about his love for novelty records and one-hit wonders. He makes mixtapes full of love songs and saves up his money to send them to Suzie in Utah.
She Blinded Me With Science by Thomas Dolby
Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen
The Safety Dance by Men Without Hats
Weird Science by Oingo Boingo
I’m Gonna Be by The Proclaimers
As The World Falls Down by David Bowie
Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley
I Lost On Jeopardy by “Weird Al” Yankovic
Lucas Sinclair
Lucas’ music taste is pretty diverse. He likes rock music but not as hard as Mike and Dustin’s taste. I imagine he’s picked up a lot of soul and r&b music from his parents, specifically his mom. In “Lucas On The Line” Lucas is introduced to Run-D.M.C. and really takes a shine to it so I imagine he’d be listening to some rap and hip hop. My qualifications for my picks were “would Lucas sing this infront of his bedroom mirror while using a hairbrush as a microphone?”.
Another One Bites the Dust by Queen
Walk This Way by Run-D.M.C.
Dirty Diana by Micheal Jackson
Juke Box Hero by Foreigner
Easy Lover by Philip Bailey & Phil Collins
Everything She Wants by Wham!
You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine by Lou Rawls
Never Too Much by Luther Vandross
Erica Sinclair
Erica is eleven so she tends to gravitate towards music that's popular or that she hears on the radio. Pop and R&B make up most of her cassette collection. The music she likes tends to be very upbeat and kick-ass (these songs are all bangers so she has amazing taste). Like Lucas, she also does dorky lipsyncing in her bedroom but unlike him, she's never been caught.
Head to Toe by Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
I Feel For You by Chaka Khan
What Have You Done For Me Lately by Janet Jackson
Got to Be Real by Cheryl Lynn
Let’s Hear It For the Boy by Denise Williams
Rhythm of The Night by DeBarge
Cool It Now by New Edition
Swept Away by Diana Ross
Being An Older Sister Figure to the Party
Headcanons for being an older sister to the party from seasons 1 to 3 (for now, I'll probably add more ideas that pop into my head, especially for season 4). I might even do a part two if someone requests it.
You’ve been babysitting Will since he was nine and as a result you’ve become very protective of him and his friends.
You and Jonathan have always worked as a team to make Will feel accepted. You started coming over every weekend to watch movies or listen to music with the two of them, making sure that it was stuff that he liked.
You listen carefully when Will tries to explain D&D to and you smile at the way he talks about “Will the Wise” and the adventures he goes on with his friends. Eventually Will’s party gives you a rundown of how to play and you participate sometimes (usually reading lines for an NPC Mike wrote beforehand).
Dustin and Lucas really like having you around. They always try to impress you with random references and facts that are pretty cringe-worthy but you find them charming.
Even when Joyce couldn’t afford to pay you after Lonnie left you still stick around because you care about Will so much. It kills you to see how he and his friends get bullied and you try to help any way you can but it doesn’t always work.
You and Joyce have always been really close and she treats you like a daughter.
After Will came back from the upside down you visited him every day in the hospital and brought him a box full of his favorite things (art supplies, books, his favorite movies).
You never really recover from what happened but you try to be a pillar of strength for him.
When Max moves to Hawkins you quickly get wind of her home life. You make it your mission to make sure she has a place where she can feel comfortable, letting her stay over at your house whenever she needs a break from Billy or Niel.
Max has never been traditionally “girly” but you help her feel comfortable in her femininity. Painting her nails, braiding her hair, taking her shopping for clothes because her mom is too overbearing, etc.
She’s always struggled with finding positive female role models but you show her the strength in being vulnerable and tell her that she doesn’t have to act tough all the time.
When Steve Harrington enters the picture you’re a little skeptical. He never seemed like the kind of person who would spend his time worrying about anyone but himself and his asshole friends. You’re especially worried about Dustin trying to emulate him but soon enough you come around. He shows you that he cares about the kids just as much as you do even if its in a different way. You start to bond and anytime he worries about people still seeing him as “King Steve”, you assure him that he’s a great guy who’s doing his best.
Eleven is your baby. After season two you make a point of treating her like a normal preteen girl. When she grows out her hair you buy her clips and look in every magazine to find hairstyles that she can wear.
When Lucas and Max get together they break up constantly which leads to Lucas crying on your doorstep begging you to help him get her back. Lucas insists that he did it himself because he’s just that smooth (and he’s embarrassed about blubbering in your arms about missing Max).
When Dustin comes back from camp you’re the only one who believes him about Suzie being his girlfriend. You even talk with her on Cerebro and quickly become pen pals.
After season 3 you like to keep tabs on Erica. Mostly just to check if she’s having any problems sleeping after what happened on the Fourth of July, or sometimes just to hear her rant about her D&D character.
You and Mike have an interesting relationship. He’s been Will’s best friend for as long as you remember and has been one of the only people who’s ever made him feel normal but at the same time he’s put that boy through the emotional wringer.
He annoys you a lot of the time but at the end of the day you know he’s a good kid and who doesn’t have a lot of love in his life.
Sometimes Mike comes to you about stuff he doesn’t tell anyone else. He sees you as one of the only older people in his life who won’t scold him for his mistakes. You always tease him or set him straight but at the end of the day you let him know you care.
You're the first person Will ever comes out to, and you make sure to guard that secret with your life.
At the end of the day all the kids love you and feel like they can come to you for anything, especially end-of-the-world stuff <3.
Robin: my biggest fear is that Dustin will somehow invent time travel and will go back in time to stop all of this from happening. Then me and you never become friends.
Robin: also rabies.
Steve: my biggest fear is that he dies
Dustin: ?
Dustin: I’ll try not to do either.
Stranger things characters as things me and my friends have say
Steve : I want to be fucked so bad.
━
Robin : Steve, can you wear my breasts please?
━
Jonathan : Mike if you touch my brother we're going to fight.
━
Erica : I'd rather test a dick.
━
Argyle : Isn't your father a thief? 'Cause he took my virginity!
━
Max : Eat pussy as long as it's legal.
━
Eddie : I couldn't aim for the hole, that's why she left me.
━
Nancy : If you could moan silently.
━
Dustin : They put a phone in my ass.
━
Eleven : Pissing together strengthens the bonds!
━
Lucas : I have a video where he suck it.
━
Will : I drink my piss without hesitation.
Dustin : Eddie, give me your bat!
Eddie : My bat??
Dustin : Don't you carry a bat in your bag?
Eddie : Have you ever met a person carrying a bat in their bag??
Dustin calling Steve : Hey Steve do you carry a bat in your bag?
Steve : Of course, I'm not an animal.
Dustin : I’m making a documentary about Steve life. Hopper, I want you to play his father!
Hopper : I don’t want to be Steve father.
Steve : Perfect. You already know your lines!
Joyce : Sweetie-
Steve : While I'm gone, you're in charge Dustin, Erica.
Dustin pointing his fist in the air : Yes!
Erica : Nice.
Mike and Lucas : WHY THEM!?
Steve, whispering to Max and Will : You're secretly in charge, but I don't want them to throw a tantrum.
Max : Obviously.
Will : *nodding*
El : *giggling*
Dustin : Tell us a little about yourself!
Steve : I'd rather not, I really like this group.
Eddie : We're having a kid!
Dustin : Oh, congratula-
Steve slamming adoption papers onto the table : It's you, sign here.
Steve : What did you do?
The party :
Steve : You’re not in trouble, I just need to know if I have to lie to the police again or not.
Just thinking about non-binary Steve who wears skirts when he's home alone, because if he goes out in a skirt he's going to get punch. And imagine the party just walking into Steve's house for Dnd, and Steve is right there with his skirt and and her apron with "Best Mom" written on it, greeting the party as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
And everybody's just kind of : 😀?
Steve : I think i should adopt another kids.
Robin : No.
Steve : Why not?
Robin : Because by "kid", you mean traumatized teenagers, with who you were with was in life-or-death situations, and you already have 5 of them.
Steve holding up Will and El : 7!
Robin : That shirt looks great, Eddie.
Eddie : Thanks!
Robin : But I bet it would look even better on Steve's floor.
Dustin : Are you hitting on Eddie... for Steve?
Erica : You don't think I can fight because of my gender!
Dustin : I don't think you can fight because you're in a wedding dress!!! For what it's worth, I don't think Steve can fight in that dress either!
Steve : Perhaps not. But I would make a radiant bride.
Robin : you would, but I also think you can beats their russian ass in a wedding dress.
Steve : Aww thanks Robs!
He would look nice in a wedding dress 🙏
GATEN MATARAZZO as DUSTIN HENDERSON ↳ in the first & last eps of Stranger Things season 1-4
low-budget sitcom spin-off with these three only. WHEN??!
I love them sooooo much
low-budget sitcom spin-off with these three only. WHEN??!
STRANGER THINGS | 4.06 “Chapter Six: The Dive”
Dustin Henderson and Lucas Sinclair in Stranger Things (2016-)
“I don’t feel good about this!” “When do you feel good about anything?”
Do this for America… Erica. Ooh! I just got the chills. Oh, yeah, from this float, not your speech.
EDDIE MUNSON WEEK | day four — favorite dynamic
EDDIE MUNSON AND DUSTIN HENDERSON
#himbo dads and their butthead son
EDDIE MUNSON, STEVE HARRINGTON and DUSTIN HENDERSON in STRANGER THINGS 4: Chapter Six: The Dive
DUSTIN HENDERSON & STEVE HARRINGTON STRANGER THINGS 2 — Chapter Six: The Spy
Same Max, same
LUCAS SINCLAIR, MAX MAYFIELD and DUSTIN HENDERSON STRANGER THINGS 4.06 “Chapter Six: The Dive”
stranger things s4 vol 2 + text posts