Following the Nov. 26 premiere of the fifth season of Netflix’s Stranger Things, the inspired companion project, Stranger Things: The WSQK Collection, Compiled by Rockin’ Robin, makes (air)waves on the charts. The vinyl set, exclusively sold at Target stores, tunes in to the top 10 on six charts, and also arrives on the overall Billboard 200 (all charts dated Dec. 13).
The album contains 10 songs from the late 1970s through the mid-1980s that would be heard on the show’s fictional radio station WSQK (94.5 FM The Squawk), in the also-fictional Hawkins, Ind. The set includes three Billboard Hot 100 No. 1s: Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall (Part II),” Diana Ross’ “Upside Down” and Tiffany’s “I Think We’re Alone Now.”
Stranger Things: The WSQK Collection spends a fifth week atop Compilation Albums, debuts at No. 53 on the Billboard 200 and sold nearly 18,000 copies in the United States in the tracking week ending Dec. 4 (up 268%), according to Luminate. Since its Oct. 24 release, the project has sold 35,000 copies.
It also impacts Vinyl Albums (rising 13-3, a new peak), Top Rock Albums (No. 5 debut), Top Current Album Sales (20-5, new peak), Top Album Sales (26-6, new peak) and Top Rock & Alternative Albums (No. 7 debut).
The WSQK Collection album is part of a larger marketing campaign around the fictional radio station, which includes a sizable line of official merchandise with period-appropriate designs. Among the merch available: clothing, posters, car magnets, vanity license plates, a lava lamp, Funko Pop! figures, mugs and a Lego playset.
Further, for WSQK fans based in the United Kingdom, the radio station has been brought to life for a limited time in partnership with Global. Until Jan. 1, a WSQK broadcast will beam out through Global Player, but only for U.K. residents. Per a press release, “fans can expect local Hawkins updates and news from ‘Squawk of the Town,’ chats with the station’s resident agony aunt on ‘Talk To Tammy,’ there’s hot gossip and entertainment news from The Scoop brought to you by Scoops Ahoy, name that backwards playing tune with ‘Rewind at 9’ and ‘Dial-a-Dedication’ where fans can submit their own dedication to a loved one which could be read out live on air. All of this and more, alongside a non-stop stream of back-to-back 80s hits!”
