Stranger Things star Joseph Quinn reveals what songs and bands most inspired Eddie Munson

Hands down one of our favorite characters from Stranger Things season 4 was Joseph Quinn’s Eddie Munson. Many related to the metal-playing, grunge-wearing misfit of Hawkins, with social media (especially TikTok) going wild over the character and making Joseph Quinn, 29, nearly a household name.

When you think back to Eddie Munson’s part in the show, many will recall that iconic scene in the Upside Down where he performed the “most-metal-ever” concert with a perfect rendition of Metallica’s “Master of Puppets.” This might surprise some, but the actor actually performed most of the song, admitting previously that he played guitar ever since he was a kid. He said he’d “been woefully under-practiced in recent years,” but when the time came to perform he pulled it out the bag.

So what was the inspiration for the character? Well, in a new interview withMetal Hammer, a monthly heavy metal and rock music magazine published in the U.K., the 29-year-old actor revealed some of the artists he listened to in preparation to step into the shoes of Eddie.

“I listened to ‘Master Of Reality’ by Black Sabbath over and over,” he noted in the interview. But what were some of the other tunes and bands he rocked out to in preparation? Find out below!

Songs and bands that inspired Joseph Quinn’s Stranger Things character

According to the article, the actor used rock and metal bands such as Slayer, Black Sabbath, Metallica, and Led Zeppelin for inspiration for his character, and even offered the interviewer his personal guitar heroes, naming legends Jimi Hendrix as an “obvious” choice and Kurt Cobain.

"“I was always very enamoured with him [Jimi Hendrix]. Nirvana were my first proper band obsession – I was obsessed with Kurt Cobain and had all of his posters in my wall. It’s kind of cliché, but it’s true.”"

The latest season of Stranger Things is out now on Netflix, with season 5 also already in the works!