The theme comes from Stranger Things, the Netflix science-fiction horror series created by the Duffer Brothers that premiered in 2016. Composed by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein of the band Survive, the opening music uses analogue synthesisers to evoke 1980s films and television. As the show became a global hit, the pulsing intro became shorthand online for anything strange, supernatural or nostalgic. Creators still use it to signal mystery instantly, because even a few seconds are enough for most viewers to recognise the series.