No spoilers, but did anyone else have a little cry watching the latest episode of The Last of Us? You're not alone, as is suggested by recent data shared by Spotify that indicates the episode's soundtrack keystone — Linda Ronstadt's "Long Long Time" — is keeping everyone in their feels this week.
The episode — which shares its title with the song and centres on the story of Frank and Bill, played by Murray Bartlett and Nick Offerman, respectively — has reportedly spurred an uptick of 4,900 percent in streaming on Spotify in the US compared to last week, before we all knew about those dang strawberries.
Speaking with Vulture, showrunner Craig Mazin explained that 76-year-old Ronstadt's song was selected because it conveyed "a long-term ache — the sadness of somebody saying, 'I wish, but oh, well, I shall be forever alone."
Mazin elaborated on how the song came to be included in the HBO series: "I texted my friend Seth Rudetsky, who hosts the Broadway channel on SiriusXM radio. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of music. I said, 'Here are all the things I'm looking for. Do you know a song that would fit the bill?' Within 30 seconds, he texted back with '"Long Long Time," Linda Ronstadt.' I played it and was like, That's the song."
Like Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill," Metallica's "Master of Puppets" and Nirvana's "Something in the Way," among many others, "Long Long Time" is the latest among a string of tracks getting a boost from TV series in recent memory.
The next episode of The Last of Us is due to arrive on HBO on February 5. Check out the very juicy, four-minute-long, spoiler-laden promo for that, along with Spotify's announcement, below.
Frank and Bill forever.
The episode — which shares its title with the song and centres on the story of Frank and Bill, played by Murray Bartlett and Nick Offerman, respectively — has reportedly spurred an uptick of 4,900 percent in streaming on Spotify in the US compared to last week, before we all knew about those dang strawberries.
Speaking with Vulture, showrunner Craig Mazin explained that 76-year-old Ronstadt's song was selected because it conveyed "a long-term ache — the sadness of somebody saying, 'I wish, but oh, well, I shall be forever alone."
Mazin elaborated on how the song came to be included in the HBO series: "I texted my friend Seth Rudetsky, who hosts the Broadway channel on SiriusXM radio. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of music. I said, 'Here are all the things I'm looking for. Do you know a song that would fit the bill?' Within 30 seconds, he texted back with '"Long Long Time," Linda Ronstadt.' I played it and was like, That's the song."
Like Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill," Metallica's "Master of Puppets" and Nirvana's "Something in the Way," among many others, "Long Long Time" is the latest among a string of tracks getting a boost from TV series in recent memory.
The next episode of The Last of Us is due to arrive on HBO on February 5. Check out the very juicy, four-minute-long, spoiler-laden promo for that, along with Spotify's announcement, below.
Frank and Bill forever.
