It looks like The Last of Us may be propelling yet another alt-rock blast from the past into 2020’s popularity just as it has with longtime synth-rock gods Depeche Mode’s 1987 single “Never Let Me Down Again.” The latest outro track from the show’s seventh episode is an angst-filled track from Pearl Jam called “All or None” and it seems like it’s generating more attention now than it did when the album was originally released over two decades ago. Now, showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann are discussing their formula for creating retro viral hits.
The two creators opened up on HBO’s official The Last of Us podcast about what they are looking for when picking a song to associate with any given episode. According to Mazin, the pair are seeking something that can be enjoyed and discovered mutually by themselves and the fans alike.
We don’t want to be too on the nose. We don’t want to be something that feels overused or too pop. I read the statistic that searches of “Never Let Me Down Again,” the Depeche Mode version, skyrocketed by 500 percent or something. That’s what we want. We want a song that people discover it with us that are beyond say the fans of Pearl Jam.
“All or None” may be one of the most fitting tracks to feature in an episode yet. The 2002 song was the last track on Pearl Jam’s 2002 album Riot Act, a record that specifically dealt with the subjects of mortality and existentialism stemming from the 9/11 attacks that had occurred one year previous to the recording and specifically with the accidental death of a fan of the band during the 2000 Roskilde Festival in Denmark.
“That song specifically there’s a certain feel, a mood, a tone,” Druckmann stated during the podcast. “I don’t know if I have the right words for it but like capturing where Ellie’s at right now, that she’s alone that she’s in a place she doesn’t want to be and there’s kind of nothing going on for her. It’s called “All of None” Which is very much Ellie.”
Episodes of The Last of Us air weekly on Sundays on HBO.