Ian Gillan Was Just as Surprised as Fans by Deep Purple’s Appearance on Stranger Things

Ian Gillan only learned that one of Deep Purple’s most iconic songs had appeared in Stranger Things when the subject was raised during a recent interview. “Child in Time,” taken from the band’s 1970 breakthrough album In Rock, was featured in a trailer for the Netflix series’ upcoming fifth and final season earlier this year.

For fans of the show, the song’s inclusion made sense. Stranger Things has built a reputation for spotlighting classic rock artists, previously reviving the catalogs of musicians such as Kate Bush and Metallica. Still, Gillan himself was entirely unaware of the song’s renewed exposure.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said when asked about the placement.

Once informed that Stranger Things was a Netflix production, Gillan quickly explained his surprise. “[I] don’t have Netflix. I don’t have a television. So yes, in that respect it’s a surprise!”

Growing Older, Writing Differently

At 80 years old and facing another eight months of touring, Gillan used the moment to reflect on the evolution of both his life and his songwriting. He acknowledged that aging is a constant, gradual process. “Throughout your entire life, you’ve had to deal with this thing – you get older every day,” he said.

Looking back, Gillan contrasted the raw urgency of his early work with the more considered approach he later adopted. “When you’re a kid, you write about fast cars and loose women and that sort of thing, or at least we did in those days,” he said. “And it’s very rock ’n’ roll and had a lot of attack and youthful energy.”

By his thirties, however, that mindset no longer felt authentic. “But I started thinking in my thirties, ‘This is ridiculous; this feels uncomfortable,’” Gillan explained. He said songwriters must evolve with time, adding, “You have to adapt, otherwise you look like a fool. But you can write a song about anything, at least in my experience.”

Humor, Limits, and Knowing When to Stop

Gillan also spoke openly about the physical realities of aging, including the loss of 70 percent of his vision. Still, he approached the subject with characteristic humor. “[N]othing’s changed really, apart from I can’t pole vault any more! Other than that, things move a little more slowly,” he said, adding that a sense of humor makes most challenges manageable.

Despite his continued commitment, Gillan made it clear that he remains mindful of his limits. “I think if I lose my energy I’m going to stop. I don’t want to be an embarrassment to anyone,” he said. “We’re not far off that. It creeps up on you – you don’t really notice.”

At the same time, he emphasized that music operates differently from ordinary work. “This isn’t like a normal job. It’s all in your mind,” he said, pointing particularly to the creative process and mental discipline required to keep writing and performing. Gillan also praised his bandmates, noting that they continue to sharpen their skills with time. “These guys who I work with just seem to keep improving,” he said, joking, “The hard thing is to keep them down.”

The comments paint a portrait of an artist who remains self-aware, realistic, and engaged—still energized by creativity, yet clear-eyed about when it might be time to step away. For Gillan, longevity in rock music is not about denying age, but about meeting it honestly, with discipline, humor, and respect for the music itself.