The second season of The Last of Us has significantly increased the popularity of the guitar worldwide. This conclusion was reached by Ultimate Guitar employees who analyzed demand for guitar tablature and website viewership statistics. According to Ultimate Guitar, the TV show had a significant impact on aspiring guitarists, causing a surge in interest in music from past eras. The popularity of some songs increased by 1,144%.
According to the site's representatives, interest in the site's tablature grew as episodes of the show's second season were released. Tablature and chords for the songs featured in the episodes were particularly in demand.
Researchers noted that the show and its music greatly influenced aspiring guitarists. The show introduced young performers to music from previous eras. This increased the popularity of the bands and artists whose music was featured in the series and encouraged guitarists to learn new songs.
According to Ultimate Guitar's internal statistics, visits to pages with tablature for the Sean James composition "Through the Valley" increased by 894% after the second episode of the series was released. Interest in the chords to the show's title theme by Gustavo Santaolalla also increased by 218%.
The series has also influenced other songs in the site's catalog. For instance, the popularity of the "Take On Me" tablature and chords increased 1,144% after the fourth episode was released. Conversely, page views for the chord progressions of Pearl Jam's "Future Days" rose 453% in the days following the release of the sixth episode of the second season of The Last of Us.
The fourth episode increased the popularity of A-ha's "Take on Me" by 1,144%. Interest in other songs featured in the series increased as well, though Ultimate Guitar representatives did not provide exact figures.
It is unclear whether the release of the show impacted the growth of acoustic guitar sales. However, it is possible that the Taylor 314ce, which played an important role in the series, has sparked increased interest among guitarists and aspiring musicians.
The Last of Us is based on the Naughty Dog Studios video game trilogy of the same name. The games are set in a post-apocalyptic former United States twenty years after a global pandemic caused by a mutated cordyceps mushroom. The plot centers on smuggler Joel and teenage girl Ellie's journey across the country to find a cure for the disease sweeping the world.
HBO produced the series based on the story. Currently, the third season of the show is in production, and the creators promise that the story will definitely stretch to at least a fourth season.
