Up 325% on Spotify and a Rush on 1976 Vinyls: How GTA 6 and Lucia Revived Cliff Richard's 'Devil Woman'
Fifty years after hitting record store shelves in 1976, Sir Cliff Richard's pop-rock hit "Devil Woman" is experiencing an unexpected career resurgence among Gen Z players thanks to Grand Theft Auto VI.
Featured prominently by Rockstar Games during a sequence focused on protagonists Lucia and Jason in Grand Theft Auto VI: An Extended Look, the nearly half-century-old track has seen its Spotify streams surge by 325% while sparking a rush for original vintage vinyl pressings.
A 325% Spotify Surge and Gen Z Hunting Down 1976 Vinyl Records
Long known in the United Kingdom as the "Peter Pan of Pop" and associated with family-friendly staples like his Eurovision hit "Congratulations" or the festive ballad "Mistletoe and Wine", Cliff Richard was hardly the artist most players expected to hear anchoring a crime saga in Leonida.
Yet as soon as the brooding guitar riff and atmospheric chorus of "Devil Woman" echoed through Rockstar Games' extended presentation for Grand Theft Auto VI, the track caught fire across gaming communities and social media.
Following the soundtrack reveal, Spotify streams for "Devil Woman" jumped by 325%, driven heavily by twenty-something listeners discovering the song with fresh ears. Across X and TikTok, 21-year-old fans have even been sharing photos of original 1976 vinyl copies tracked down in record shops from Richard's landmark 18th studio album, I'm Nearly Famous.
An Occult Warning Rewritten by Cliff Richard That Became His Biggest US Hit
The sudden viral wave also shines a spotlight on the unusual history behind the recording. Rather than being penned by Cliff Richard himself, "Devil Woman" was written by songwriters Terry Britten and Christine Authors.
The lyrics follow a narrator convinced he has fallen under a supernatural curse involving a black cat and occult omens, only to realize that the fortune-teller supposedly helping him is the one casting the spell. As one of Britain's most outspoken Christian pop stars, Richard was initially uncomfortable with the prospect that listeners might think the song celebrated the occult, prompting him to alter sections of the lyrics so the final version served as a clear warning to flee supernatural temptation.
That darker, rock-driven edge gave Richard a unique footprint in North America. While the single peaked at No. 9 on the UK Singles Chart, it climbed all the way to No. 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1976, marking his first-ever US Top 10 and remaining his highest-charting American hit. After previously appearing on the big screen in the 2017 film I, Tonya, the track now finds a natural home alongside Lucia's chaotic rise through Vice City.
From Cliff Richard to Justice and Slayer: Inside Leonida's Eclectic Soundtrack
Pairing a dramatic 1970s pop-rock warning with neon-lit criminal mayhem highlights Rockstar Games' signature musical curation, arriving just as excitement peaks following the official Grand Theft Auto VI launch trailer.
Alongside "Devil Woman", the game's 1970s and 1980s catalog includes classics such as "But I Think It's a Dream" by Captain & Tennille, "Everybody Have Fun Tonight" by Wang Chung, and "Let Your Love Flow" by the Bellamy Brothers.
At the same time, the full GTA 6 soundtrack brings together 34 brand-new songs alongside an original instrumental score composed by French electronic duo Justice ahead of the game's November 19, 2026 release on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S:
- Major New Original Tracks: "That's It" by Yung Lean feat. Future and Metro Boomin, "Rhyno" by Travis Scott (produced by Daft Punk's Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo), and "Sexy Magic" uniting CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso, PinkPantheress, Fred again.., and Étienne de Crécy.
- Additional Confirmed Songs: "The Last Thing You Need" by Morgan Wallen, "Macacoa 2000" by Rauw Alejandro, and "Bright Lights, Big City" by Keith Richards.
- Leonida Radio Stations and Hosts: appearances across the dial from Bad Bunny, Lana Del Rey, and Robyn, with thrash metal legends Kerry King and Tom Araya of Slayer confirmed as radio station hosts.
My Take
Watching Gen Z players hunt down 1976 Cliff Richard vinyl records because a Rockstar Games showcase paired his music with Lucia says everything about the cultural reach of video game soundtracks.
Much like the Fallout series turned 1940s recordings by The Ink Spots into generational anthems, Grand Theft Auto radio stations remain the most effective musical time machine in entertainment. By stripping "Devil Woman" of its polite British family-gathering reputation and dropping it straight into the humid neon streets of Vice City, Rockstar has made a 50-year-old single feel dangerous all over again before players even boot up the game on November 19.
SEO consultant for over 20 years and digital entrepreneur, Charles 'Grimtag' Ronchain is the founder of Pro-Gamer.gg, Retrocharting.com, and Gamescharting.com. A competitive gamer, streamer, and retro game collector, he has worked in the video game industry for over 15 years, notably as a consultant for leading game price comparison platforms. Passionate about real-time performance data and gaming technology, he analyzes competitive esports, gaming hardware benchmarks, and creator workflows on Pro-Gamer.gg with an authentic player perspective.
