Why Does This '80s Singer Have A Number 1 Song Decades After Its Release?
Kate Bush's song "Running Up That Hill" has hit its charts peak almost 40 years after being released, after being discovered by a new generation of fans thanks to a TV show. "Running Up That Hill," taken from Kate Bush's Hounds Of Love album, has climbed up the charts after being featured in the fourth season of the hit Netflix series Stranger Things. The song itself has actually been played throughout the sci-fi season, but many people may remember it from one particularly epic and emotional scene featuring Sadie Sink's character Max Mayfield.This isn’t Kate Bush’s first taste of success: the veteran singer/songwriter has been nominated for Brits, Grammy Awards and Billboard Music Awards over her 40-year career, and her song was even used in the 2012 London Olympics. So, why has this legendary 63-year-old English singer-songwriter had such a successful comeback, despite not releasing a new album or single?
9 Kate Bush's Song Was Featured On Stranger Things
Kate Bush’s emotionally stirring ballad was incorporated as an important component in the hit Netflix sci-fi show’s fourth season’s storyline.
The song helps Max (played by Sadie Sink) escape the horrifying clutches of the villain, Vecna. When all hope seems lost, her friends play her favorite song, "Running Up That Hill" hoping to ground her back to reality. The song continues to play throughout the season, used as a way to calm and protect Max from her trauma.
Music supervisor, Nora Felder told Variety she was tasked by the Duffer Brothers to find a song that resonated with Max's "complex feelings."
"It immediately struck me with its deep chords of the possible connection to Max’s emotional struggles and took on more significance as Bush's song marinated in my conscious awareness," she explained. Nora has three Emmy nominations for Outstanding Music Supervision for her work on the show.
First premiering in 2016, Stranger Things tells the story of a group of kids and teens navigating the supernatural perils in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana, in the 1980s.
8 'Running Up That Hill' Becomes A U.S. Chart Hit
Kate Bush’s "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" has re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 8. It peaked at number 30 back in 1985. It’s Kate Bush’s first U.S. Top 10 ever. As reported by Billboard, over the Memorial Day weekend in the U.S. alone, the song saw an increase in streaming on Spotify by 9,900 percent.
7 'Running Up That Hill' Makes The UK Charts
On the Official Singles Chart on June 3, 2022, the single re-entered the UK top 10 at number eight, reaching a new peak position of number two the following week.
Chart analysts believed that "Running Up That Hill" could have reached number one, but because it was an older song re-entering the chart, the Official Charts Company's accelerated chart ratio (ACR) rule meant that the 700,000 per day streams were halved when factored in for the chart, and counted in at less than the 400,000 streams per day for that week's number one "As It Was" by Harry Styles.
6 'Running Up That Hill' Tops iTunes And Spotify Charts
Thanks to the song’s prominence in Stranger Things, "Running Up That Hill" topped the iTunes charts almost immediately. The emotional ballad also made several more streaming breakthroughs over the week after the show appeared on the streaming platform. It is currently the top of Spotify global charts and is one of the most streamed songs around the world.
5 Kate Bush Rarely Gives Songs Approval To Appear On TV
Kate Bush released a rare public statement earlier this week, giving the song's usage her seal of approval.
"When the first series came out, friends kept asking us if we’d seen Stranger Things, so we checked it out and really loved it," she explained. "We’ve watched every series since then, as a family... When they approached us to use 'Running Up That Hill,' you could tell that a lot of care had gone into how it was used in the context of the story and I really liked the fact that the song was a positive totem for the character, Max. I’m really impressed by this latest series. It's an epic piece of work - the shows are extremely well put together with great characters and fantastic SFX."
"It’s very touching that the song has been so warmly received, especially as it’s being driven by the young fans who love the shows. I’m really happy that the Duffer Brothers are getting such positive feedback for their latest creation. They deserve it."
4 Kate Bush's 1985 Album 'Hounds Of Love' Hits Number 1 On Billboard
"Running Up That Hill" did not only regain success alone, but it has now breathed new life to Bush's album almost 40 years after its release. 1985's Hounds of Love has just claimed the number one spot on Billboard’s Alternative chart. It has seen a 2000 percent increase in demand since the release of the fourth season of Stranger Things.
Billboard reported that in the May 27-June 2 tracking week that Hounds Of Love earned 17,000 equivalent album units, surging by 2,086 per cent. Hounds of Love is Bush’s best-selling album and has received double-platinum certification in the UK.
3 Has 'Running Up That Hill' Been On Other Shows?
This is not the first time Kate Bush has been discovered by a whole new generation of fans. Placebo covered the song in 2003 and it gained popularity when it was featured in the season-four premiere of The O.C. This version was later used in the trailer to 2009 vampire flick Daybreakers.
The Great British Baking Show co-host Noel Fielding has also recreated the choreography for Bush’s breakout hit for "Comic Relief." In 2012 a remix, featuring newly recorded vocals, premiered during that year's Summer Olympics closing ceremony and became popular in the UK. It was also featured in the pilot episode of the 2018 drama series Pose. We are sure it will appear in plenty of new shows, introducing a whole new generation to the brilliance of the British singer.
2 What Is The Meaning Of Kate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill'?
Of course, we all bring our own meanings into music and lyrics. Because "Running Up That Hill" talks about making a deal with God, people often misinterpret it.
"I was trying to say that, really, a man and a woman can't understand each other because we are a man and a woman. And if we could actually swap each other's roles, if we could actually be in each other's place for a while, I think we'd both be very surprised!" Kate Bush once explained. "And really the only way I could think it could be done was either... you know, I thought a deal with the devil, you know. And I thought, 'well, no, why not a deal with God!' You know, because in a way it's so much more powerful the whole idea of asking God to make a deal with you."
The song was originally hugely controversial and even banned in countries where it is now number 1. "But we were told that if we kept this title that it would not be played in any of the religious countries, Italy wouldn't play it, France wouldn't play it, and Australia wouldn't play it! Ireland wouldn't play it, and that generally we might get it blocked purely because it had God in the title."
1 What Happened To Kate Bush?
The once-popular singer now favors a life out of the limelight. Kate Bush is known widely for her desire for privacy.
Bush first disappeared from public view in 1993 with her husband Danny. She welcomed her son, Albert, in 1998, and didn't tell the press until 2000. She made her musical return in 2005 with an album titled Aerial. Kate Bush has lived in South Devon since 2004. She took a nine-year break before returning to the stage with a 22-show concert at the Hammersmith Apollo in London, England. Her first live show in 35 years sold out in 15 minutes online.
“My life and my work are very interlocked,” Kate Bush revealed in 2005. “That’s partly why I like to keep my private life private.”
The first seven episodes of Stranger Things season 4 are currently streaming on Netflix, with the remainder of the season debuting on Friday, July 1.
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