I’ve not started the new season of Stranger Things. To be honest, I hadn’t planned to watch it but there were so many people talking about how monumental episode four is, it’s piqued my curiosity. One of the comments that kept coming up was the excellent use of Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill. My first reaction without even seeing the show was, duh. That’s a fantastic flipping song. Stranger Things, of course, is very popular. So popular that it put Kate’s 37-year-old hit back on the charts causing an 8,000% bump after it aired. She was so tickled that her song was running up the charts *pauses for laugh*, that Kate thanked the show’s fans on her website. Which is really cool, because Kate rarely makes personal statements about anything. And she was downright giddy, too.
The Grammy Award nominee, 63, shared her excitement on the renewed interest in her 1985 single “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)” in a rare statement on her website after the song was predominantly featured in the recently released episodes of Stranger Things.
“You might’ve heard that the first part of the fantastic, gripping new series of Stranger Things has recently been released on Netflix,” she wrote. “It features the song, ‘Running Up That Hill’ which is being given a whole new lease of life by the young fans who love the show – I love it too!”
“Because of this, ‘Running Up That Hill’ is charting around the world and has entered the U.K. chart at No. 8. It’s all really exciting! Thanks very much to everyone who has supported the song. I wait with bated breath for the rest of the series in July,” Bush added.
Since the first part of Stranger Things season 4 dropped last month on Netflix, she’s also claimed the No. 1 spot on the iTunes song chart, as well as No. 4 on the Spotify charts, nearly 37 years after the track first debuted.
Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” was first released in Aug. 1985 as the lead single from her fifth studio album Hounds of Love. The song peaked at No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 when it was first released, also reaching No. 3 in the U.K.
“The song peaked at No. 30 on the Billboard Hot 100 when it was first released,” I could not believe that when I read it. It’s weird when you’re a Kate fan because I freaking love her music so every time I hear one of her songs, I go a little daffy. But a lot of her sound was too experimental for the US. Even Wuthering Heights never made it to number one here. Stranger Things is the perfect vehicle to bring Kate’s music back, honestly. It’s nostalgia for Gen X and Gen Z is loving the series. As a parent to Gen Zers, I relish them discovering our music. My 15yo just found End of the World by REM, Zombie by The Cranberries and can’t get enough of Oingo Boingo. My 17yo is a big Thomas Dolby and ELO fan. We just bought Duran Duran tickets as a family. And now Kate’s charting again. Who says we don’t know how to raise kids right?!
I love how excited Kate is about this. I get it, too. Songs must be so personal to artists and when they’re adored like this, it must feel wonderful. Kate sounds like such a proud mom here. And Kate’s threatening Harry Styles No. 1 spot – of all people! Honestly, I’ll bet he’d be the most gracious if she takes it from him. My money’s on them ending up in a duet as a result. Winona Ryder is also pretty jazzed about the Kate love as well. Apparently, she’s been pushing to get Kate’s music on the show for some time. She kept wearing Kate Bush shirts to set as a hint to the showrunners. It only took seven years, but they finally got the message. Thank goodness.
*I was playing Running Up That Hill as I wrote this. My husband just came in and ‘accused’ me of listening to Kate without him, which I didn’t realize was a thing. So I guess that’s a new marriage rule we have. Again, I get it.
Photo credit: Avalon Red, YouTube and Getty Images
I don’t know why but all the stories about this just make me smile.
Love that song. Love Kate Bush.
I worked at an Indie record store chain when Hounds of Love was released. I still have my limited edition marble vinyl.
Meg Myers did an incredible cover of this as well.
Chromatics too.
Faith and the Muse did a brilliant cover. And the Placebo version makes me ache almost as much as the original.
The Placebo cover is stunning.
One of my fave songs, and I really enjoyed this season of ST. But for some reason all these Gen Z’ers claiming this song annoys me lol
I prefer the Placebo cover to the original but only because that’s the version I heard first.
Ok let’s give credit where it is due…Cloudthumping was featured on an episode of Handmaid’s Tale season 2 and this is how I even learned of Kate Bush. I was born in the 80’s, but had never even heard of hear until they started to play that song on that episode. I just naaaarrrooowly missed Kate Bush while I was growing up
I don’t think she’s ever written a bad song. My almost 34-y-o listened to “Rubberband Girl” on endless loop when “The Red Shoes” came out.
Been saving “Stranger Things” until the rest of the season is released. Now I have another reason to look forward to it!
I love Kate Bush so I’m absolutely tickled that she released a statement about it. This has been my favorite season since the first. The Nancy/Robin scenes were my favorite and both actresses killed it. Sadie Sink has been amazing too.
Some of the Twitter reactions have been hysterical, like people getting mad that the kids are discovering her music like they have some property over it or that they are misinterpreting the meaning. I’m thrilled that she’s getting a younger generation of fans.
It’s cool, but the Tik Tokers have a tendency to behave as though they’ve “discovered” things, which is really exhausting. Like, go read a book kids
I am with you. When Millennials and Gen X begrudge younger people it just makes them sound like boomers. I am so glad this song is making her some money!
S4 is def right up there with S1. I just wish they hadn’t turned Robin into such a neurotic gabby person. I preferred her previous vibe and cool persona. Caleb’s role got way better and so did his acting.
That song is so wonderful.
I just read this to my husband. We are both Kate fans as well as REM, Oingo Boingo and Thomas Dolby. Loved this.
If your kids are Oingo Boingo fans, you’re doing something right!
The whole ‘Hounds of Love’ album is so good but I am very partial to the Red Shoes (the video to the title track is bonkers).
There is a bit of a revival happening with ‘oldies’ music – I think that Phil Collins song ‘In the Air Tonight’ seemed to suddenly trend on tik tok as a new generation discovered it. Great song – asshat singer/songwriter.
I love that album and Never For Ever!
All hail Kate Bush
I was singing along during the episode. I love Kate Bush. She is so wonderfully weird.
😻⚡️🌹
Honk for Kate Bush!
I just want to say that picture of Sadie Sink is a spoiler! I’ve only watched the first episode.
That’s one of my favourite songs! Heard it again watching the first season of Pose a few years back. Kate is an amazing singer and songwriter; she deserves all the love of a new generation.
This is wonderful! Her albums were a regular feature in our home as I was growing up and while I never had her albums myself I just know them and can hear them in my head when they’re mentioned so clearly they were bedded in deeply early on!
As a runner, it is impossible to discuss a running route without singing that line of the song.
Having said that, I’m more of a Wuthering Heights fan.
My young Gen Z kiddos love “our” music, too! My 9 year-old has a Spotify playlist I made for her that has Blister in the Sun, Hot Hot Hot, Just Can’t Get Enough, Wake Me Up Before You Go Go, Let’s Go Crazy, Love Shack and Lips Like Sugar (among songs about Bruno and hits from Sing, lol). My 14 year-old makes his own music and also loves some 80’s/90’s alternative and old-school rap. I agree that we’re raising them right!
I’m not watching Stranger Things (it doesn’t fit with my current TV habits of baking shows and sitcom reruns) but my husband was finishing the episode that the header picture came out of the other night and I was SO happy to hear Kate echoing through the house!! Love her, glad the youths are getting to know her. She’s awesome.
My kid told me NIN’s closer was making a comeback too. Between that and Kate Bush I’m very happy.
Wow really? Love that song too!
Love that track but I would have expected Head like a hole to feature as well – maybe it has.
No way! That makes me happy to hear.
Teenage me has been waiting for a NIN resurgence for quite some time now. Head Like a Hole, Closer, Down in It, Hurt, oh how the Trent Reznor love runs deep for me…
@Stef – not sure if it has but given the lyrics ‘Bow down before the one you serve, you’re going to get what you deserve’ it fits the show nicely.
Am with you – Pretty Hate Machine needs to make a come back.
Great music is timeless. Kate is a goddess.
This is one of my all time favorite songs. I was introduced to this song in 2012 when a remix came out of it. So so good. Then my friend heard the Meg Meyers verison and I introduced him to the original. I am 41, but somehow missed this song when it originally came out. It must have not gotten a lot of airplay in HV of NY.
It’s one of my all time favorite songs too! I’m 36 and also missed it the first time around, but I remember watching a biography on the group OutKast sometime in the mid aughts, and it played a short clip from the “Running Up That Hill” music video because Big Boi is a huge Kate fan. I remember thinking, “whoa whoa whoa, what was THAT?” then looking up the song and immediately becoming smitten 🥰
I’ve had this song in my head all day, just from the headlines about it charting!
I only saw the first season or 2 of Stranger Things, I’ll have to binge it at some point.
I never heard it on US radio, but we lived in northern Vermont and heard it frequently on CHOM FM out of Montreal in the 80s. Fantastic tune- I was shocked to hear it on Sirius in the car yesterday… I didn’t know it was used on the soundtrack but I cranked it up and car-danced as I drove.
Im 40s.
Never heard of her. Or her music.
Better late than never hearing it though
You’re in for a treat! I hope you like her. 😀
Love love LOVE Kate Bush!! If only she would release a DVD of her “Before the Dawn” concerts. I was fortunate enough to travel to London for my 50th birthday to see one of the shows.
I love Kate Bush! Running up that hill and Woman’s work are probably my favorites.
My youngest son discovered Oingo Bingo lol, I got to tell him I saw them at magic mountain and Disneyland before they got really popular 😹
I wrote a paper on Only a lad in college 😃