Kate Bush Experiencing Massive Surge in Popularity, Thanks to 'Stranger Things'

By Daniel S. Levine

Stranger Things Season 4 helped Kate Bush's 1985 classic "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" run right back up the charts after the first part was released on May 27. Bush, 63, has always been massively popular in her native U.K., but Stranger Things has introduced her music to a new generation of American audiences who may have been unaware of her music. Longtime Bush fans have celebrated her resurgence and Bush herself even issued a rare response to her newfound attention.

"Running Up that Hill" became the most-streamed song on Spotify in the U.K. and U.S. after the new Stranger Things episodes were released. The song also jumped to the Top 10 in 34 countries. It topped Apple Music's charts in the U.S. on Memorial Day weekend. "Running Up That Hill" plays an important role for Sadie Sink's Max, who is grieving after her half-brother Billy dies. She listens to the song, which ultimately saves her life.

The song's success inspired Bush to release a rare comment and praise for Stranger Things. She has not released a new album since 2011, and instead focused on remastering her past work in recent years. Her Stranger Things statement is the first update on her website since she shared a Christmas message with fans.

'Rising new pop star'

"You might've heard that the first part of the fantastic, gripping new series of Stranger Things has recently been released on Netflix," Bush 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 UK 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."

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'Changed the trajectory of my life'

Stranger Things music supervisor Nora Felder told Variety that series creators Matt and Ross Duffer didn't have a song in their script, but she soon realized that "Running Up That Hill" would be perfect for the scene. "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," Felder said.

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'Explaining 'Hounds of Love' to all my friends'

The next problem was getting the rights to the song, which could be challenging because Bush rarely approves the use of her music. Although they discovered Bush is a fan of the show, it still took a while to work out a deal with Sony Music Publishing because "Running Up That Hill" is used so often in Season 4.

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'I don't care how or when you discovered Kate Bush'

"Kate Bush's lyrics can mean very different things to different people," Felder told Variety. "In the face of Max's painful isolation and alienation from others, a 'deal with god' could heart-wrenchingly reflect Max's implicit belief that only a miracle of unlikely understanding and show of support could help her climb the hills of life before her. In Max's situation, the need for a 'deal with god' can perhaps be metaphorically understood as a desperate cry for love – to manifest the extraordinary understanding and support Max needed while feeling so painfully alone."

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'I'm so excited for you!'

"Running Up That Hill" is featured on Bush's fifth album, Hounds of Love, released in 1985. The song was already one of the biggest hits in Bush's career, long before Stranger Things. She recorded a new version in 2012 that was played during the 2012 Summer Olympics Closing Ceremony in London. Bush is one of the most influential British artists of her generation, but her success was limited in the U.S. She only earned three Grammy nominations and has failed multiple times to get inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Hopefully, Stranger Things changes that.

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'Jealous of all the people just discovering Kate Bush'

The second part of Stranger Things Season 4 will be released on July 1. Netflix has already renewed the show for a fifth and final season.

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