Within Catalogue
How Stranger Things revived Kate Bush
Kate Bush's 1985 single became a modern chart event after Stranger Things gave it a dramatic new emotional setting.
On this page
- The scene that reframed the song
- The chart records after release
- Why younger listeners heard it as new
Page outline Jump by section
Introduction
Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” is one of the clearest modern examples of how a catalogue song can become culturally new again. Released in 1985, the single was already respected as a classic, but its appearance in the fourth season of Stranger Things transformed it into a global contemporary hit nearly four decades after its original release. The revival was not driven by nostalgia alone. Millions of viewers who had never heard the song encountered it first through a dramatic television storyline, giving the track a fresh emotional meaning and introducing Kate Bush to a generation born long after the song’s original chart run. [WIPO]wipo.intWIPOStranger Things premiered its fourth season on Netflix in May 2022, featuring Running Up… Video: Watch the scene of Max being save…
The scene that reframed the song
The turning point came in the Stranger Things episode “Dear Billy”, centred on the character Max Mayfield. In one of the season’s most memorable sequences, Max escapes a supernatural threat while “Running Up That Hill” plays as her emotional lifeline. The song was not simply background music; it became a key part of the story itself. [WIPO]wipo.intWIPOStranger Things premiered its fourth season on Netflix in May 2022, featuring Running Up… Video: Watch the scene of Max being save…
Music supervisor Nora Felder has explained that the creative team needed a song that could plausibly be a teenager’s favourite record in 1986 while also expressing Max’s grief, isolation and determination. “Running Up That Hill” matched those needs unusually well. Its sweeping arrangement and emotionally ambiguous lyrics allowed viewers to connect it directly to Max’s struggle, even though the song had originally been written about empathy and understanding between people. [Variety]variety.comstranger things kate bush running up hill 1235282576VarietyHow 'Stranger Things' Landed Kate Bush's 'Running Up…1 Jun 2022 — "Stranger Things" music supervisor Nora Felder explains how s…
The result was a rare example of a sync placement doing more than reminding audiences of a familiar hit. The series effectively created a new narrative around the song. For many viewers, especially younger ones, the music became inseparable from Max’s story. Rather than hearing an old track from the 1980s, they experienced it as the soundtrack to a powerful contemporary television moment. [Vanity Fair]vanityfair.comFelder, who has been with the show since the beginning, chose the song for its ability to resonate with a teen's experience in 1986 and i…
The chart records after release
The commercial impact was extraordinary. Before the Stranger Things revival, “Running Up That Hill” had peaked at number three in the UK in 1985. After the series aired in 2022, the song climbed to number one on the UK Singles Chart, achieving a chart summit that had eluded it during its original release. Official Charts [DJ Mag]djmag.comkate bushs running hill hits no1 uk charts 38 years after releaseKate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill' hits No.1 in UK charts…Jun 17, 2022 — Kate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill' has officially reached No…
The achievement produced several notable records. Kate Bush became the oldest female artist to score a UK number-one single at the time, and the song set records for the longest gap between release and reaching number one, as well as one of the longest gaps between an artist’s UK chart-toppers. [Official Charts]officialcharts.comoldest female artist ever to score a Number 1 on the Official Singles Chart. At 63 years and 11 months, she replaces Cher, who was 52 whe… [Rolling Stone UK]rollingstone.co.ukkate bushs running up that hill breaks three guinness world records 19560Kate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill' breaks three Guinness…1 Jul 2022 — Kate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)' has broken…
The revival was not limited to Britain. In the United States, where Bush had never previously enjoyed a comparable level of chart success, the song surged into the Billboard Hot 100 top ten and ultimately reached a new career-best position. It also topped or reached the upper ranks of charts across multiple countries. [Wikipedia]WikipediaRunning Up That HillRunning Up That Hill [Reddit]reddit.comre-enters Billboard Hot 100 at No. 8.Read more…
Streaming and video consumption reflected the same pattern. The song accumulated vast numbers of new streams, while the official music video rapidly gained tens of millions of additional views after the series aired. [Wikipedia]WikipediaList of UK top ten singles in 2022List of UK top-ten singles in 2022↑ "Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill is Official Charts Number 1 Single: Singer becomes 3 x Official…
Why younger listeners heard it as new
One reason the revival was so powerful is that most of the new audience had no memory of the song’s original release. For many members of Generation Z, Stranger Things provided their first encounter with Kate Bush. Journalists and commentators repeatedly noted that teenagers were discovering the artist through the series rather than through traditional channels such as radio, family record collections or music history. [Vogue]vogue.comGen Z Has Finally Discovered Kate Bush, and I'm ThrilledThis led to the song topping the U.S. iTunes charts with new teenage fans enthused by their musical find. Long-time Bush fans, however, w…
The song also benefited from sounding unusually contemporary. Although recorded in the mid-1980s, its driving rhythm, synthesiser textures and emotional intensity did not feel tied to a single era. Nora Felder argued that if the track were released today, many listeners would not regard it as dated. That quality helped it compete naturally within streaming environments where songs from different decades appear side by side. [Vanity Fair]vanityfair.comFelder, who has been with the show since the beginning, chose the song for its ability to resonate with a teen's experience in 1986 and i…
Social media amplified the process. Viewers shared clips, reactions and interpretations of the Max sequence, while streaming platforms made the track instantly accessible to anyone curious enough to search for it. The television moment generated attention, but streaming converted that attention into repeat listening. [Wikipedia]WikipediaRunning Up That HillRunning Up That Hill
Kate Bush herself acknowledged that the song was being discovered by “a whole new audience”, an outcome she attributed directly to the series. The revival demonstrated that a catalogue recording does not need to remain fixed in its original cultural moment. Given the right story and emotional context, an older song can arrive in listeners’ lives as if it were brand new. [Rolling Stone]rollingstone.co.ukkate bushs running up that hill breaks three guinness world records 19560Kate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill' breaks three Guinness…1 Jul 2022 — Kate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)' has broken… [Pitchfork]pitchfork.comThe trailer includes a remix of Kate Bush's song “Running Up That Hill” and the show’s theme tune by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein. The tr…
What the revival revealed about catalogue music
The success of “Running Up That Hill” showed that rediscovery works best when an older song acquires a fresh meaning rather than merely receiving renewed exposure. Plenty of catalogue tracks appear in films and television programmes, but few become central to a story in the way Kate Bush’s song did in Stranger Things. The series transformed the track from a respected 1980s classic into a contemporary cultural event. [Vanity Fair]vanityfair.comFelder, who has been with the show since the beginning, chose the song for its ability to resonate with a teen's experience in 1986 and i…
For the wider music industry, the episode became a landmark example of how film and television can reactivate catalogue recordings. A song nearly forty years old generated chart success, streaming growth and cultural conversation on a scale normally associated with brand-new releases. More importantly, it reached listeners who were not revisiting a favourite from their youth; they were discovering it for the first time. Official Charts [WIPO]wipo.intWIPOStranger Things premiered its fourth season on Netflix in May 2022, featuring Running Up… Video: Watch the scene of Max being save…
Amazon book picks
Further Reading
Books and field guides related to How Stranger Things revived Kate Bush. Use these as the next step if you want deeper reading beyond the article.
Under the Ivy
First published 2012. Subjects: Music, british, history and criticism, Singers, biography, Singers, great britain, Rock musicians, biogra...
eBay marketplace picks
Marketplace Samples
Example marketplace items related to this page. Use the search link to explore similar finds on eBay.
Endnotes
-
Source: wipo.int
Link: https://www.wipo.int/en/web/wipo-magazine/articles/running-up-that-hill-an-80s-hit-makes-millions-in-royalties-thanks-to-stranger-things-63628Source snippet
WIPOStranger Things premiered its fourth season on Netflix in May 2022, featuring Running Up... Video: Watch the scene of Max being save...
Published: May 2022
-
Source: variety.com
Title: stranger things kate bush running up hill 1235282576
Link: https://variety.com/2022/music/news/stranger-things-kate-bush-running-up-hill-1235282576/Source snippet
VarietyHow 'Stranger Things' Landed Kate Bush's 'Running Up...1 Jun 2022 — "Stranger Things" music supervisor Nora Felder explains how s...
-
Source: rollingstone.co.uk
Title: kate bushs running up that hill breaks three guinness world records 19560
Link: https://www.rollingstone.co.uk/music/kate-bushs-running-up-that-hill-breaks-three-guinness-world-records-19560/Source snippet
Kate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill' breaks three Guinness...1 Jul 2022 — Kate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)' has broken...
-
Source: Wikipedia
Title: Running Up That Hill
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Running_Up_That_Hill -
Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/indieheads/comments/v69fxr/kate_bush_earns_firstever_top_10_single_in_the_us/Source snippet
re-enters Billboard Hot 100 at No. 8.Read more...
-
Source: pitchfork.com
Link: https://pitchfork.com/news/new-stranger-things-4-trailer-features-kate-bush-running-up-that-hill-remix-watchSource snippet
The trailer includes a remix of Kate Bush's song “Running Up That Hill” and the show’s theme tune by Kyle Dixon and Michael Stein. The tr...
-
Source: vogue.com
Title: Gen Z Has Finally Discovered Kate Bush, and I’m Thrilled
Link: https://www.vogue.com/article/kate-bush-stranger-things-gen-z-discoverySource snippet
This led to the song topping the U.S. iTunes charts with new teenage fans enthused by their musical find. Long-time Bush fans, however, w...
-
Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/popheads/comments/vek9n7/uk_official_charts_kate_bushs_running_up_that/Source snippet
UK OFFICIAL CHARTS: Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill...By landing at Number 1 on the Official Singles Chart, Kate Bush achieves three al...
-
Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/popheads/comments/v5u5g6/why_running_up_that_hill_got_a_chart_boost_from/Source snippet
Why Running Up That Hill got a chart boost from Stranger...The song has reached #1 on iTunes, #2 on Spotify's global chart and #1 on Spo...
-
Source: reddit.com
Title: New letter from Kate Bush
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/StrangerThings/comments/vgl2l0/new_letter_from_kate_bush_on_top_of_that_hill/Source snippet
“On Top of that Hill”Kate Bush appreciation discussion. 4. 13. Singer Kate Bush earned $2.3 million after "Stranger Things" popularized "...
-
Source: billboard.com
Title: Kate Bush Shatters U.K
Link: https://www.billboard.com/music/chart-beat/kate-bush-uk-records-running-up-that-hill-no-1-1235089438/Source snippet
Records as 'Running Up That Hill'...Jun 19, 2022 — Also, Bush becomes the oldest female artist ever to lead the Official U.K. Singles Ch...
-
Source: Wikipedia
Title: List of UK top ten singles in 2022
Link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_UK_top-ten_singles_in_2022Source snippet
List of UK top-ten singles in 2022↑ "Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill is Official Charts Number 1 Single: Singer becomes 3 x Official...
-
Source: vanityfair.com
Link: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2022/05/stranger-things-kate-bushSource snippet
Felder, who has been with the show since the beginning, chose the song for its ability to resonate with a teen's experience in 1986 and i...
-
Source: officialcharts.com
Link: https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/kate-bushs-running-up-that-hill-is-official-charts-number-1-single-singer-becomes-3-x-official-charts-record-breaker-with-stranger-things-success__36605/Source snippet
oldest female artist ever to score a Number 1 on the Official Singles Chart. At 63 years and 11 months, she replaces Cher, who was 52 whe...
-
Source: djmag.com
Title: kate bushs running hill hits no1 uk charts 38 years after release
Link: https://djmag.com/news/kate-bushs-running-hill-hits-no1-uk-charts-38-years-after-releaseSource snippet
Kate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill' hits No.1 in UK charts...Jun 17, 2022 — Kate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill' has officially reached No...
-
Source: officialcharts.com
Link: https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/27937/kate-bush/Source snippet
Official ChartsKATE BUSH songs and [albums]({{ 'albums/' | relative_url }}) | full Official Chart history... Official Chart landing at Number 1 thanks to a feature in Netf...
-
Source: rollingstone.com
Title: kate bush stranger things running up that hill statement 1363278
Link: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/kate-bush-stranger-things-running-up-that-hill-statement-1363278/Source snippet
Rolling StoneKate Bush on 'Stranger Things'-Fueled Resurgence5 Jun 2022 — Kate Bush acknowledged the Stranger Things-fueled resurgence of...
-
Source: officialcharts.com
Title: RUNNIN G UP THAT HILL – KATE BUSHLatest chart stats about RUNNING UP THAT HILL
Link: https://www.officialcharts.com/songs/kate-bush-running-up-that-hill/Source snippet
RUNNING UP THAT HILL – KATE BUSHLatest chart stats about RUNNING UP THAT HILL - peak chart position, weeks on chart, catalogue number, we...
-
Source: officialcharts.com
Link: https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/kate-bush-still-reeling-from-running-up-that-hills-record-breaking-official-charts-success-this-year-in-rare-public-statement__38164/Source snippet
Kate Bush still "reeling" from Running Up That Hill's record...22 Dec 2022 — Kate Bush has released a rare end-of-year public statement...
-
Source: officialcharts.com
Link: https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/kate-bushs-running-up-that-hill-claims-a-second-week-at-number-1-on-official-uk-singles-chart__36698/Source snippet
Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill claims a second week at...24 Jun 2022 — Running Up That Hill by Kate Bush celebrates a second week at N...
-
Source: officialcharts.com
Link: https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/the-chart-history-of-kate-bushs-viral-stranger-things-hit-running-up-that-hill-a-deal-with-god-__36488/Source snippet
Today, the track ascends to Number 1 on the UK's Official Singles Chart.Read more...
-
Source: officialcharts.com
Link: https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/the-uks-official-songs-of-the-summer-2022-kate-bush-s-record-breaking-stranger-things-anthem-running-up-that-hill-is-the-official-song-of-the-summer-2022-as-80s-nostalgia-reigns-supreme__37338/Source snippet
The UK's Official Songs of the Summer 2022: Kate Bush's...5 Sept 2022 — Kate Bush's record-breaking hit Running Up That Hill has been na...
-
Source: officialcharts.com
Link: https://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/2022-music-facts-20-incredible-official-chart-facts-from-the-year-from-harry-styles-taylor-swift-and-more__38186/Source snippet
2022 Music Facts: 20 incredible Official Chart facts from the...Dec 25, 2022 — One of the most unlikely chart successes of 2022 came cou...
-
Source: dictionary.cambridge.org
Link: https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/officialSource snippet
| English meaning - Cambridge Dictionarya person who has a position of responsibility in an organization: a government/trade-union/counci...
-
Source: vogue.co.uk
Title: Kate Middleton Wore An Unexpected Designer To Mark An Emotional Milestone
Link: https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/kate-middleton-cancer-research-king-charles
Additional References
-
Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/OfficialCharts/posts/its-official-kate-bush-has-the-uks-number-1-single-with-running-up-that-hill-thi/10159205042224563/ -
Source: guinnessworldrecords.com
Link: https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2022/6/kate-bushs-running-up-that-hill-breaks-records-after-stranger-things-success-708717Source snippet
Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" breaks records after...Jun 30, 2022 — Kate Bush's chart-topper "Running Up that Hill (A Deal with God...
-
Source: facebook.com
Title: on this day in 2022 kate bush went to no1 on the uk singles chart with running u
Link: https://www.facebook.com/ClassicPopMag/posts/on-this-day-in-2022-kate-bush-went-to-no1-on-the-uk-singles-chart-with-running-u/1142929497850524/Source snippet
On this day in 2022, Kate Bush went to No.1 on the UK...On this day in 2022, Kate Bush went to No.1 on the UK singles chart with Running...
-
Source: nme.com
Title: kate bush breaks three guinness world records with running up that hill 3259491
Link: https://www.nme.com/news/music/kate-bush-breaks-three-guinness-world-records-with-running-up-that-hill-3259491Source snippet
Kate Bush breaks three Guinness World Records with '...30 Jun 2022 — Kate Bush has officially broken three Guinness World Records follow...
-
Source: facebook.com
Title: in 2022 kate bush hit no1 in the uk with running up that hill 37 years after it
Link: https://www.facebook.com/happymagtv/posts/in-2022-kate-bush-hit-no1-in-the-uk-with-running-up-that-hill-37-years-after-it-/1123131699849055/Source snippet
In 2022, Kate Bush hit No.1 in the UK with 'Running Up...With 44 years between her 1978 #1 “Wuthering Heights” and her 2022 #1 “Running...
-
Source: thevinylfactory.com
Title: kate bush running up that hill guiness world records stranger things
Link: https://www.thevinylfactory.com/news/kate-bush-running-up-that-hill-guiness-world-records-stranger-thingsSource snippet
Kate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill' breaks three Guinness...4 Jul 2022 — The single has now earned the Guinness-stamped record for the lo...
-
Source: theguardian.com
Title: the whole worlds gone mad kate bush on running up that hills success
Link: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/jun/22/the-whole-worlds-gone-mad-kate-bush-on-running-up-that-hills-successSource snippet
'The whole world's gone mad!' Kate Bush on Running Up...22 Jun 2022 — Kate Bush has discussed the remarkable resurgent success of her 19...
-
Source: independent.co.uk
Title: kate bush running up that hill guinness world records b2113782
Link: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/kate-bush-running-up-that-hill-guinness-world-records-b2113782.htmlSource snippet
Kate Bush's 'Running Up That Hill' breaks three Guinness...1 Jul 2022 — Originally peaking at No 3, the song took a total of 36 years an...
-
Source: latimes.com
Title: stranger things season 4 running up that hill kate bush
Link: https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2022-06-05/stranger-things-season-4-running-up-that-hill-kate-bushSource snippet
Kate Bush: 'Stranger Things' revived 'Running Up That Hill'5 Jun 2022 — “It features the song, 'Running Up That Hill' which is being give...
-
Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/PigsAndPlans/posts/with-the-final-season-of-stranger-things-releasing-kate-bushs-iconic-track-runni/1352940970211864/Source snippet
as a motif for the character Max Mayfield, portrayed by Sadie Sink.Read more...
Topic Tree