Thanks to "Stranger Things," Kate Bush's song "Running Up That Hill" is topping the charts
37 years after its release.
What does Bush think of it all?
And how's her bank account faring?
Keep watching to find out.
Kate Bush is one of the most beloved and influential British musicians of all time.
Born on July 30, 1958, Bush was a precocious child, playing violin and piano at a very
early age.
She was even writing musical compositions at the young age of 14.
Bush's first breakout single was 1978's "Wuthering Heights," which instantly launched her into
music stardom.
"Well, when I was young, it was really the music that my brothers played, um, that I'd
pick out the stuff that I liked and listen to it with them."
With immensely popular albums including "Hounds of Love," "The Dreaming," "The Sensual World,"
and "Aerial," Bush cemented her label as queen of art-pop.
Her influence is immeasurable.
She has inspired musicians such as Enya and Björk, and music critics continue to be wowed
by her lyrical range and unique talent.
With a career as illustrious as Bush's, it's hard to see her artistic fire ever burning
out.
However, NME notes that she actually stopped touring for 35 years.
She re-emerged for a 2014 tour, and then again in 2022, when Bush was yet again topping all
of the charts.
The reason for that, as you may have guessed, is because of the hit Netflix show "Stranger
Things."
If you somehow aren't already familiar with it, Netflix's "Stranger Things" is a supernatural
horror series created by the Duffer brothers.
The show has been immensely popular since its 2016 debut, winning 7 Primetime Emmys,
along with 77 other awards and 216 nominations.
Odds are, if someone watches Netflix, they probably have seen "Stranger Things."
The show is a love letter to movies from the 1980s like "Ghostbusters" and "The Goonies,"
as well as cultural trends of the era like slasher films and "Dungeons & Dragons."
It stars a delightful gang of kids who go on supernatural adventures filled with monsters,
conspiracies, and mysterious psychic powers.
So, just how did Kate Bush and "Stranger Things" suddenly become connected in the pop culture
consciousness?
Bush's 1985 song "Running Up That Hill" is the character Max Mayfield's favorite song,
and she listens to it throughout the fourth season.
In the season's fourth episode, the song plays during a pivotal and highly dramatic moment
for Max and her friends.
"Will Kate Bush, like, lose her magic power or something?"
"Kate Bush?
Never."
"You're a Kate Bush fan?"
"Uh, yeah.
Now I am."
As you might guess, fans immediately started playing Bush's song on repeat on various streaming
services.
As Billboard says, the song became a No. 1 hit across the world for a week, smashing
records and putting Bush's name back in the spotlight.
According to NME, the pop queen accumulated a whopping 57 million streams over the course
of the week.
What does Bush herself think of all of this?
Well, she loves it.
The singer has made multiple statements praising "Stranger Things" for its use of her music,
and she's emotionally moved to know that a new generation is experiencing her music.
She said in a statement:
"I'm overwhelmed by the scale of affection and support the song is receiving, and it's
all happening really fast, as if it's being driven along by a kind of elemental force.
I have to admit I feel really moved by it all.
Thank you so very much for making the song a number one in such an unexpected way."
On top of all the respect and love from fans, Bush has earned quite a payday from streaming
platform revenue.
As The Sun reports, Bush will make at least 1 million pounds from all of the streams,
turning a handy profit on work she did decades ago.
"I'm sorry you're number 2 this week, Kate."
"Well, I think that's pretty good."
"It's better than being number 3."
"Running Up That Hill" is undoubtedly Kate Bush's most popular song at the moment, thanks
to "Stranger Things."
And she gets to keep a sizable chunk of the revenue the song generates.
The Sun notes that Bush was taking in 250,000 pounds a week at the height of the song's
popularity, which might continue well into the future, as long as "Stranger Things" continues
to be popular.
Unlike many other musicians, Bush has an unusual degree of control over her music, owning the
licensing, publishing, and songwriting rights to the track.
As such, most of the profits from her music basically go to her bank account.
Noble & Brite, the company behind Bush's music, also belongs to her.
Warner Music Group is the official distributor of the song, but Bush still retains recording
rights.
Thanks to her retaining all this ownership, all of the attention makes for one huge win
for the queen of art-pop.
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