Eighties popstar Kate Bush has found a renaissance among a new generation after her song Running Up That Hill was used in an episode of Stranger Things Season 4.
The singer broke records after the Netflix series helped propel her 1985 single to the top of UK chart almost 40 years after its initial release.
The Guinness World Records has confirmed the resurgence set a new record for the longest time for a track to reach number one on the UK’s Official Singles Chart and the longest gap between number ones.
At 63, Bush is the oldest female artist to reach the chart pinnacle in the UK. The track, as of July 29, remained high up the UK’s most streamed Spotify songs, sat at number 11.
The rejuvenation has encouraged the BBC to dust off some of its old documentaries about Kate Bush’s rise to the top, with a new set of fans intrigued to know more.
How much has Kate Bush made from Running Up That Hill?
Kate Bush has reportedly earned nearly £2million in streaming revenue after Stranger Things 4 introduced the song to a younger, nostalgia-loving audience.
According to music data website Luminate, her royalties have spiked, with the singer expected to pocket $2.3 million (£1.9 million).
The classic track Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) was written by Bush, meaning she is likely to keep a great swathe of the extra money that the song has made from its streaming success.
Bush's track was heard throughout the storyline of Max Mayfield, played by Sadie Sink, during the first part of series four.
But long before Stranger Things, the song was used as the main theme tune for the 1986 children's drama Running Scared on BBC1.
It became the most-streamed track globally last month, reaching number one on Spotify in both the UK and the US after registering 57million listens in just one week.
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The song is having greater chart success in 2022 than it did upon its original release.
The track featured on the artist’s fifth studio album Hounds Of Love and peaked at number three when released as a single.
Bush is not the only 80s act to benefit from exposure to the Stranger Things fan base and the programme’s homage to the decade of big hair and leg warmers.
Metallica’s eight-minute thrash metal masterpiece Master of Puppets also rocketed up the streaming charts after volume two of series four used the epic during a key fight scene.
What has Kate Bush said about her Stranger Things success?
Kate Bush said she thought the “whole world’s gone mad” after Running Up That Hill was sent soaring back up the charts 37 years after its initial release.
The English singer told BBC Radio 4’s Women’s Hour: “It’s just extraordinary. I mean, you know, it’s such a great series, I thought that the track would get some attention.
“But I just never imagined that it would be anything like this. It’s so exciting.”
She said it was “really wonderful” that so many young people were “hearing the song for the first time” and confessed that she was loving being discovered again.
Career documentary
Saturday will see BBC2 air the documentary The Kate Bush Story: Running Up That Hill.
Originally released in 2014, the hour-long programme explores the singer-songwriter's career and music, from her 1978 debut single Wuthering Heights to her 2011 album 50 Words for Snow.
It features interviews with Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour, the guitarist who discovered her, as well as Peter Gabriel, Elton John, Stephen Fry, Outkast's Big Boi and Steve Coogan.
The documentary is part of three hours of Kate Bush coverage on BBC2, with the station also revisiting her live performances either side of the programme.
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