Stranger Things has introduced youngsters to a number of topics from the 1980s zeitgeist: little films like E.T. and Ghostbusters, the ever-popular bowl cut hairstyle, and now, Kate Bush’s seminal hit “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God).”
Kiddos from all over the world are discovering Bush’s 1985 hit from her album “Hounds of Love” thanks to the fantasy show, but why now, and why Stranger Things, of all places?
Fans of the show have resurfaced the song with such vigor that it has skyrocketed to the tippy-top of every music streaming service: Spotify, Apple Music… you name it. We’re still waiting on next week’s Billboard charts to show us the exact amount of surge, but the song has already seen an increase of 9,900 percent in U.S. streams, Billboard reports.
Without spoilers, the scenes involve Max (Sadie Sink) as she copes with the death of her abusive older brother Billy (Dacre Montgomery). The song first rears its head in Episode 4 of the fourth season, replaying a handful of times as Max goes through her main arc. You can watch the scene on YouTube, or pan through the entire season to hear the needle drop quite a few times. (Don’t watch the video below if you don’t want to be spoiled.)
The song is now taking the world by storm, nearly 40 years after its release. Just search “Kate Bush” on Twitter and you’ll see a flurry of reactions—people discovering the song for the first time, longtime fans celebrating the resurrection, and a handful of folks a little more upset about the song resurfacing.
“Kate Bush did not go through wuthering heights, run all the way up that hill to make a deal with god & shout babooshka for y’all to be finding out about her in 2022!” one user shamed Stranger Things fans.
Another user threatened, “If y’all start calling Kate Bush’s music the stranger things songs I’m gonna kill you.”
“Running Up That Hill” was, indeed, around long before Stranger Things—nearly four decades—and Kate Bush even longer. But Stranger Things also has a young (and massive) fanbase. Where else are they meant to find Kate Bush’s music? If it wasn’t in Stranger Things, it’d be on TikTok. Not every teenager is frequenting record stores in hunt for classic music to listen to when Harry Styles just released a new album.
“I don’t give af how or what introduces kids to music like Kate Bush or Fleetwood Mac,” a Twitter user rebutted. “What matters is that these legends endure and life on. As they fucking should.”
Further, this is far from the first time Kate Bush was “discovered” (read: rediscovered) via entertainment like TV and films. “Running Up That Hill” has been featured in popular series like It’s a Sin, Pose, Firefly Lane, The Handmaid’s Tale, You’re the Worst, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Alias, and Netflix’s own GLOW. And just a few summers ago, the world found Kate Bush via “Cloudbusting” in Palm Springs.
All things considered, while it’s a shame Kate Bush can’t be trending every day on Spotify and Apple Music, it’s nice that she’s getting a little boost from Stranger Things fans hunting down her music. Plus, the discourse has led to a bunch of avid TV fans naming their favorite needle drops on TV—a lovely walk down memory lane. (The correct answer is “Whatcha Say” in Gossip Girl. We will not hear otherwise.)
Now, how long until “Running Up That Hill” is a top sound on TikTok?
(The Daily Beast has reached out to Kate Bush for comment, but she has yet to respond. Nor should she.)
