Kate Bush thanks Stranger Things as she celebrates record-breaking success
Kate Bush has thanked Stranger Things after she landed her first UK number one single in over 40 years. (ZIK Images/United Archives via Getty)
Kate Bush has thanked Stranger Things after her 1985 classic “Running Up That Hill” broke multiple records decades after its first release.
The British singer and songwriter has experienced a resurgence in popularity since “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” featured in season four of the popular Netflix series Stranger Things. In the series, the song is the soundtrack to Max Mayfield’s (Sadie Sink) survival and is used by her friends to ground her back in reality in one scene.
The track has shot up the charts in recent weeks as a new generation of fans discovered Bush’s amazing work. Now, Kate Bush has broken three UK chart records by hitting number one with the eerie and beautiful ballad.
Bush broke the record for the longest-ever gap between number one singles, according to the Official Charts Company. She last topped the charts 44 years ago with her iconic 1978 song “Wuthering Heights”, when she was just 19 years old.
Bush took the title for the longest time taken for a single to reach number one on the Official Singles Chart, taking 37 years to clinch the top spot. The previous record was held by Wham! who saw “Last Christmas” surge in popularity on the Official Singles Chart 36 years after its release.
Bush also became the oldest female artist to ever hold a number one spot on the Official Singles Chart at 63 years and 11 months old. She now replaces Cher who was 52 when her LGBTQ+ anthem “Believe” topped the charts in 1998.
Kate Bush broke three UK chart records simultaneously after her hit “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)” took the number one spot. (ZIK Images/United Archives via Getty)
Kate Bush issued a rare statement praising Stranger Things’ creators, the Duffer Brothers, for “bringing the song into so many people’s lives”. The singer said the barriers that the characters face in the latest series of the sci-fi drama mirror the “same challenges that exist in reality right now”.
“I believe the Duffer Brothers have touched people’s hearts in a special way, at a time that’s incredibly difficult for everyone, especially younger people,” Bush wrote.
She continued: “By featuring Running Up That Hill in such a positive light – as a talisman for Max (one of the main female characters) – the song has been brought into the emotional arena of her story. Fear, conflict and the power of love are all around her and her friends.
“I salute the Duffer Brothers for their courage – taking this new series into a much more adult and darker place. I want to thank them so much for bringing the song into so many people’s lives.”
Bush said she’s been “overwhelmed by the scale of affection and support the song is receiving” since being featured on Stranger Things. She described how the rise in popularity appeared to be “driven along by a kind of elemental force”.
“I have to admit I feel really moved by it all,” Bush added. “Thank you so very much for making the song a No 1 in such an unexpected way.”
Cher even congratulated Kate Bush on Twitter for dethroning her, writing that records are “Meant 2 Be Broken”.
“Remember Back In The Day,When Women Had SHORT SELL BY DATES,” Cher wrote. “We Had 2 Fight Our Way Through The Testosterone Curtain,& We Did it So The Girls Who Came After Us Could Sing As Long As They Want To.”
She signed off the heartwarming message saying she had “Mega Respect” for the English singer and songwriter.
