The Vegas Odds on Kate Bush having a song released in 1985 reaching the top 5 in 2022 could have been very similar to those on whether or not John Mellencamp will ever win an Oscar. Thanks to “Running up that Hill” being included in Stranger Things season 4, that’s exactly the position the 63-year-old singer finds her 37-year-old hit in.
Stranger Things season 4 recently became the top English language series in Netflix history, and believe it or not Bush’s song plays a very integral part in that. ‘Running Up that Hill’ is back in radio rotation, being downloaded as ringtones, and being covered by stars like Halsey at the Governor’s Ball. Bush herself has said, “I’ve never experienced anything quite like this before.”
The Scene (Spoiler Alert)
Stranger Things has done a good job as a series of not killing off its super main characters, something Game of Thrones almost reveled in. That also has a lot of fans on edge though, as each episode they are thinking “is this the time somebody gets it?” because a couple of character deaths almost seem inevitable.
Season 4: Episode 4 definitely seemed like it was finally the time when the main character had to pay the price as Max (Sadie Sink) found herself in a psychological trance in the underworld at the hands of the evil Vecna with her body being in a catatonic state in the real world. When other bit characters (Chrissy, Fred) have been in similar situations this season they have suffered horrible, bone-shattering deaths.
It is revealed that the only way to break out of Vecna’s trance is through playing your favorite song. The other characters surrounding Max scramble through cassette tapes and place headphones on her head. It is then that she is seen in the underworld “Running Up that Hill” to escape in an exhilarating scene that really has to be seen to be appreciated.
Song Popularity at All-Time High
Mental health advocates are praising the Stranger Things scene with the Kate Bush song as a great metaphor to keep fighting depression, addiction, and other “Vecna’s” for the ones you love.
A single scene has helped “Running up that Hill” to be the most streamed song on Spotify in May of 2022. The tune also reentered the U.S music chart at #8 in July, even though it peaked at #30 during the original release. The song has also gotten up to #2 in the UK recently and is almost a constant in TikTok videos.
One might think Bush could be a little frustrated that now people are realizing the beauty of her hit, 37 years after its release. Bush is actually thrilled though, saying “it’s all so exciting” which means, even more, knowing that people are using the tune to get through some mental health issues they may be having.
We will see if Tommy Tutone or Right Said Fred can have a similar rebound when season 4, volume 2 of Stranger Things is released in July.