‘Running Up That Hill’ by Kate Bush originally reached No 3 in the UK in 1985 and charted again in 2012, when it reached No 12. The song was also used in ‘It’s A Sin’, the award-winning TV series by Russell T Davies.
It is now featured in the new series of ‘Stranger Things’. The series has attracted a predominantly young audience, many of whom have just discovered the song. Since the first part of Season 4, the new series released at the end of May, the track has steadily climbed both sales and streaming charts at great speed. The last two episodes of ‘Stranger Things’ Season 4, will be released on July 1.
Last week it was announced that ‘Running Up That Hill’ is the highest streaming song on Spotify’s global chart, making it the biggest streaming song on the planet. It was streamed over 57 million times last week alone. The song has also become Kate’s biggest ever hit in the USA where it currently stands at No 4 in the main chart, and No 1 on the Billboard Global 200 chart.
‘Running Up That Hill’ is now in the Top 10 of 13 countries around the world and is No 1 in Australia, New Zealand, Sweden and Switzerland, as well as the UK. The song was written and produced by Kate and features on her fifth studio album ‘Hounds of Love’, which was released in 1985, debuting at 30 on the Billboard chart, where it currently stands at No 12. The album topped the chart in the UK on release and is currently re-charting around the world. It has regularly been voted one of the best albums of all time.
Kate said today; “The Duffer Brothers have created four extraordinary series of ‘Stranger Things’ in which the child actors have grown into young adults. In this latest series the characters are facing many of 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.
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. 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 No 1 in such an unexpected way”.
Kate.
