Kate Bush ran all the way to No. 1. Her resurgent hit “Running Up That Hill” has officially topped the UK Singles Chart on Friday, June 17th, nearly 37 years after it was first released.
As the lead single off the singer’s fifth album, Hounds of Love, the track originally peaked at No. 3 in her native UK upon its 1985 release, and then hit No. 12 when it re-entered the chart back in 2012. It now serves as Bush’s second career No. 1 in the country behind her 1978 debut single, “Wuthering Heights,” and it’s all thanks to Netflix’s Stranger Things.
“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 said in a statement, referencing the creators of the hit sci-fi series. “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.”
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After thanking the sibling showrunners for “bringing the song into so many people’s lives,” she continued by saying, “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.”
“Running Up That Hill” also currently sits at No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 on this side of the Atlantic. Last week, it reached No. 1 on Spotify’s UK and US charts, racking up more than 57 million global streams. It’s also recently been covered by Halsey at Governors Ball and Kim Petras for Amazon Music’s Pride Month playlist.