On This Day: Kate Bush Scores a No. 1 Hit—37 Years After the Song Was Released

Back in 1985, English singer/songwriter Kate Bush released one of her most beloved albums of all time, Hounds Of Love. The lead single from that album was “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)”, a synth-soaked ballad that immediately resonated with fans. 

It reached no. 3 on the Billboard UK Singles chart. It was the highest ranking from a single from Bush since “Wuthering Heights” came out in 1978. And interestingly enough, it eventually hit no. 1 and even charted in the United States; it only took about 37 years.

“Running Up That Hill”’s popularity didn’t just resurface in recent years. Back in 2012, it got a new boost to no. 6 on the UK Singles chart after it was remixed for the Summer Olympics. However, no one expected the song to chart so high in 2022. That’s a whopping 37 years after it was initially released. 

Breathing New Life Into  “Running Up That Hill”

“Running Up That Hill” was featured on the Netflix science fiction series Stranger Things, and the song became a hit for a whole new generation of listeners. It was all over TikTok and other social media platforms. For Gen Z, it was a refreshing new song from back in the day. For older generations, it was like experiencing déjà vu.

Shockingly, on June 17, 2022, “Running Up That Hill” hit no. 1 on the UK Singles chart after spending decades peaking only at no. 3. It also hit the Hot 100 at no. 8. It was Bush’s very first US Top 10 hit.

Bush broke a few records, too. She beat the records for the longest time period for a single song to reach no. 1 on the charts, the longest gap between no. 1 singles on a UK chart, and the oldest female singer to score a no. 1 hit on the Singles chart. She even beat out Cher for that last record, who was 52 years old when “Believe” hit no. 1 back in 1998.

Records aside, it’s a pretty fascinating phenomenon. But it isn’t completely surprising. Hounds Of Love and “Running Up That Hill” are incredible pieces of work. Bush doesn’t really tour or make music much these days. So, it’s nice to see a new generation of young people fall in love with her music as they did back in the 1980s.

Photo via Hounds Of Love album cover

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