It took more than four decades, but Kate Bush finally has a top 10 single to her name in the US. Thanks to prominent presence in Season 4 of Stranger Things, the UK singer’s 1985 single, “Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God),” sits at No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week.
A combination of 18,300 digital song sales, 17.5 million streams, and 392,000 radio airplays propelled “Running Up That Hill” to No. 8 — just behind new releases from Harry Styles, Jack Harlow, and Lizzo (via Billboard). In the process, Bush secured her first-ever top 10 single in the US; prior to now, Bush’s previous peak on the Hot 100 came in November 1985, when “Running Up That Hill” hit No. 30. In fact, that 36-year gap between between the song’s Hot 100 debut and its placement in the top 10 is the longest in Billboard history for a non-holiday song.
“Running Up That Hill” also re-entered the UK top songs chart at No. 8 — two spots below the previous high set in 2012 following the song being featured in the Olympics Closing Ceremony in London.
Bush addressed the renewed interest in “Running Up That Hill” in a rare statement posted to her website over the weekend. It’s all really exciting!” Bush wrote. “Thanks very much to everyone who has supported the song.”
Inspired by the success of “Running Up That Hill,” Consequence Senior Entertainment Editor Liz Shannon Miller recently penned an essay on the joy of discovering music through film and television.