LISTEN: THIS IS KATE BUSH Playlist Introduces New Fans to Classic Tracks
It's the most unexpected--and welcome--musical revival of the year. The brilliant and inspired pairing of Kate Bush's 1985 classic, "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)," with a pivotal moment in Stranger Things 4 Vol. 1, has resulted in the track rocketing up the charts around the world. The song has even hit #1 on the UK Singles Chart, making Bush the artist with the largest gap between #1 singles in British chart history at 37 years (Bush topped the UK charts in 1978 with her debut single, "Wuthering Heights," making her the first female artist to get a UK #1 with a self-written song. She was 19 years old at the time). Here in America, the track has climbed all the way to #4 on the Hot 100, far outpacing the song's original peak of #30 back in the 1980s.
“I think they've put [Running Up That Hill] in a really special place in Stranger Things," Bush told Emma Barnett on BBC Radio 4 show, Woman's Hour during an exclusive interview. "We actually watched it from the first series onwards, so I was already familiar with the series. I thought what a lovely way for the song to be used in such a positive way. I think it's very touching, actually.”
Given all of the spotlight attention on "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)," interest and curiosity for all things Kate Bush have been decidedly piqued. Considering that Bush was at her creative and commercial peak back when the legions of young listeners discovering her via Stranger Things weren't even born yet, her discography can seem like a daunting challenge to navigate. Have no fear, Rhino is here to show you the way.
THIS IS KATE BUSH is a 50-track, 3.5 hour primer on the artist's vast and dazzling history of music. Opening with "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)" back to back with "Wuthering Heights," the playlist crisscrosses Bush's LP output to deliver an experience that fully encapsulates the Kate Bush sound. Nine of her ten studio albums are represented here: The Kick Inside (1978), Lionheart (1978), Never for Ever (1980), The Dreaming (1982), Hounds of Love (1985), The Sensual World (1989), The Red Shoes (1993), Aerial (2005), and 50 Words for Snow (2011). (Director's Cut, released in 2011, was a collection of "remixed and restructured" versions of songs from The Sensual World and The Red Shoes).
From the euphoric bombast of "The Big Sky" (Hounds of Love, 1985) to the cool jazz inflections of "Sunset" (Aerial, 2011) and the delicate twinkle of "Snowflake" (50 Words for Snow), THIS IS KATE BUSH encapsulates the tremendous work of a truly one-of-a-kind and once-in-a-generation talent. Get to know Kate Bush with the playlist below.