There are a lot of noteworthy moments in the fourth season of Stranger Things, but one song in particular that has caught on with fans, propelling it to the top of the charts nearly four decades after it was originally released. We’re talking, of course, about Kate Bush’s 1985 song “Running Up That Hill (Make a Deal with God). The song plays a prominent role in the new season of Netflix’s wildly popular Stranger Things as Max (Sadie Sink) plays the song on repeat as she grieves stepbrother Billy’s death and the song, ultimately, saves her life. Now, Bush is speaking out, making a rare statement in response to her song getting a brand-new life thanks to the series.
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“You might’ve heard that the first part of the fantastic, gripping new series of Stranger Things has recently been released on Netflix,” Bush wrote on her website. “It features the song, ‘Running Up That Hill’ which is being given a whole new lease on life by the young fans who love the show — I love it too! Because of this, ‘Running Up That Hill’ is charting around the world and has entered the UK chart at No. 8. It’s all really exciting! Thanks very much to everyone who has supported the song. I wait with bated breath for the rest of the series in July.”
While Bush’s comment is unusual itself — Bush is known not only for her influential music, but also for being a very private person who has long said that she prefers for her work to speak for her — in a sense so is the usage of her music when it comes to things like television for film. According to Sony Music Publishing SVP of creative marking, film and TV Wende Crowley, it was a unique situation that required a bit of a unique approach to get it approved.
“Nora Felder came to us pre-pandemic to discuss the idea of using it as Max’s ‘song’ for this season,” Crowley told Variety. “She wanted to make sure it was within the realm of possibility before she got the Duffer Brothers on board with the idea, since the song was going to be such a focal point to Max’s storyline. Kate Bush is selective when it comes to licensing her music and because of that, we made sure to get script pages and footage for her to review so she could see exactly how the song would be used.”
“Running Up That Hill” was both the first track and the first single on Bush’s album Hounds of Love, with “Running Up That Hill” easily being the singer-songwriter’s biggest hit at the time of that album’s release, cracking the Top 30 on Billboard’s Hot 100. The song was originally titled “A Deal With God”, though it was changed out of concerns that its airplay could be limited due to religious implications. The song’s prominent use in Season 4 of Stranger Things is similar to the use of The Clash’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go” in Season 1.
Stranger Things Season 4 Volume 1 is now streaming. Volume 2 will premiere on July 1st.
