Right now, as I write, the number one song on iTunes is “Running Up That Hill” by Kate Bush. A song almost 40 years old. A song that obsessed me, decades ago.
Apparently it features prominently in the new “Stranger Things”, that’s the explanation. But it still makes my head explode.
I loved that song, too. Still love it. Probably lots of people too young to remember it when it came out were intrigued.
One of my favorites too!
A lot has changed in the last 40 years. Back then, the main way that people learned about new songs was they heard them on the radio, which generally only played new music or a specific subset of oldies. Now folks have the internet, and listen to whatever they want, whether it is new or old. A lot of old songs end up high on the charts of iTunes, Spotify, various Youtube song lists, etc.
Also the utter lack of creativity in modern music only helps the oldies.
Another thing that helps that particular song is that Meg Myers did a recent remake of it which was fairly popular on alternative radio stations, which also sparked interest in Kate Bush’s original.
And of course it is a very cool song.
Bout fukkin time. Obsessed fan since 1978. Since the night i thought she was Laraine Newman.
Strangely, the first version I’d ever heard of this song was done by Within Temptation. It’s a great cover:
I binged season 4 of Stranger Things this weekend, and the song is prominent in one of the most powerful scenes on the show in years. The song has had a permanent place in my playlist since the 80s, and I got a couple of text from 20-somethings I know basically saying “Hey, they used that old song I know you like!”
Good for her! Will these new fans dig deeper into her catalogue and find Love and Anger etc.? “It says here some guy named David Gilmour played guitar on this…”
God, I hate that song. And then, someone covered it recently and it sounded exactly the same, so it got radio play on the alternative stations. Back in the day, I had to change the radio station from WLIR, sometimes by twisting a dial! The effort!! Now, I just click a button on my steering wheel.
I think Kate Bush is one of those artists that was a much bigger deal in the UK than in the US.
Meg Meyers. Yeah, that’s a rather uninspired cover that adds nothing to the original and whose existence I see no point to, like Weezer’s cover of “Africa.” That said, I do really like Kate Bush’s original. You’re probably right about her being a bigger deal in the UK, but she had a strong devoted following here in the US, as well. Definitely a staple of alt rock stations. Her “Love and Anger” hit number one on the alternative airplay charts in the US (and she had three other top tens on that chart: “The Sensual World”, “Rubberband Girl” and “Eat the Music.” “Running Up That Hill” was her highest charting song on the Billboard 100, peaking at #30. I’m guessing the alternative airplay chart didn’t exist yet when that charted.)
This is definitely the case. Every one of her ten studio albums charted in the top 10 in the U.K.; her highest-charting album in the U.S. made it to #28. She had seven top 10 singles in the U.K. (and another seven singles made it into the top 20); “Running Up That Hill” was her only song to make the Top 40 in the U.S. (reaching #30).
Also, Boys of Summer by the Ataris. I guess they are an alternative band, because the original song would never get played on an alternative station even though the remake, which is exactly the same, got radio play (briefly, when I was in charge, because I would change the station immediately).
When I watched that Stranger Things episode (with the captions on), my reaction was “I guess I do know at least one Kate Bush song!”
One of my many college roomates was obsessed with her, so I know much about her, David Gilmour’s contributions included.
Still, the only song of hers I have is the subject of this thread. It is pretty good!
I have complicated feelings about Kate Bush. I had a massive crush in high school on a girl who was obsessed with Kate Bush. It was one of those crushes that went on for way too long: well over a year where I spent most of my time mooning over her and doing absolutely nothing about it (I eventually asked her out and she shot me down kindly). Anyway, she was really into Kate Bush, constantly singing her songs and imitating her dance moves, so I got her albums and listened to them myself. Even though I haven’t seen the girl since 1996 - and I’ve been happily married since 1998 - I still think of her whenever I hear a Kate Bush song.
As for Kate Bush herself… eh, she’s all right.
There isn’t an utter lack of creativity in modern music.
Definitely true. She was probably better known in the US for her collaboration with Peter Gabriel on Don’t Give Up.
It also doesn’t help that she is permanently confused in my head with Tori Amos, so of the handful of songs by her I know, probably some are actually Tori. (I was also going to comment on Kate’s collaboration with BT on Blue Skies, but nope, that’s Tori.)
Sorry, but if you think there’s a lack of creativity in modern music, that says something about you, not music. There is amazing and creative music being made today, mixed in with the formulaic crap - just like there was in the 80s and 90s.
…and 70s and 60s and 50s…
Re: Atari’s Boys of Summer
Now, now. They changed “deadhead sticker” to “Black Flag sticker”.
Your Avatar is clearly not a trout.