London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Jun 17, 2026

Kate Bush excited to be discovered by new audience after 37 years thanks to Netflix 'Stranger Things'

Kate Bush excited to be discovered by new audience after 37 years thanks to Netflix 'Stranger Things'

The 63-year-old singer said, 'The thought of all these really young people hearing the song for the first time, I think it’s very special."

Kate Bush has admitted she is shocked and excited to be discovered by young people thanks to the recent chart success of Running Up That Hill.

The 63-year-old singer's1985 hit has climbed back to the top of the charts after being featured in popular Netflix sci-fi show Stranger Things and Bush has given a rare interview to BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour as a result.

Bush told host Emma Barnett: “It’s just extraordinary. I mean it’s such a great series, I thought that the track would get some attention.

“But I just never imagined that it would be anything like this. It’s so exciting. But it’s quite shocking really, isn’t it? I mean, the whole world’s gone mad.”

Kate Bush, pictured in 1979, is fiercely private.


She added: “What’s really wonderful, I think, is this is a whole new audience who, in a lot of cases, they’ve never heard of me and I love that.

“The thought of all these really young people hearing the song for the first time and discovering it is, well, I think it’s very special.”

Running Up That Hill has just reached number one in the UK Singles Chart thanks to a rule change that allowed the number of streams of the song to count to more equivalent 'sales' of newer tracks.

By hitting the top spot the track broke three records, including the longest time taken for a song to reach number one, 37 years after it was originally released.

Stranger Things' Max Mayfield listens to Running Up That Hill on her Walkman.


Bush also secured the record for the longest gap between number one singles, 44 years after her debut single, Wuthering Heights, hit the top spot in 1978.

And at 63-years-old the British singer-songwriter is now the oldest female artist to achieve a UK number one single.

In the fourth series of 80s-set Stranger Things, currently airing on Netflix, Max Mayfield, played by Sadie Sink, listens to the song on her Walkman in an attempt to ground herself to the real world.

Bush said: “I thought what a lovely way for the song to be used in such a positive way, as a kind of Talisman almost really for Max. I think it’s very touching, actually.”

Kate Bush performing on her debut tour in 1979.


She added she wants new fans to “take from it what they want," from the song.

Running Up That Hill has been number on in Australia, New Zealand, Sweden and Switzerland since the show aired and achieved a peak of number four in the US charts.

Famously private Bush - also known for hits Babooshka and Don't Give Up - released her last album 50 Words For Snow in 2011.

In 2014 she performed a 22 date residency at London's Hammersmith Apollo theatre. It was her first series of live shows since her debut tour in 1979. Tickets sold out within 15 minutes.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Government Advances New Airport Slot Rules to Ease Airline Operating Constraints
BBC Opens Flagship Science-Fiction Franchise to Competitive Production Bids
Chancellor Meets City Leaders Amid Concerns Over Gilt Market Liquidity
Rathbones Shares Fall Seventeen Percent After Regulatory Review Reveals Compliance Failings
United Kingdom Joins Group of Seven Initiative Using Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing for Cancer Research
Parliament Debates Doubling Tax Allowance for Pensioners After Major Public Petition
Measles Cases Exceed Seven Hundred in London and the West Midlands
British Military Leadership Faces Parliamentary Scrutiny After Defence Secretary's Sudden Resignation
House of Lords Begins Debate on Steel Industry Nationalisation Legislation
Parliament Advances Bill to Abolish NHS England and Create Single Patient Records
Parliament Fast-Tracks National Security Bill to Expand Powers Against Foreign Threats
United Kingdom and European Union Set July Summit to Deepen Post-Brexit Cooperation
United Kingdom Imposes Seventy New Sanctions on Russia and Expands Support for Ukraine's Nuclear Sector
United Kingdom Announces Social Media Ban for Children Under Sixteen
0British Government Investigates Reports of Russian Warship Firing Warning Shots Near Isle of Wight
UK Supreme Court Revises Legal Definition of Deprivation of Liberty
King’s Birthday Honours Recognise Contributions Across Science, Culture and Public Service
UK Ministry of Defence Reports Interdiction of Russian Shadow Fleet Vessel
UK and US Launch Joint Regulatory Programme for Medicines and Healthcare Products
Solicitor General Refers Murder Sentence to Court of Appeal Under Unduly Lenient Scheme
UK Launches £1.6 Million Mobile Museum Initiative to Expand Cultural Access
Judicial Pay Structure Undergoes Government Review Following Senior Recommendations
Government Confirms Nearly 180 New Youth Hubs Across the United Kingdom
UK Government Expands Careers Support Through Partnership with LinkedIn
Digital News Report Highlights Growing Global Concern Over AI and Information Overload
UK Chancellor Reaffirms Fiscal Discipline and Borrowing Reduction Strategy
UK Government Invests £219 Million in Sustainable Aviation Fuel Development
Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactors Secures Major Swedish Export Contract
Government Confirms Locations for Nearly 180 Youth Hubs Across Great Britain
UK Government Partners with LinkedIn to Expand Employment Support Services
Reuters Institute Report Flags Rising Public Anxiety Over News and Information Overload
UK Government Commits £219 Million to Expand Sustainable Aviation Fuel Industry
Chancellor Convenes Market Engagement Group to Assess UK Economic Outlook and Productivity Risks
Rolls-Royce Wins Multibillion-Pound Swedish Contract for Small Modular Nuclear Reactors
Government to Ban Social Media Access for Under-Sixteens Across the United Kingdom
Government Approves Fast-Tracked Broadcast Merger Reshaping UK's Media Landscape
Resignation of Defence Secretary John Healey Triggers Debate Over UK Military Strategy
Britain Intensifies Diplomatic Efforts to Support US-Iran Ceasefire
Bank of England Faces Tough Interest Rate Choices After Economic Contraction
Belfast Sees Second Day of Anti-Migrant Riots as Police Deploy Water Cannons
UK Economy Shrinks in April as Energy Price Shocks Weigh on Growth
UK to Ban Social Media Access for Children Under 16 From 2027
UK Parliament Opens Week of Fast-Tracked Security and Infrastructure Legislation
Northern Ireland Projects £21 Million Boost From Major Cultural and Sporting Events
UK and Japan Sign Technology Security Pact to Strengthen AI and Supply Chain Cooperation
UK Welcomes US-Iran Peace Breakthrough Aimed at Restoring Strait of Hormuz Shipping
British Forces Intercept Russian Shadow Fleet Oil Tanker in English Channel Sanctions Operation
UK to Ban Social Media for Under-16s Under Landmark Online Safety Expansion
Anti-Immigrant Riots Spread Across Belfast, Raising Security Concerns
Ministry of Defence Opens Europe's Largest Drone Testing Facility in Swindon
×