Stranger Things has taken Kate Bush‘s music to new (wuthering) heights.
Creators Matt and Ross Duffer featured her 1985 song “Running Up That Hill” in Stranger Things 4: Volume I, sending the single to the top of the U.S. and U.K. charts. And now, Bush is thanking the brothers, not just for the renewed attention, but for highlighting the importance of mental health.
“In this latest series the characters are facing many of the same challenges that exist in reality right now,” she wrote on her blog June 20. “I believe the Duffer Brothers have touched people’s hearts in a special way, at a time that’s incredibly difficult for everyone, especially younger people.”
Bush continued, “By featuring ‘Running Up That Hill’ in such a positive light—as a talisman for Max [Sadie Sink] (one of the main female characters)—the song has been brought into the emotional arena of her story. Fear, conflict and the power of love are all around her and her friends.”
Stranger Things 4: Volume 2 First Look Photos
Kate went on to applaud the brothers for their “courage” and taking the Netflix series to “a much more adult and darker place.”
“I’m overwhelmed by the scale of affection and support the song is receiving and it’s all happening really fast, as if it’s being driven along by a kind of elemental force. I have to admit I feel really moved by it all,” she reflected. “Thank you so very much for making the song a No. 1 in such an unexpected way.”
“Running Up That Hill” is the lead single off of Bush’s album Hounds of Love. In the ’80s, it peaked at No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart and 30th on Billboard‘s Hot 100. But now, it’s resting in the top spot on the UK Singles Chart, with Bush setting a record for the longest-ever gap between No. 1 singles, according to Billboard. Her last No. 1 song was 1978’s “Wuthering Heights,” making it 44 years since she has topped the charts.
While the Duffer brothers ultimately signed off on including Bush’s song, the show’s music supervisor, Nora Felder, deserves some credit for suggesting it. As a longtime fan of Bush’s, Felder knew the song would be a good fit, telling Variety, “It immediately struck me with its deep chords of the possible connection to Max’s emotional struggles and took on more significance as Bush’s song marinated in my conscious awareness.”
Felder added in a separate interview with Billboard, “On a broader level, I am also grateful for all of the positive responses to the music, which of course owes a substantial debt to the Duffer brothers and the tremendous work they have done with season four.”
Part two of Stranger Things season four premieres July 1 on Netflix.
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