Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill Stranger Things Season 4 May 2026

The Resurgence of Kate Bush: How "Running Up That Hill" Conquered the 2020s

When "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)" first hit the airwaves in 1985, it was a career-defining hit for British art-pop icon . However, no one—least of all Bush herself—could have predicted that 37 years later, the track would become a global cultural juggernaut, shattering records and topping charts for a second time thanks to its pivotal role in Stranger Things Season 4 . A Narrative Masterstroke: Max’s Lifeline Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill Stranger Things Season 4

: At 63, Kate Bush became the oldest female artist to ever score a No. 1 single in the UK, surpassing a record previously held by Cher. The Resurgence of Kate Bush: How "Running Up

The song reaches its peak emotional resonance during the episode "Dear Billy," where Max’s friends play the track through her Walkman to anchor her to reality while she is under the psychic control of the villain . The sequence, which depicts Max running toward safety as the synth-heavy anthem swells, became an instant hallmark of the series. Music supervisor Nora Felder noted that the lyrics about making a "deal with God" to swap places perfectly captured Max’s isolation and her desperate need for connection. Shattering Global Records 1 single in the UK, surpassing a record

: In the UK, it reached No. 1 in June 2022, setting a record for the longest time (44 years) for a single to reach the top spot after its original release.

: The song saw an 8,000%–8,700% surge in streams immediately following the season's release. By June 2023, it surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify , becoming the first solo recording by a female artist from the 1980s to reach that milestone.

: While it peaked at No. 30 in the US in 1985, the 2022 resurgence saw it climb all the way to No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.