Stranger Things' fourth season sends Kate Bush back to the top of the charts

The use of Kate Bush's song Running Up That Hill in Netflix drama series Stranger Things has exposed the English art-pop songstress to a whole new generation of fans. Photo / Getty Images

A beloved 1980s power-pop staple is experiencing a dramatic resurgence in the charts.

Daily Mail has reported a popular 80s hit has broken the record for the longest time taken for a single to reach No 1 after landing the top spot on Apple's Top 100 chart 37 years after it was released.

Kate Bush's Running Up That Hill is currently sitting in the No 1 spot in multiple countries including New Zealand, Australia, Sweden and Switzerland, and has achieved a new peak in the US charts at No 4.

It originally reached No 3 in the UK on its release and it charted again in 12th place in 2012.

The only other time the 63-year-old British singer-songwriter has topped the charts was 44 years ago in 1978 with her single Wuthering Heights.

As well as securing the title of the longest gap between No 1 singles, she has also overtaken Cher's previously held title of being the oldest female artist ever to score a UK No 1.

Cher was 52 when her song Believe topped the charts in 1998.

Bush's recent chart-topping success comes after the single was used as a soundtrack for a scene in the opening episode of Stranger Things' fourth season.

The hotly anticipated sci-fi adventure drama dropped on Netflix earlier this month and the song becomes an important plot point by episode four as it's revealed to be the favourite tune of the grieving Max Mayfield – played by Sadie Sink.

It goes on to be the centrepiece of what has become one of the most lauded scenes of the new season – but you'll have to watch it yourself to find out why.

The use of the song has exposed the English art-pop songstress to a whole new generation of fans, quickly going viral on TikTok and entering Spotify's top 50 trending tracks.

Stranger Things 4 has dominated streaming numbers this week. Photo / Netflix

The song also shot up the iTunes charts to land at No 1 a mere 48 hours after the season premiere, far surpassing its Billboard peak of 30 when it was first released in 1985.

i just have to say the inclusion of kate bush’s running up that hill (a deal with god) in stranger things 4 episode 4 changed the trajectory of my life and permanently altered my brain chemistry thank you kate bush thank you sadie sink

— ⁂ (@gob1inatrix) May 28, 2022

It’s been less than 36 hours since Stranger Things 4 dropped and Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” is all over TikTok. It’s beautiful that people’s biggest takeaways from Stranger Things 4 is Kate Bush’s impeccable artistry.

— julia alexander (@loudmouthjulia) May 29, 2022

every person I know including miss stranger things herself uses Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill as a song about death and longing and grief but Kate herself is like oh yeah it’s about two spouses swapping genders so they can understand each other better in their relationship

— nebula should have killed thanos (@gwenstacying) May 28, 2022

Stranger Things co-star Winona Ryder donned a Kate Bush pin at the recent premiere of the new season, telling USA Today she's been "obsessed with [Bush] since I was a little girl".

"I've also for the last seven years been dropping hints on set, wearing my Kate Bush T-shirts," she said.

"In my school, you had to dress down for PE, and sometimes I just wouldn't. I'd just sit there with my headphones listening to her. She's a hero of mine."