For Kate Bush, everything happening now must seem like the Upside Down.
The cult British singer’s 1985 hit, “Running Up That Hill,” is closing in on 1 million copies sold including streaming. Prior to the invention of Soundscan, Musicconnect, etc, “Hill” was a non starter.
On Spotify there are 265 million streams (which have been converted into sales equivalents for chart purposes).
Most of the people buying the single or streaming were not alive in 1985. Or maybe even 1990.
All of this is because “Hill” is the theme song for “Stranger Things Season 4” on Netflix. The series is a monster hit. The song would be hitting a nerve because it’s used as the theme for Eleven (Millie Bobby Brown) who’s bullied by fellow students in junior high school. The Duffer Brothers cut the song perfectly so that the emotions of the bullying spike while the song becomes Eleven;s anthem.
One sign of the “Hill” success: there are remixes all over YouTube. The single is headed for 2 million in sales, which is extraordinary. The fact is, it’s the best song and record of 2022. The Grammys should give it a special award.
