Why Kate Bush’s Viral Success from Stranger Things is Radical

[@fernandadp94]

I'm just very happy to find out that shes actually winning the money made from this boom of people lsitening to her music. SO glad that she holds the rights to it

[@Eighthplanetglass]

Me too. I feel like Kate is a unique person, who's worked hard her whole life, and deserves it.

[@jimstark55]

Yes, & unlike other mainstream artists who sold away their rights for their chance at stardom, didnt blame their remorse on toxic masculinity...

[@JBTriple8]

yeah i think its cool she is getting profits after charting again

[@newkkl]

Yes, very early in her career she figured out it was important to retain control over her music -- and we're talking about someone who was very young at the time, only in her early 20s. She took on the recording industry like a champ, built her own studio at home, set up her own label, at that time it was Novercia, Latin for "she who is new". She's a clever one, our Kate.

[@Shelly-cp7gj]

I know right?! So awesome! Love this.

[@OriginalGabriel]

Royalties aside, I'm so happy a new generation is discovering her work. I grew up listening to her, I have many memories tied to her songs, etc. but, beyond that, she's just an outstanding artist. I'm looking forward to this moment being a launching point for a generation to go back in time, and discover new (to them) artists

[@BriBryBriBry]

I’m sure they are just listening to this one song for a couple times and that will be it.. knowing the kids of today.. 🤷‍♂️🤦‍♂️ then they will probably start the song halfway through and put on some stupid rap song with the same lyrics as any other rap song and stupid beats made by a computer because they have 0 skill 😁

[@OriginalGabriel]

@@BriBryBriBry a lot of kids today actually do deep dives into the history on things they discover

[@Zimbokasa]

You ARE aware that you're essentially cherry picking stereotypes, yes? While there may be a lot of those who listen to rap and such, you don't "know" the kids of today? You don't know me, either. I had an 80s metal phase and currently have a Radiohead phase, and before you say it, no, I'm not "in a minority" or something like that. I listen to Running Up That Hill on a regular basis, yes, all the way through. Shocking, I know! Also, there have been a few EXTREMELY popular artists who, if not more will spawn (I would like to be one, as a musician myself (another shocker, I know)), DON'T produce computer-driven rap songs.

[@Zimbokasa]

I second this, dude. I legitimately wrote and aced a school project by writing about the history of the Grunge scene.

[@TheWeedyBird]

That’s awesome man, I love thinking about what came before me, the people who lived, their experiences, the music they listened to, how food used to taste how water used to be clean, before many animals went extinct…

[@thatwasprettyneat]

I actually said "Oh wow" out loud when they mentioned KB earning a million in royalties over the last month. I mean, I know she's probably not hurting for money, but for an old song, and during a time of such musical drought, that's fucking awesome.

[@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017]

Yeah she apparently came from a wealthy family in the first place so as the story goes, the rich just keep getting richer. That said it's a great song and she deserves all the money she earns.

[@tomwilko7841]

From what kb said in that clip, the song isn't about gender fluidity in the modern sense, it's about how men and women in relationships struggle to understand each others viewpoint. The song is brilliant as it is, there is no need for that lady to make up some visionary meaning behind it, it is not about gender fluidity

[@katienumiusher]

egzakli!!

[@fnjesusfreak]

Hell, it wasn't even the only song from around that time period on that topic.

[@GreenThingonTV]

It's about Empathy.

[@tomwilko7841]

@@GreenThingonTV kate talks about it here....i know its not that important and im not pro or anti anything, theres just no need to attempt to make it about the current zeitgeist, the kids are already into it

[@UberNoodle]

But the intent of the artist and the way the art is interpreted have always been different things. The true value of art is that it can be interpreted in ways that the author may have never predicted simply because that's what art is all about. It is purely subjective from both the artist and the viewer's perspective. I has meaning not because it is imbued in it by the artist but that it is perceived by the viewer. The intent of the artist is very important, but ultimately, it is not the only or even the most important perspective on an artwork's value and meaning.

[@MoarHam]

This reminds me of the sudden virality of Gary Jules' Mad World after Donnie Darko (2001) found itself as a cult favorite a few years later, despite bombing at the box office. It hit #1 in the UK Singles Chart for three weeks straight in 2003, and a huge part of its spread was thanks to the music 'streaming' service we had at the time: Napster.

[@harrynac6017]

The only difference is, that the song originally is of Tears for Fears, but Gary Jules did a "with a little help from my friends" on that song.

[@MoarHam]

@@harrynac6017 Yup! So the royalties aspect the video covers leans into just how much bank can be made by that sudden vitality. If I recall correctly, thanks to the wonders of how people (mis)attributed songs on the platform, even REM saw a bump in sales because people thought Mad World was theirs xD

[@artico9583]

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@vanessagil3527]

I got into that song in 2004 because it was on my flatmates Cafe Del Mar album. Watched Donny Darko the same year, when it aired on TV, just gave the song more depth. Have so much nostalgia with that song. Love it!!

[@Jroc84]

I liked how it was used for the gears of War commercial.

[@brontec9769]

I love Kate Bush, what a visionary.

[@brucetucker4847]

My first reaction to this development: wow, has it really been 37 years since Hounds of Love came out? Second reaction: I'm so glad a new generation has been introduced to this wonderful music, and that Kate is still around to see it.

[@StrokaReviews]

It's a beautiful experience for sure, 80's music is forever music.

[@rdear]

I don’t think her take on the gender fluidity aspect of the song is what applies so deeply to Stranger Things. I think what really makes that song perfect is Max’s desire to take her brother’s place in death. That’s her deal with God. She feels guilty that he died and she survived.

[@benxamin13]

I don't even think that aspect of gender fluidity even exists in the song. It's about women and men understanding each other.

[@loriainsworth6569]

Truly, if Max and Billy had swapped places, they would have understood each other so much better and could have become the best of allies, true brother and sister.

[@darthvirgin7157]

the interviewee wasn’t talking about “gender fluidity” in the song as it applies to Stranger Things. she was talking about how “gender fluidity” is one of a handful of themes that could apply to the song when it first came out in 1985. you’re “strawman”-ing an argument.

[@rdear]

@@darthvirgin7157 The interviewee, responding to Kate Bush’s response about men and women swapping roles and better understanding each other, said that it fits into the themes of stranger things in “collapsing boundaries…between people, between genders”. I wasn’t strawmanning anything. My opinion, was that the song represents Max’s desire to take her brother’s place in death. It’s not an argument. It’s just an opinion that it has to do with Max being guilty she survived and not anything to do with the boundaries, or lack thereof, between genders.

[@darthvirgin7157]

@@rdear the interviewee was NOT reflecting the show's writers' original intent of the music for the show, nor the songwriter's intent. the interviewee was just pointing out that because of the song's lyrics (which literally does talk about "swapping genders"), it could actually work as a "gender fluidity" theme that applies now more than ever. it just so happens that one aspect of "gender fluidity" that is "breaking boundaries" is what is also being explored in the show. it's like if i said "Twelfth Night" or "Le Nozze di Figaro" are basically "gender fluidity" plays, i'm not saying Shakespeare or Mozart's original intent was to write about "gender fluidity." but the themes on either play does heavily reflect some "gender fluidity" themes that would very much apply today. your "strawman"-ing comes in when you assume that i am stating that "gender fluidity" (as it applies to today's context) was Mozart's and Shakespeare's actual intent, which is absurd.

[@tresvegan3633]

I’ve heard bits of the song on social media but after learning the meaning, I definitely want to stream and listen to it fully. So powerful 🙌🏽😍

[@BriBryBriBry]

sure.. Master of puppets must’ve been a weakling song for you then.. 🤷‍♂️🤫

[@24fretsoffury]

They used Running up that Hill way better than Master of Puppets. Plus Metallica is a bit “at the top, kick the ladder down behind you” type band.

[@nlbhaduri]

When Harry Styles refreshed Fleetwood Mac’s The Chain by covering it in his 2nd concert tour season….now every teenager thinks they have discovered the Mac…whilst their parents snicker quietly behind them.

[@WarrenBridges-um5cg]

@nibhaduri Not to mention Mac fans who don't even know who Peter Green is.

[@wongo1665]

It's successful because it's a great song and always has been

[@StrokaReviews]

Facts

[@dashx1103]

@@StrokaReviews Opinion.

[@caelidhg6261]

EXACTLY!

[@fazril7972]

Sure…that’s why they said ‘stranger things boosted…’

[@warrenbridges1891]

@@fazril7972 That only increases exposure. A TV show doesn't change the "quality" of any recorded music. Quality has to be there to begin with. The only thing that changes is the number of those exposed.

[@garethtudor836]

I was an 18yo metalhead when it was released. Iron Maiden was my world (still is, to be honest), but there was just... something... about Kate's voice and the ethereal composition of the music that hit a completely different part of me

[@warrenbridges1891]

Gareth Tudor Same here. I was 30 and have all of Black Sabbath's albums. But I also have all of Kate's.

[@chrisbarker9852]

agree totally Gareth, always been a rocker but there are some artists that capture me...kate, ben howard and nick drake just catch me ...

[@One.Zero.One101]

Yeah I was an elitist when I was young and immature. Rock was the only good genre and all other genres were corny. Today I listen to Frank Sinatra, Elton John, Madonna, Kate Bush. I stopped being pretentious and just liked whatever song I liked regardless of genre.

[@warrenbridges1891]

@@One.Zero.One101 I even at one stage got into Aussie folk rock. One favourite was The Bushwackers. One of their bass players Pete Farndon later joined the Pretenders. Then died of a drug overdose.

[@youtubecommenter37]

The beats in Running Up That Hill are very much in tune with current music trends. She was creating a vibe song decades before people realized what vibing is. Definitely ahead of its time

[@chaeyoungsbestie414]

Vibing is slang from the 60s…and the song is most definitely a song that, although could be enjoyed by people of any generation, is quintessentially 80s in its sound.

[@bennyshambles]

Every song ever made is a “vibe song.” It’s just that “vibe” has become a vapid modern slang term used to describe feeling something. “It’s a vibe” has already been co-opted by the mainstream and is popping up in corny commercials. It’s “cringe” seeing/hearing it used by anyone these days.

[@DorothyDandridge]

but this song sounds very much like most of the 80s pop rock at the time I don’t think it’s that unique but for our current time it is trendy

[@BriBryBriBry]

You make a beat however you want to.. not because of a trend or because others are doing it.. I literally just left two comments saying everybody is a follower this day and age and this is proving it 🤦‍♂️🤷‍♂️🤣 except followers back when this song came out or doing it because they knew they had something.. these days someone will do that and then the next thing you know you’ll have a gay cowboy rapper and even funnier.. the kids love it 🤦‍♂️🤯🫣🤡🙄

[@BriBryBriBry]

@@DorothyDandridge this song doesn’t sound like all 80s songs..? The only similarity is probably the keyboard/synthesizer.

[@mileswilliams9737]

I thought back then that her composition was futuristic. I think this is the sound we have been searching for to bring with to lead us into a future that is so deeply different from what was. The sound of her harmonies reminds me of the trance inducing sounds labs use.

[@warrenbridges1891]

Miles Williams She covers multi genres. On "Big Stripey Lie" she plays bass and provides some wild electric guitar feedback. Not afraid to try anything.

[@ytucharliesierra]

I thankfully witnessed the release of this song in 1985. Even the dance choreography in the video is mesmerizing. When shortly thereafter she pulled the stunt to feature Donald Sutherland in the video of Cloudbusting, I was just jubilating. Kate Bush is magic.

[@JBiggsofWSNC]

I just hope they explore more of Kate Bush's work. It's so rich and varied.

[@TheIvyLens]

This song was put on POSE season one with Angels storyline summer of 2019, that’s when it became iconic for me. This new wave and scene from stranger things just amplified it!

[@alicecuriosityoftenleadsto6288]

I remember crying to 'Woman's work' in 1994, it was already an older song. Her music is timeless.

[@warrenbridges1891]

Alic! Curiosity often leads to trouble!! Multi genre artist. Kate's got something for everybody.

[@JArtsChannel]

So cool. Imagine waking up in your 60s, 44 years after making a song to have it resonate with a ton of people AND make you a millionaire.

[@rainerzufall42]

You mean "add to"... With her music (though not as much recognized in the US) she has made a high 8-digit fortune...

[@JArtsChannel]

@@rainerzufall42 true

[@isobeljames1328]

Born in 1958 like Madona Writer, composer, producer Her own label Don't need to tour, a career from her home, her music speak for her Ruth was used last in the série It's the sin She was not in need before Strange sthing She did very well without... AMERICA

[@harrynac6017]

There's an annual "Most Wuthering Heights Day Ever" event in cities over the world. Not known by many people, but she has a very loyal fan base and has influenced many artists.

[@johnreilly9452]

Well Kate has been a millionaire for decades now. She's only ever had underground cult status in the States, however in the UK especially and globally she's been revered. This success is adding to to her 5 decade career, its true she's making a fortune out of it However this is mainly down to the fact shes in total control of her work. She's the sole creater, the writer, the singer, the producer, the publisher. Even when she took almost 2 decades out of recording to raise her son, the work consistently sold She's been decades ahead of everyone and has never relied on sampling. Shes a progidy, I would recommend you listen to her song called The man with the child in his eyes. She wrote it when she was 15, it has more depth and meaning and beauty than the likes of Taylor Swift, Beyonce could only dream of.

[@RaasAlHayya]

I'm so glad a new generation is discovering this wonderful artist!

[@BriBryBriBry]

Lmao.. it’s a very small percentage and either with that I doubt they are gonna go explore anymore. Because that’s just how they are these days. They like their ‘music’ made on a computer that makes fake sounds.. and have no real skill. Too bad all of these kids aren’t going to start making decent music again 🤷‍♂️😂 all you really need is one person to influence everybody because all these kids today are just followers.

[@RaasAlHayya]

@@BriBryBriBry That doesn't sound like any of my young friends. 🤷‍♂

[@BriBryBriBry]

@@RaasAlHayya so your friends are going to do the total opposite of what I just said and prove me wrong is what you’re saying? 🤷‍♂️🤦‍♂️🙄

[@Zimbokasa]

I replied to one of your comments just now, but honestly, you're very shallow and quite unclear on my generation. You only say that it's a small percentage because you are too lazy to look for artists. I'm sure you relied on MTV, much how a lot of kids rely on social media and the Internet as a whole, so please throw that shallow, misinformed, jackknifed excuse for an argument out of existence.

[@TheFlush1980]

@@BriBryBriBry Hounds of Love is primarily made with a fairlight, which is music coming from a computer.

[@sagan1976]

It is totally justified and it goes without question. "Hounds of love" is a superb album. And "Running up that hill" has been revisited by many artists over the years.

[@FlorisDVijfde]

Anthem In's take on Cloudbusting is good. Placebo did Running up that Hill. Though a recluse, Kate's always been huge and an artist's artist, I've seen artists obsessed with her.

[@todd6851]

Julia Holter...great to see you here. Your version of "Hello Stranger" is beautiful! Nice to see you discussing Kate Bush.

[@LadderProductionFilms]

I met Julia Holter in 2010 when I was a freshman at SFAI. I filmed their opening set before Linda Perhacs. Super kind and intelligent person!

[@kidmohair8151]

as a fan since then, I'm glad KB is enjoying a resurgence. She always performed with her own "voice", her own very distinct style, and still does... I am also pleased to see you turned this into a diatribe against streaming companies profiting hugely from essentially, stealing creatives' work. Well done!

[@StormyIness]

It went viral because it's an amazing song. I first heard it when I started listening to Placebo in 2005. And there's a Within temptation cover too. Guess how old I am😅

[@vice.nor.virtue]

30

[@beee6440]

38

[@StormyIness]

That was a rhetorical question, but you're both right. I am over 30.

[@beee6440]

@@StormyIness I knoww, but it was a fun little game. Who's closer? just curious...

[@vice.nor.virtue]

@@StormyIness I'm 30 and my partner is 34 and the Placebo version of this track was actually both our first experience of listening to it.

[@Andre_APM]

Honestly good for her. It's amazing that her music is being introduced to a new generation and was utlized so well in Stranger Things.

[@benxamin13]

The song's not about "gender fluidity" at all though. It's about the man understanding the woman and the woman understanding the man.

[@tumbleddry2887]

Spot on Alonso.....

[@mattmarkus4868]

i know!! why can't they just celebrate the woman and her amazing songwriting, instead of lying to make some cynical and underhanded political motif. So gross.

[@Bootmahoy88]

@@mattmarkus4868 Absolutely. It's an unfortunate trend these days to politicize everything and to completely miss everything in the process. It's just a beautiful song from an amazing songwriter, Kate Bush. Let's just chill and enjoy the tune.

[@mattmarkus4868]

@@Bootmahoy88 exactly. It inevitably distorts, demeans, and devalues her work for a listener- which in a way is more offensive than the trend. To me it’s always art > cheap politics.

[@GirlWhoWaitedPa]

Everything has to be trans or it’s not ok . This shit has to stop

[@jenhofmann]

Very interesting! I'd noticed the uptick in this song's use in TikTok and Instagram. As a Gen Xer, I was really baffled about the resurgence! Thanks for the great video about it and its links to creative justice!

[@lamaglama6231]

This was the first song I was obsessed with. I got introduced to it by a demo on the commodore c64 that used a snippet of it. And to this day I love the song so much

[@Shria9]

Hounds of Love is one of the best albums ever made. It's a magical masterpiece. I love the B side best. It's a story.

[@Purplenpinkk]

The Dreaming...too...

[@joelman1989]

This is honestly one of the best feel good stories in a long time. Independent women artist wins big decades after she probably thought she would, driven mostly by traffic from a demographic who weren’t even alive when she made this song. And she gets to keep all of the revenue thanks to a radically forward thinking strategy for any artist, especially a woman, in her time. I mean you can’t write stuff like this.

[@Khyranleander]

Have to agree, Kate's current success is something long overdue. I came to her somewhat late, I think when I (finally?) heard her duet with Peter Gabriel back in the 90s, then almost accidentally got her Hounds of Love album. Just wow! Jig of Life, Cloudbusting [the video for which I later found included Donald Sutherland], and all the rest were just mesmerizing! So good on you, Ms Bush!

[@pardox28]

This breakdown of the music & the industry was nice to hear. Also I'm captivated by Julia Holter. There's an intelligence & genuineness in those eyes and voice. I'll have to check out her own music.

[@marcmckenzie5110]

I’m Kate Bush’s age, and have adored her work from early on - especially this song. I refuse to let Stranger Things and memes to redefine what it meant to me. But I’m glad a new generation is discovering her work, and an artist so innovative and courageous deserves a resurgence.

[@Just-a-guy926]

Hopefully Kate will start making music again. I’m glad kids today are discovering Kates music hopefully they will give her other work a listen.

[@Aniram789]

Kate Bush is a legend! I love that a new generation got to discover her work like this.

[@karstenvoigt7280]

Ironically the renewed success of Running Up That Hill brings back the '80s in a double way. Because it were the mid-80s, when decades old songs suddenly managed to storm the charts for a second time. Examples: 1986 the (at that time) 26 year old song Wonderful World by Sam Cooke and the 25 years old song Stand By Me by Ben E. King returned high into the charts. And the following year, the 30 years old Nina Simone masterpiece My Baby Just Cares For Me made an incredible comeback. It's amazing to now experience, what those, who were young, when those songs were first published, must have experienced back then, now with a song that I loved since the 80s, when I was young.

[@Pandamasque]

Me half way through the video: this piano girl kinda looks like Julia Holter.... WAAAIT A MINUTE! I should pay more attention to captions. Look her up. One of the greatest artists of the 2010s. Perhaps in 37 years we'll be talking about her song going viral because of a nostalgic show set around 2018, but she deserves recognition here and now.

[@kdcndw1]

Agree. Julia Holter is pretty great. When forward thinking music icons such Brian Eno and Jean Michele Jarre among others heap praise on an artist such as Holter, she must be doing something important.

[@Pandamasque]

@@kdcndw1 Brian Eno and Jean Michele Jarre and I 🤣

[@tashibalampkin8555]

I never even watched a single episode of Stranger Things. But I heard of the song because one my friends showed me the clip from the show. And next thing you know I'm blasting it in my headphones.

[@rikorobinson]

I'm on vacation in Indonesia. And I made new friends the other day with this cover band when I heard them KILLING this song as I walked by a bar. I had to go in! The lead singer is an amazing local woman with a beautiful voice and she and the band did the song justice. Loved it.

[@brianburkart]

I've been jamming this for so long... it's so weird to me that it's so popular now, but it makes me happy. My mom played this when I was small so it's always a safe place in my memories

[@dyscotopia]

The thing with streaming is that the labels are doing next to nothing to earn so much of the money from streaming. There's no physical media. Maybe they created some initial awareness, but so many of the artists I listen to have been from reading reviews and then algorithms have found me things similar. It's a different world but the labels desperately want to try to hold onto one from the '50s

[@sarahflanagan9345]

I am so thrilled young people are rediscovering Kate Bush. When I first heard this song in 1985, it was love a first hearing! I bought her album (cassette tape!) and played this album until the tape broke apart.

[@Andrew_Haase]

Meg Meyers + band actually revived this track 3yrs ago & is one of the few covers that stands up alongside with the original source material

[@Chandasouk]

Heard of her from Big Boi

[@pinkbono]

I was 13 when it's been released and I was playing the album in loops in my Walkman. Somehow I forgot about her songs by the time and I'm so glad I'm now listening to her again, Stranger Things is so much on point about the 80ies, so many details, it's mind blowing, the serie made me feel like home, it talks to me.

[@lylecosmopolite]

I too am mesmerised by the drumbeat of this song. That beat is not rock, not pop, not jazz, not classical; it is a military call to arms. When this song shot to #1, Russia was pounding the Ukraine, a situation that seemed beyond all hope. This song also includes a great line about conflict in relationships: "there is thunder in our hearts".

[@garth56]

Not my favourite Kate song but glad to see she's running up that hill 🙂

[@Meandsushiroll]

I was literally talking about this today. What timing

[@CooperBayBay]

I always thought Placebo's cover of it was the original. I'm grateful to Stranger Things for bringing her version back into the fold

[@warrenbridges1891]

Josh Cooper Kate is worth deep diving into. She's done everything from piano ballads to synth pop and hard rock. Even swaps her piano for a Fender Strat and bass on "Big Stripey Lie".

[@mitraavesta7548]

few years ago i started listening to both version of wuthering hights

[@benxamin13]

"Additionally it's about the fundamental differences between men and women"... Kate Bush about her song. Not about "gender fluidity" at all.

[@DarcieGlam]

This is so well deserved - congrats Kate!!

[@TheWeedyBird]

She was so beautiful when she was young

[@warrenbridges1891]

Weedy Bird Both inside and out. When she was 19, she sounded so childlike and innocent. I could listen to her talk for hours..... and absolutely no one could bait her into trashing a fellow artist. A real class act.

[@IoriaDieffenbach]

It’s always satisfying to me to hear that new generations discover music and artists from 2 or 3 generations before them and embrace them wholeheartedly, and I know that they tell their friends with excitement “have you heard about this band/ artists?”. I have two daughters 19 and 21 who grew up with my taste in music and they tell me from time to time “ dad, thanks for teaching us about good music”. I introduced them to.. Depeche Mode The Clash Blue Oyster Cult Joy Division Rammstein Nirvana Sound Garden The Doors Zeppelin Ozzy Black Sabbath Pearl Jam Qntal Rush RHCP The Sisters of Mercy The Stranglers The Knife Glass Candy Chromatics Caifanes La Ley and everything in between. BTW, Chromatics play a mean cover of Running Up That Hill.

[@OddWomanOut_Pi81]

It's been said that fashion trends tend to re-emerge every 2 or 3 decades, but it's not often that u see that happen with music. Music is kind of static, for lack of a better term. If a song was a smash 30 or 40 yrs ago, it doesn't have a resurgence every 10 yrs, so this is pretty unprecedented and fascinating.

[@tickedoffnow]

I've loved this song for such a long time Glad it's now a big deal again 💕

[@spanersoraferty]

Go Kate, an absolute genius who deserves all the cash

[@HGR77779]

I’m so happy she gets to keep most of her money! Lovely song 🖤

[@WarrenBridges-um5cg]

@HGR7779 Ever since she was 16 years old. Smart cookie.

[@brucechester2942]

It's not about gender fluidity, it's about changing places for better understanding of each other. She even said that!

[@downtime86stars17]

It's about empathy.

[@heinoustentacles5719]

@@downtime86stars17 Yeah, that's what he said.

[@X-A-Z]

Omg it's not about gender fluidity. It's about the two genders trying to understand each other, with the implication that true understanding could only come with divine assistance.

[@downtime86stars17]

Empathy.

[@awholeworldoflove]

Loved this. Thank you for making awesome content!!!

[@victoriaeads6126]

Kate has SO many good songs, and many continue to be relevant years or decades after their release. Post Colonialism, the futility of war, personal connection in a digital age, and many other themes are represented in her body of work.

[@Sanguelto]

for me this song isnt about gender fluidity, it's about exhaustion. the feeling of constantly running uphill. 'I can't go on, I must go on, I will go on' is how so many people feel in 2022.

[@warrenbridges1891]

Nick P It's about empathy for each other. When you can see each other's point of view, you can run up that hill "no problem".

[@downtime86stars17]

That's because it isn't about gender fluidity and never was.

[@fantasyfiction101]

I’m surprised they didn’t bring up taylor swifts fight for the ownership of her masters aside from a small mention. I love hearing more about Kate bush!

[@rabit818]

I bet Kate could not have predicted her 1985 song will be a hit and discussed in 2022

[@mikem2778]

I hope some ventured into her other stuff. Saw this back in the real MTV days, just blew me away. Just the tip of the iceberg too, because her music is like nothing before, nothing since. Not just the lyrics either, just feel the music, listen to her voice. She did a song with Prince too, wonder if that helped him with the idea of controlling his own music life. Look up 'Don't Give Up' with Peter Gabriel, see if that doesn't make your eyes water a bit.

[@gerardp4759]

Now go listen to rest of the “Hounds of Love” album!

[@dalecooper9942]

I'm so glad for KB. I'm her fan since Wuthering Heights in 1978

[@aspeckofstardust]

Even though I was born after this song was written, I still have loved it for years and this whole phenomenon makes me feel so old 😂 Kind of like how when this gen Z radio DJ said that the opening song for Orange is the new Black put Regina Spektor on the map, I was like oh no, hope Regina didn’t hear that 🤦‍♀️

[@CynsCorner]

Running Up That HIll was not about "gender fluidity." It was about men and women trying to understand each other's places ... basically the mentality of trying to walk a day in each others' shoes. Not about literal "gender swapping."

[@katienumiusher]

truly! the artist even said as much

[@teaandcakeordeath]

Yeah it's about empathy and having a deep desire to bridge the gap between ourselves and others. Wanting to really understand what another person is going through, especially across barriers like gender or race. Take from it what you want but it's definitely not (only) about gender fluidity as we conceive it today.

[@jimstark55]

Exactly. Funny how They/them always gotta make everything about...they/them.

[@davidhardy6557]

I'm in my late 60s and I remember this song from decades ago. It's a great song. It is now and it was back then so I have to wonder, though it did well back then, it did not have the great success back then, that it's having now. Why? I have to believe the thing that can add tremendously add to a song's success is a great video. Though it had a "good" video back then, it was by no means a great video. The video Stranger Things gave it, was a great one. Bravo for Kate hanging on to the rights of this song. What she did, shows the huge advantage music companies take of so many singers.

[@warrenbridges1891]

David Hardy I'm the same age as you. Kate has owned the rights to all of her music since she was 16 years old. It was part of her original EMI contract. She wrote most of the songs off her first two 1978 albums before she was 15 years old. Wrote "Man With The Child In His Eyes"" at 13. Produced by David Gilmour from Pink Floyd. She rocked up to EMI to sign with an army of lawyers. Her family had money. EMI decided it was best to not mess with her.

[@MindyZielfelderArt]

This song is not about gender fluidity... Wtf 😒. She has stated that because men and women are different, they couldn't truly understand each other. If somehow they could walk in each other's shoes, then maybe they wouldn't fight. She never talks about changing her gender expression....

[@sufamidan1006]

I wouldn’t say it’s about gender fluidity. Its about understanding the experiences of each sex.

[@warrenbridges1891]

SufamiDan To put it simply, it's about empathy.

[@sufamidan1006]

@@warrenbridges1891 sure.

[@TheBeatlesToday]

“If you listen to your favorite song, you can be protected by these evil monsters.” 🤔🤔🤔

[@tinah142]

From

[@MosesMatsepane]

Yeah he definitely "watched" the show...🙄🙄

[@alexandramorrow122]

I feel like the 80's style of music is back in fashion. If you listen to a lot of new popular songs, they're very 80's inspired.

[@aceventurapetdetective2356]

Who is the woman on the keyboard talking? What I really like about Kate is she doesn't care about fame.

[@SM-gm7up]

It’s a combination of song and scene. Running up that hill was used recently in Glow but it didn’t catch on.

[@cgirl111]

If you want the definitive look at running up that hill see the Rick Beato vid

[@LeandroFTW]

The 80's are back!

[@pekkaollila8505]

Stupid thing to say that female artists were 'few and far between' in the 70's. There was dolly parton, carly simon, barbra streisand, olivia newton-john..

[@isobeljames1328]

Pay attention, Bush was 19 years old, wrote and composed her own song, first woman to have a n°1 with a self penned song...... and the song was a book character.... Google is free to know who on earth she is....

[@fnjesusfreak]

Another artist who owns the copyright on his own recordings (from 1985 onward) is John Mellencamp.

[@WarrenBridges-um5cg]

@fnjesusfreak Kate demanded full copyright at 16 years of age in 1974 after scoring her contract with "Man With The Child In His Eyes". Written at age 13.

[@sem6x3ag]

She is more popular today than back in the day in the US. Congrats. Now, check-out her song "Wuthering Heights". :)

[@warrenbridges1891]

Moon Butterfly The whole album "The Kick Inside" was one great debut. Especially for a teenager. Hardly a bad song on the complete recording.

[@ScottJohnson-tk7ql]

As a very long-time fan, it's profoundly satisfying to see our Kate on the cusp of a redux she so richly deserves :)

[@GirlWhoWaitedPa]

She is a great singer , and people love the song . That’s why it’s big again

[@nadiaaaj6618]

wow i feel so old now hahaha. this was my max song back in the day too

[@elizabethearls7778]

Pose, anyone? It made me obsessed with the song

[@juliaostlund9360]

I really don't think it's that deep about the current analysis and it being relevant to 'modern gender conversations'; the lyric you remember is "running up that hill"; there's a lot of intertextual or double meaning there. I took it to mean Max's fight against Vecna but more importantly her battle against depression and PTSD.

[@TheEcoClimber]

Making a Deal With God, that your song will be no1, 37 years after release 💚🙏❤

[@downtime86stars17]

The song is about learning to understanding the other gender, having empathy, not trying to turn yourself into the other.

[@tulesg2008]

And as usual younger people finds out why GOOD MUSIC Never Gets Old.......

[@troygaspard6732]

Since radio no longer has reach this is all we are left with. Hopefully this will lead to kids listing to the album that this song is from.

[@Blackbirdone11]

We have streaming. Way better for Artists

[@fredlenz4743]

You can't keep talent and genius down, and Kate Bush has it all. Pity it took 37 plus years for America to recognise her awesome talent as the ultimate performer. For 44 years and counting, she has been in the vanguard of the progressive arts.

[@Msladyrae92]

The internet is simple amazing . You really never know what will spark a trend

[@DianaAmericaRivero]

I always interpreted it as a song about overcoming adversity. I always heard the lyric as "get Her to swap" as opposed to "get Him."

[@johnIZaUWL]

Damn as if I haven’t GEEKED OUT ENOUGH the past few months 💜🤘💜🤘💋 THANK YOU 🙃

[@kenitowills8119]

How did the video go from information about "Running Up that Hill" to complaining about Spotify?

[@LupinoArts]

Ugh, You were so close... The major problem with streaming revenues is not that the payment from each stream is so small; the problem is that only a fraction of that amount goes to the artists. The major part of the royalties is paid to the record label and those pass only a fraction of that fraction down to the artists. You were so close to point out that connection, but in the end, it is still the streaming services who are the badies in this story rather than the label system most artists are still subjugated to. And for the "1ct per stream"-demand: Let's calculate that real quickly: Say, i listen to 1h each day, 30 days a month to streamed music: each song is on average 3 minutes long, that makes 20 songs per day or 600 songs per month. New artists usually get as little as 10% of their returns from the labels. So, in order for the artist to earn 1ct per stream, the streaming platform would have to pay 10ct per stream to the label. Multiplied by the 600 streams per month, I would have to pay $60 per month only to cover the label's share for a very moderate streaming amount. Plus whatever the streaming platforms need to maintain their services. Don't get me wrong; as an artist myself I totally agree that musicians need to be paid fairly. But rather than to cut out a majority of potential listeners due to astronomical end-user costs, i'd rather cut out the middle men who keeps up to 90% of all income for himself.

[@isobeljames1328]

Composer, writer, producer, has her own label Fish people.... Just saying

[@IAMPLEDGE]

you are missing the point that Spotify generate a portion of their revenue from advertising. Also if the monthly subscription goes up to a rate that people won't pay then it is likely that a lot of those users will go back to what they used to do, ie buy records or download songs. Overall to sum up, as Spotify's business model is to pay ridiculously low per stream rates it appears that it doesn't have a business model at all as it is still not profitable.

[@ooooneeee]

💯 agreed. This myth keeps getting perpetuated. Music labels are the most greedy corporations here, not streaming services. Exploitative contracts with absurdly low revenue shares for the musicians should be illegal.

[@WarrenBridges-um5cg]

@@ooooneeee Even at 16 years of age, EMI learned not to mess with Kate.

[@direnova6284]

It's not about gender fluidity, it's more personal than that. It's about making love to the person you love and wanting to swap places to experience the feelings of their lover. there's no mention of gender swapping, this could just as easily be about a same sex relationship and that reading of the lyrics makes that redundant.

[@caelidhg6261]

I think one of the important things about these internet mediums is that more artists can become viral and own their stuff without record companies. BUT It always seems that SOMEONE always needs to steal their thunder and get a piece of the action.