Historian's Take

Why Kate Bush’s Viral Success is Radical

Kate Bush’s 1985 song, “Running Up that Hill (A Deal With God),” has climbed to the top of music charts in 2022 and reached nearly 500 million streams. This song’s revival after 37 years is largely thanks to season 4 of Stranger Things. But what makes this song’s overnight success even wilder is the fact that Bush owns the copyrights to her own recordings, which means she keeps as much as 80%.

Why Kate Bush’s Viral Success is Radical

9m 49s

Kate Bush’s 1985 song, “Running Up that Hill (A Deal With God),” has climbed to the top of music charts in 2022 and reached nearly 500 million streams. This song’s revival after 37 years is largely thanks to season 4 of Stranger Things. But what makes this song’s overnight success even wilder is the fact that Bush owns the copyrights to her own recordings, which means she keeps as much as 80%.

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