You’ve probably heard that Kate Bush is featured in Stranger Things. The latest season of the hit Netflix series contains an awesome ‘Running Up that Hill’ needle-drop that’s inspired a whole new generation of fans. The requisite listens have made Bush a tidy sum of money, it seems.
According to Luminate, a company that tracks artist revenue, Bush raked in around $2.3 million from streaming in the month since Stranger Things season 4 dropped. CBS states this is between May 27 and June 23, inclusive, and isn’t likely to wane any time soon since the remaining two episodes of the season were released by Netflix at the start of July.
“While we’ve seen a notable increase in catalogue music streams in recent years – with an annual 20% growth alone in 2021 – the Kate Bush story has taken the phenomenon to a new level,” Rob Jonas, CEO of Laminate, stated. Indeed, services like Spotify and Amazon Music are crowded marketplaces that offer a lot for very little. To cut through and maintain growth on one of them is an achievement for anyone, nevermind these kinds of figures.
In a blog commenting on the fanfare, Bush said she’s “deeply honoured” by Stranger Things’s usage of her music. “I just can’t believe it – number one for the third week,” she writes. “We’re all so excited! In fact it’s all starting to feel a bit surreal.”
Surreal indeed. Her music helps stop the Stranger Things monster from possessing Max. See, if the creature Vecna grabs you, a certain special song can break his hold. Spotify actually launched a playlist to tel you what song would would for you.
If you’d rather just watch the show, all of Stranger Things is now on Netflix. For what’s coming, run up that hill for our guide to Stranger Things season 5.