Since the release of Stranger Things season 4, singer Kate Bush saw her song “Running Up That Hill” receive a massive bump to the number one spot on iTunes. The song became a staple of this season after being used to help Max (Sadie Sink) escape the clutches of this season’s baddie, the Vecna, an evil creature from the Upside Down. Just over a week later, Bush shared a statement in her newsletter expressing her gratitude for the inclusion. She also reveals that “Running Up That Hill” has seen a recent bump in popularity in the UK.
The full statement reads:
“You might’ve heard that the first part of the fantastic, gripping new series of ‘Stranger Things’ has recently been released on Netflix. It features the song, ‘Running Up That Hill’ which is being given a whole new lease of life by the young fans who love the show – I love it too! Because of this, Running Up That Hill is charting around the world and has entered the UK chart at No. 8. It’s all really exciting! Thanks very much to everyone who has supported the song. I wait with bated breath for the rest of the series in July.”
“Running Up That Hill” was first released in 1985 on Bush’s album Hounds of Love and is one of the singer’s most popular songs. Given the ’80s theme of Stranger Things, the song fits in well with the show’s vibe, offering an additional homage to the era.
Stranger Things season 4 picks up six months after the Battle at Starcourt. The aftermath finds our core friend group—Dustin (Gaten Matarazzo), El (Millie Bobby Brown), Mike (Finn Wolfhard), Will (Noah Schnapp), and Lucas (Caleb McLaughlin)—separated for the first time. As they begin high school and struggle to navigate their environments, another supernatural creature surfaces and introduces a new and gruesome mystery. Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Natalia Dyer, Joe Keery, Charlie Heaton, and Maya Hawke reprise their roles for season 4. New cast members include Jamie Campbell Bower as Henry Creel/One, Joseph Quinn as Eddie Munson, and Eduardo Franco as Argyle.
Thus far, season 4 is already record-breaking. First, it currently boasts the most hours watched for a Netflix series during its premiere weekend, a record formerly held by Bridgerton season 2. It’s also on track to become the most viewed English-language series of all time. Next, season 4 is significantly longer than prior seasons by five hours. Episodes 8 and 9, releasing this July, will be the longest episodes yet, with run times placing them at feature film length.
The final two episodes of Stranger Things season 4 arrive on Netflix on July 1. “Running Up That Hill” and the rest of the season’s soundtrack are available now on Apple Music, Amazon Music, Spotify, and iTunes.
