Kate Bush Made $2.3 Million In Streaming Royalties After “Stranger Things 4”

Streaming numbers for Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” have seen a massive spike since the release of the latest season of Stranger Things, and CBS News reports that the legendary artist has made $2.3 million in royalties from streams alone. The outlet cited data from Luminate, which was formerly known as Nielsen Soundscan.

“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,” said Rob Jonas, the CEO of Luminate, in a statement to CBS MoneyWatch.

“Running Up That Hill” was first released back in 1985 on Bush’s album, Hounds of Love, and saw immediate chart success. 

As for its use in Stranger Things, the song has become a key plot point throughout the fourth season. Bush has shared multiple blog posts commenting on the song’s use and resurgence in popularity. 

On Friday, she reflected on the conclusion of the fourth season and the attention she’s received in recent months.

“I’d only seen the scenes that directly involved the use of the track and so I didn’t know how the story would evolve or build,” she wrote. “I was so delighted that the Duffer Brothers wanted to use RUTH for Max’s totem but now having seen the whole of this last series, I feel deeply honoured that the song was chosen to become a part of their roller coaster journey. I can’t imagine the amount of hard work that’s gone into making something on this scale. I am in awe. They’ve made something really spectacular.”

Check out “Running Up That Hill” below.