Fact Finder - Music

Kate Bush’s 'Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)' originally reached number three in the UK and number 30 in the US in 1985. However, in 2022, the song became a global number-one hit after it was featured prominently in the fourth season of the Netflix series 'Stranger Things.' The song served as a vital plot point for the character Max Mayfield, leading to a massive surge in streaming that broke three Guinness World Records, including the longest time for a song to reach number one on the UK’s Official Singles Chart. Kate Bush, who owns 100% of her recording rights, reportedly earned over $2 million in royalties within a month of the episode’s release. This event highlighted the unprecedented power of 'sync' (synchronization) in the streaming era, where a placement in a popular TV show can turn a 37-year-old classic into the biggest hit of the summer.