Kate Bush is a name that has started showing up very consistently in all types of media in the last two years. Her music has seen a big surge in popularity and songs like Running Up That Hill, Babooshka and Army Dreamers have seen massive online successes in the last two years. But why is it that we connect so much with her 80’s music and what about her makes this resurgence so special? As a long time listener of the British singer-songwriter (remastered) will dive into the psychology of her success.

The first successes

As a young teenager in the early 1970's, Kate Bush was discovered by David Gilmour of Pink Floyd and put on the map by EMI records. At 18, she wrote Wuthering Heights and released it alongside her debut album ‘The Kick Inside’ at the tender age of 19. Wuthering Heights quickly shot to success and created a glimpse into the bright future the star would be having. She quickly released her sophomore and junior album after and established herself as a force to be reckoned with in the British alt-pop scene. Her debut album sold over a million copies and Wuthering Heights and accompanying single ‘The Man With the Child In His Eyes’ became instant success on the chart. This triumph was a surprise to the timid Kent-based singer, who had started singing and writing songs at 11. Her mysterious personality and unique lyrics and presentation made her an iconic presence early on, drawing comparisons with icons such as Stevie Nicks and David Bowie, Kate’s idol.  

Kate Bush by brother John Carder Bush.
Stranger Things

After decades of on and off success, Kate Bush retreated to live a private life after releasing her 2011 remasters of her albums. The singer has been known to take breaks in between album releases, her most infamous break being between 1994 and 2005 when she had her son Albert. The singer had not been seen in public since 2014 and had not allowed her music to be used in modern productions in a long time. This is why the Stranger Things showrunners felt they were taking a big risk when they approached her to use her hit song Running Up That Hill in the fourth season of their show. To their surprise, Bush accepted and expressed that she had been a long-time fan of the show. This is what opened the door to a string of successes that would follow. Suddenly, Running Up That Hill was topping charts worldwide and Bush’s career became more successful than it had been before her hiatus.

The key to longevity

This reoccurring success and the artist’s ability to keep bouncing back from long hiatuses raises the question why it is that Bush always seems to come out on top. As a young woman starting her career in the 70’s, she was already an enigma, but decades later she has not become any less mysterious. When looking at the singles from her discography that have seen newfound success, there has been a lot of emphasis placed on their unique ability to transform listeners to a nostalgic time and unique dimensions of storytelling, something which has set Bush apart from her peers for a long time. In an age where music is made to be music and guarantee a sonic experience to listeners, there has been a lack of storytelling present in newer releases. The realization that music is a tool of communication and that a masterfully crafted instrumental can be accompanied by a strong narrative is a revelation to many listening to older music or concept albums. This has also been reflected by the public opinion on Taylor Swift’s ‘Evermore’ and ‘Folklore’ albums, that performed well and received critical acclaim from fans and non-fans alike because of the strong storytelling elements threading the albums together. Suggesting that music is ever-changing, but that a good story is timeless

Kate Bush in the 1980's, source unkown.

Whether a song is about complex relationships between people, a 19th century dark romance novel, a young boy making rain with his father or being haunted by the deceased actor whose role you are taking over in a play, stories are forever, and the careful production, narration and development of Bush’s work makes her a force to be reckoned with years after the peak of her career.

Want to discover more of Kate Bush’s wonderful stories? Check out this playlist with her full discography here and let surprise take over as you dive into her wonderfully weird world.

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