Until 2022, Kate Bush was a virtually unknown British singer – at least in the US. In her home country, Kate Bush has been popular since her debut 1978 – The Kick Inside. Along the way, Kate Bush produced a number of well received albums and sold millions of records around the world. However, other than a song from her fourth album, Hounds of Love, she never cracked the US Billboard Top 40. With that single, a quirky number titled “Running Up That Hill,” Kate Bush finally reached the Top 40 in the US. Anyone in the US born after 1980, had likely never heard the song until Stranger Things Season 4 featured the song prominently throughout the episodes. Now, Kate Bush is known even to teens whose parents were probably babies when the song was originally released. Below is a list of facts about Kate Bush that, until now, might not have mattered but can certainly impress your friends the next time you’re out for dinner.
1. Kate Bush holds the distinction of being the first British female solo artist to have a number 1 album on the UK charts with 1980’s Never For Ever.
2. Peter Gabriel’s third album, Peter Gabriel (1980 album), featured Kate Bush on backing vocals for his first two singles from the record – “Games Without Frontiers” and “No Self Control.” “Games Without Frontiers” became Gabriel’s first Top 10 hit in the UK – peaking at number 4 – while “No Self Control” made it to number 33 in the UK charts. Her voice is also featured prominently on Gabriel’s “Don’t Give Up” from his fifth record – 1986’s international smash So.
3. The Hounds of Love, Kate’s 5th album, was released in September 1985. The album shot up to number 1 on the UK album charts (her second album to hit number 1). Meanwhile, likely on the strength of the single “Running Up That Hill,” became Kate’s first album to reach the Top 100 album in the US – peaking at number 12 (her previous record The Dreaming became her first album to dent the Billboard 200 in the US at number 157).
4. “Running Up That Hill” was released as the first single off the Hounds of Love album in August 1985. The single quickly became an international hit – peaking at number 3 in the UK and reaching the Top 10 in many countries across the globe. The single was the first of her records to chart in Canada and reached number 30 in the US where it was her only Top 40 hit.
5. Originally titled “Deal with God,” “Running Up That Hill” was written in a single evening in her home.
6. Drummer Stuart Elliott performed on “Running Up That Hill” and most other tracks on the Hounds of Love album. He was also well known as drummer for Alan Parsons Project where he played on many of their most famous tracks including “Games People Play,” “Time,” “Eye in the Sky” and “Sirius.”
7. The other song Kate Bush is most remembered for in the US is “This Woman’s Work” from her 1989 album The Sensual World. The song is used in a pivotal, emotional birth scene for the John Hughes film She’s Having a Baby starring Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern.
8. Prince played guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, vocals and is listed as co-arranger for the song “Why Should I Love You” from her 1993 album The Red Shoes. Kate returned the favor appearing on the song “My Computer” from Prince’s 1999 album Emancipation.
9. In total, Kate Bush has released eight Top 10 singles in the UK and all ten of her studio albums have reached the Top 10 album charts in the UK. In addition, her greatest hits compilation –The Whole Story reached number 1 in the UK.
