Kate Bush Fans Are Mad About 'Stranger Things' Placement

According to Billboard, “Running Up That Hill” saw an 8,700% percent increase in streams on Spotify as of May 30, compared to May 26, the day before Stranger Things landed on Netflix. The US streams alone were up 9,900% on Spotify. The song is currently sitting atop the Spotify Top 50 playlist in the US, dethroning Harry Styles’ “As It Was.”

The song, which can be found on Bush’s Hounds of Love album, plays a pivotal role in Stranger Things. In this season, Vecna (Jamie Campbell Bower) is the main baddie who basically takes over people’s minds before killing them. As he’s taking over Max (Sadie Sink), the rest of the Hawkins crew realizes that music has the power to break the curse. The only thing that can save Max is to play her favorite song to block Vecna’s curse and bring her out of the trance. Naturally, Max’s favorite song is “Running Up That Hill.”

“More than ever, Stranger Things is a cultural phenomenon that resonates with fans all over the world,” Alexandra Patsavas, Netflix’s director of music/ creative production for series, said in a statement, according to Billboard. “We are thrilled to see fans connect so enthusiastically with such a key part of the [show runners] Duffer Brothers incredible storytelling — the music. It’s remarkable to see how the reaction to Kate’s song has engaged new and old fans alike, and has also transcended generations — 37 years later!”

Elsewhere in Stranger Things, you’ll find plenty of 1980s classics like “You Spin Me Round” by Dead or Alive, “Pass the Dutchie” by Musical Youth, and “Travelin’ Man” by Ricky Nelson. For a show centered in the 1980s, it only makes sense to include the biggest hits of the decade, introducing some of these songs to viewers who weren’t even alive yet. But it also rejuvenates these songs for people who were alive when these songs came out but might have forgotten just how great they are.

Then again, Bush’s longtime fans who already knew of her greatness and were happy with their niche taste in her music are less than thrilled with people discovering her through Stranger Things, of all things. They’ve shared their disdain on Twitter, rightfully calling out people who were not already in tune with her music and complaining about Bush ending up mainstream.

Volume 1 of Season 4 of Stranger Things is currently streaming on Netflix, and Volume 2 drops on July 1.

Photo via Getty/ RB/ Redferns