You Won’t Believe How Much Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill’ Raked In Thanks to Stranger Things — The Numbers Are Cosmic!
Added on November 27, 2025 inCelebrity News Cards
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Ever wonder what happens when a celestial alignment brings together an iconic ’80s anthem and a supernatural Netflix hit? Well, today’s cosmic joke might just be on us—because Kate Bush’s “Running up that Hill,” a song that’s been orbiting our collective playlists since 1985, suddenly morphed into a multi-million-dollar goldmine thanks to a pivotal scene in Stranger Things. It kind of makes you think: was it pure moon magic or just perfect timing under Uranus in Taurus that revived this classic? Max Mayfield’s haunted walkman moment didn’t just rescue a fictional character—it launched a vintage track into a new orbit of fame, streaming records, and cool cash for Bush. Funny how four decades later, the universe still finds a way to make us pay attention—and pay up. Fancy a deeper dive into this serendipitous spike in fortune and fandom? LEARN MORE
This is how much Kate Bush is estimated to have made for allowing her song ‘Running up that Hill’ to be used in Stranger Things.
Back in 2022, the singer’s 1985 track made a surprising resurgence in pop culture after it was featured in season four of the hit Netflix series. During a pivotal moment in the episode titled ‘Dear Billy’, where Max Mayfield (Sadie Sink) is trapped inside Vecna’s curse, her friends play the track through her walkman which ultimately helps her break free.
Given the fact that ‘Running up that Hill’ was released a year before the events of Stranger Things season four – with the show being set in the 80s – it makes sense for the song to be included. However, no one could quite have anticipated the following renaissance which followed the track in the weeks and months after.
The 1985 song went viral after this scene aired (Netflix)
Following the release of season four, ‘Running up that Hill’ skyrocketed to the top of the charts in eight countries, making the song Bush’s second UK number one since 1978’s ‘Wuthering Heights’ and has since topped over a billion streams on Spotify.
Certainly what you’d call a sleeper hit, if you ask me.
While the singer has never explicitly confirmed how much she’s made from the track, numerous estimates suggest Max Mayfield’s love for ‘Running up that Hill’ has made the musician $2.3million (£1.9million), according to Luminate.
This is likely to increase as season five dropped on Netflix in the early hours of this morning for us UK lot, as the song made numerous appearances in the first couple of episodes.
Bush is also boosted by the fact that she owns the copyright to her music, a luxury few singers enjoy if you recall Taylor Swift’s quest to obtain her back catalouge, which means the overwhelming majority of the Stranger Things boost her music received will have ended up in her back pocket.
Which certainly isn’t a bad run for a song she made 40 years ago.
It’s inclusion in the show has reportedly made Bush millions (Dave Hogan/Getty Images)
Aside from the fact that it’s an appropriate choice to use a song from the ’80s, Bush can thank Beetlejuice star Winona Ryder for the song’s inclusion, as the actor is a longtime fan and reportedly campaigned for the track to be included in the show.
Bush is also said to be very selective when it comes to granting permission for her music to be used in popular media, with Sony Music’s Wende Crowley telling Variety that ‘script pages and footage’ were prepared for her to review. Fortunately, Bush is also a Stranger Things fan, which meant that permission was granted.
Featured Image Credit: (David M. Benett/Getty Images)
Topics: Entertainment, Music, Netflix, Stranger Things, TV, Celebrity, Money, Spotify
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