FEATURE:
Be Runnin' Up That Stream
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush and Michael (now Misha) Hervieu starred together in the video for Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush
Why Kate Bush’s Hounds of Love Classic Hitting One Billion on Spotify Is a Big Deal
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APOLOGIES if I repeat myself…
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush in 1985/PHOTO CREDIT: Dave Hogan/Getty Images
because I have written about Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) quite a bit through the years! About a year ago today, the song went to number one. Upon its release in 1985, it reached three in the U.K. - although it seemed to deserve better. I am not sure what it kept it off the top spot but, when it was released on 5th August, 1985, there was a lot of love for this extraordinary song. There are a number of reasons for that. Bush’s previous album, The Dreaming, was a great album that got some positive reviews. It didn’t really offer much in the way of an instantly grabbing and classic song. One that can be played on radio, sung along to and easily remembered. In the days and weeks leading up to Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God), there were questions as to whether Kate Bush had disappeared. It had been just under two years since she released her Ireland-only single, Night of the Swallow. That did not do well, so many stirred up gossip and weird theories. Had Bush gone mad or retired after a sense of commercial disappointment with The Dreaming (even though it charted high, it was not as big and successful as EMI hoped). Was she stepping away from the music industry, perhaps? There were other rumours around her weight and drug habits (she didn’t have one, but the British press speculated none the less!). It is fitting and extraordinary that a song that was written over a summer’s evening in 1983 should get such massive love and streaming acclaim forty years later. I shall come to the reason why I am coming back to Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God). I am not sure where Bush was when she wrote Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God), yet I suspect that she was at her family’s home or her bedroom. As she was building a home studio in the summer of 1983, she would have been dividing her time between London and her parents’ home at East Wickham Farm in Welling, Kent. This was a period where Bush was getting more space, not working herself to death, and committed to a healthy and happier recording process - compared to the relative strain and struggles with The Dreaming.
Generations have sung the song and heard it on the radio. Why listen to and stream it today?! Maybe overlook songs from the 1980s as they feel like they are dated and irrelevant. Kate Bush’s best-loved song is one relevant today. It is about understanding and, if two people could swap places and shoes, then all the struggles and obstacles would be easier to navigate. That empathy would mean any metaphorical or literal buildings, roads and hills could be conquered (“with no problems”). Talking about a huge and passionate love that was almost too big; Bush was trying to highlight the differences between men and women. A lack of communication and understanding meant that there was this struggle and disconnect. Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God), whether compelled by an argument or disagreement she was having with her then-boyfriend Del Palmer (who played on and engineered Hounds of Love), or plucked from her imagination, it is a song that has been taken to heart by countless listeners. The Kate Bush Encyclopedia has collated interviews where Bush discussed the inspiration behind a song that reached number three in the U.S. last year (her highest chart position there). I can see this woman in her twenties in an idyllic setting penning a song she would never have imagined would be discussed and adored forty years later:
“I was trying to say that, really, a man and a woman, can't understand each other because we are a man and a woman. And if we could actually swap each others roles, if we could actually be in each others place for a while, I think we'd both be very surprised! [Laughs] And I think it would be lead to a greater understanding. And really the only way I could think it could be done was either... you know, I thought a deal with the devil, you know. And I thought, "well, no, why not a deal with God!" You know, because in a way it's so much more powerful the whole idea of asking God to make a deal with you. You see, for me it is still called "A Deal With God", that was its title. But we were told that if we kept this title that it wouldn't be played in any of the religious countries, Italy wouldn't play it, France wouldn't play it, and Australia wouldn't play it! Ireland wouldn't play it, and that generally we might get it blacked purely because it had "God" in the title. Now, I couldn't believe this, this seemed completely ridiculous to me and the title was such a part of the song's entity. I just couldn't understand it. But none the less, although I was very unhappy about it, I felt unless I compromised that I was going to be cutting my own throat, you know, I'd just spent two, three years making an album and we weren't gonna get this record played on the radio, if I was stubborn. So I felt I had to be grown up about this, so we changed it to 'Running Up That Hill'. But it's always something I've regretted doing, I must say. And normally I always regret any compromises that I make. (Richard Skinner, 'Classic Albums interview: Hounds Of Love. Radio 1 (UK), aired 26 January 1992)”.
Last year, everything changed for Kate Bush! Seen as a ‘resurgence’, Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) was featured on the hit Netflix series, Stranger Things. It scored an evocative scene featuring a character, Max Mayfield. This song literally saved her life. Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) got to number one around the world last year. It actually should have hit number one in the U.K. earlier than it did – the song was battling Harry Styles’ As It Was. Music Week spoke with the Official Charts Company Chief Executive (and Kate Bush fan) Martin Talbot last year about the chart confusion:
“Based on the raw streaming data exclusively available to Music Week, the classic 1985 track which features prominently in the latest series of Netflix’s Stranger Things was ahead of Harry Styles on Friday (June 10). As reported in our charts analysis by Alan Jones last week, Kate Bush racked up 7,470,792 premium audio streams, 1,029,666 ad-funded audio streams and 657,694 premium video streams - but still missed out on No.1.
That’s because chart rules on accelerated decline, or ACR (Accelerated Chart Ratio) as it’s officially known, mean that older catalogue tracks are penalised and have to stream at twice the rate of current releases to register the same chart ‘sale’. The thinking is that the Top 40 is for new music which shouldn’t be crowded out by people’s favourite songs of yesteryear.
Part of the reason for the ratio formula is that the OCC doesn’t get the data to be able to weight chart sales based on organic streams and playlist streams (the latter can favour catalogue and older tracks).
With individual chart sales for downloads and physical singles now eclipsed by streaming, the OCC had to come up with a formula for the streaming era and has refined it over the last few years. When a track is subject to accelerated decline, a single chart sale requires 1,200 ad-funded streams instead of the usual 600, and 200 premium streams instead of 100. (These rules are mainly applied to current releases after nine weeks on the chart and three consecutive weeks of decline to keep the chart moving.)
Some of the reporting of this story has referred to a ‘rule change’ this week for Kate Bush, but that’s not the case is it?
“No, it’s not a rule change. Whenever this comes up, people always act as if it’s the first time that it's been invented. But we introduced it in the summer of 2017, so it's been around for a while, and for the record it was introduced because we saw lots of old tracks that were sitting around in the chart and blocking the opportunity for newer music. We have mechanisms for things to be automatically reset if they reach a particular surge in plays. For a manual reset, if the label comes to us and says ‘look, this is really working’, they can apply for a manual reset. Sometimes they don’t. In this case, Warner did and that's what's happened. And the great news is that Kate Bush is on her way to having her first No.1 in decades, which will be fantastic.”
There’s been some talk about the Chart Supervisory Committee who can influence these decisions. Who are they exactly?
“It’s a panel of representatives from retail and from record labels. Ten people sit on it, as well as us. Five are from the retail sector, DSPs, retailers, etc, the other half are labels with representatives from all three majors, and BMG and PIAS. It meets four or five times a year to discuss the evolution of the charts, to discuss chart rule changes that might be necessary in the future. It's not that common in other markets to have this kind of committee. It's a function of our ownership, we’re owned by the industry, 50:50 by the BPI and ERA, and our job is to reflect the industry and what the industry wants to see.”
So how was the Running Up That Hill reset approved?
“You can reset a track whenever you want if you’ve got the right criteria. What happens is that the label in question will send us the information explaining why they want to reset something, that will then get circulated to the CSC. If there’s a debate, we’ll have a debate. If there isn’t, then we just go ahead and reset, and that’s what’s happened in this case. It’s obviously been surging anyway but there’s been some additional promotional activity around it, as you would expect for a track like this with the profile on Stranger Things. It’s a natural surge, but as all good labels do there’s an opportunity to amplify it. Everyone was comfortable that there was a real purpose [for the reset]. If there was a majority against a reset, we would not reset it. But that was never the case in this instance. I don’t think we’ve had a real fight over a reset application. There are some that are turned down, but that’s more because there’s not a proper campaign.”
If there’s an option for labels, why aren’t classic Christmas tracks not reset given the promotional activity that can accompany them?
“One of the issues that we wanted to try and address with accelerated decline was the fact that you get all the Christmas tracks surging in the chart. So we don't encourage people to reset Christmas tracks, and nobody does because they’re going to be there anyway. It's worth noting that there have been a couple of cases where an old track has reached No.1 while on accelerated decline. Three Lions did it in 2018, and also Last Christmas and All I Want For Christmas Is You have both done it in the last couple of years. We know it’s a disadvantage to the track, but in those cases they were able to reach No.1 anyway.”
Are you concerned that RUTH might encourage more attempts at resets for classic catalogue tracks?
“No, I don't think so. When we introduced this five years ago, it was to address a change in the market and the way that consumption would be measured, and particularly the fact that tracks from the streaming environment stay around for longer. And since then, there has been an increasing number of viral, reactive tracks because of TikTok. We're always alert to the possibility. We'll be keeping all of this under review, all the chart rules are always being reconsidered and discussed. I wouldn't say I'm concerned as such. But I think what's likely is that we'll spend some time looking at how older tracks tend to be reset and whether this works in the best way.”
Labels are increasingly working catalogue. Is there a greater appetite for seeing these songs in the upper reaches of the charts now?
“Possibly. But, of course, labels are focused, the industry is focused and the chart is focused on surfacing new repertoire and helping new talent rise. Obviously, we want to reflect when something viral happens as is the case with Running Up That Hill. And the great thing is that it’s on course at the moment for No.1. So accelerated decline doesn’t stop tracks from getting towards the top of the chart. The main reason why this has become a high-profile talking point is because it's right at the top. She’s in a really good position to make No.1.”
Stranger Things has been key to the success, but has it been enjoyable seeing Kate Bush react to the single’s impact in 2022?
“I’m a Kate Bush fan as well as doing the job that I do. So it would be great to see her get to No.1, it would be fantastic. It shows what the chart means to people still, artists get excited about the possibility of being at the top of the chart. It’s a great thing.”
Spotify has its own global and national charts. Do the OCC charts complement them, and can you coexist?
“Retailers have always had their own charts. Spotify’s charts reflect what's happening on Spotify and Apple Music’s charts reflect what's happening there. Amazon have charts, lots of people have charts. The thing that differentiates us, and we feel it adds to their value, is the fact that we capture sales and streams from everywhere. For about 98%, 99% of all music consumption on a daily and weekly basis, we're collecting data for all of them. So that's our big point of differentiation. Most consumers only have access to one of these services. So, yeah, I think our big point of difference that we're very proud of is the fact that we capture [sales] from everyone. It's a long way from where the chart used to be - we celebrate the 70th anniversary in November - when Percy Dickins called 20 retailers and just asked what records were doing well that week. It’s not like that any more”.
As I type, Running Up That Hill (A Deal of God) is about to hit a billion streams on Spotify. Today (17th June), it is at 997,515,448. When that figure is reset this evening (before 9 I think), I suspect it will be at around 999,000,000 streams. That means, tomorrow or Monday, this song originally released in 1985 will hit a billion streams nearly thirty-eight years later. Many people credit it solely to Stranger Things. It definitely got the song back into the world and made a new generation aware of it and Kate Bush. The fact that it has this momentum and continues to be played goes beyond a T.V. placement. It is a fabulous accessible and relatable song. The phenomenal production by Kate Bush gives it warmth, this epic stir and power. It is both intimate and anthemic. There are so many layers to the song, so it means you are hooked by the track and find something new. I love the backing vocals by Bush and her lyrics. It obviously mentions God. Many artists talk about God, but more in the context of praying to him or worship. This is different. Doing a ‘deal’ with him. I am glad that the song is called Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God), as it had to be changed from A Deal with God to Running Up That Hill, as it was seen that having the word ‘God’ in the title might offend or upset more Christian and religious nations. How ridiculous!
IN THIS PHOTO: Kate Bush with her dogs, Bonnie and Clyde, in an outtake from the Hounds of Love cover shoot/PHOTO CREDIT: John Carder Bush
The track’s lyrics are inspiring. They have saved lives, relationships and friendships! This selfless request to be able to swap shoes with a man, so that they can each understand one another. That message and original aspect is something that is as relevant today as ever. I will wrap up by mentioning why a billion Spotify streams is so important. First, in a feature from last year, Rolling Stone highlighted the legacy of Hounds of Love’s first single – and one of Kate Bush’s most astonishing and personal favourite songs:
“Beyond its lyrics, the song’s production has given it a lot more longevity than many other songs of the era. Bush used cutting edge technology to create it – its chugging rhythm was composed on a LinnDrum drum machine, while she used a Fairlight CMI, a synthesiser with sampling capabilities, to craft its waifish strings – but the result sounds a lot grittier than other mid-80s pop music. This sound, combined with the song’s unquantifiable pop euphoria, has made it endure in a way that many other 80s time warps haven’t.
Despite the singular idiosyncrasies of ‘Running Up That Hill’, it has been a cover favourite for other artists, who all take a unique angle on it. Placebo’s 2003 reinterpretation turned the track into a ghoulish downtempo alt-rocker with even more youthful angst than the original. Their take on the track quickly became US TV’s version of choice, largely thanks to Bush’s refusal to sanction her original song’s use in shows like The O.C. and C.S.I. Chromatics also put a suspenseful, cinematic twist on the track in 2007, with Ruth Radelet’s lo-fi vocals emitting a diamond sharpness that turns the song into a nocturnal loner anthem.
More recently, country star Jade Bird performed a piano cover of the song for Radio 1’s Live Lounge, which stripped it back to voice and keys, conjuring loss and longing in her brusker baritone. UK artist Georgia delivered a dance-inflected though otherwise faithful rendition in 2020, while just last week pop singer Kim Petras released a cover for Pride Month, and offered her own thoughts on the classic track: “It means so much and it’s so elusive. You can definitely decide what you want it to mean. For me, it’s about equality. And my timing for this was strangely perfect!”
Kate Bush herself revisited her classic anthem in 2012, recording new vocals for a version that premiered at that year’s London Olympics. While the instrumental backing track remained the same, it was pitched down to accommodate Bush’s new vocal range – her voice was deeper than it was three decades prior. And so, not for the last time, ‘Running Up That Hill’ re-entered the UK top 10 – and it would return to the charts again two years later, when Bush announced her first live performances since 1979. That time, the world didn’t just go crazy for ‘Running Up That Hill’ but the entire Kate Bush catalogue, with eight of her albums shooting up the charts simultaneously, and her website crashing from the demand for tickets. At the residency at the Hammersmith Apollo, ‘Running Up That Hill’ was the only song that had previously been performed live, such is the special place it holds for Bush and her fans.
In an interview with Open in 1985, Kate Bush said that the song was “really saying if there’s a possibility of being able to swap places with each other that they’d understand how the other one felt, that when they were saying things that weren’t meant to hurt, that they weren’t meant sincerely, that they were just misunderstood”. A cry for empathy and for understanding – these are timeless themes. Looking at how Bush views the song herself, no wonder it’s endured for so long”.
It is only a matter of a day or two before we see this iconic song hit a billion streams on Spotify. 419 songs have surpassed a billion streams on Spotify. It is not unusual for artists like Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran to get those numbers. That is based very much on their contemporary popularity and their loyal fanbase. There are very few archived and older songs that have hit a billion. It is different for Kate Bush. She has a huge fanbase but, prior to 2022, maybe a smaller TikTok audience. Fewer young people would have been aware of this 1985 song. Because legacy artists are never going to be as visible and popular in the upper echelons of Spotify’s streaming, Bush’s success will definitely open doors. These classic artists are played online, however the generations who grew up with their music experienced them physically. They played and bought CDs, cassettes and vinyl. Those songs and albums were handed down this way. Even if their songs are on Spotify, there is not that promotion and spotlight on them, as they are not new artists or chart successes like Ed Sheeran. It is a bigger deal if a song like Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) gets to number one or hits a billion streams! Stranger Things got the ball rolling, but Kate Bush’s inherent genius and appeal kept the song in people’s minds. It would not be on the brink of a billion streams if it was a weaker song that got lucky.
The combination of this big T.V. moment and the sheer excellence and emotional potency of the song is why it is going to join an elite club. Legendary female artists like Madonna and Kylie Minogue have not reached a billion streams with any of their songs. Many of Bush’s peers from the 1980s might take years for any of their songs to reach that landmark figure. The success of Kylie Minogue’s Padam Padam (which is now in the U.K. top ten) shows that TikTok is a powerful and vital source of promotion for women who, when they pass the age of forty or fifty, are excluded from radio stations’ playlists like BBC Radio 1. It proves there is this demand for an artist and song, regardless of their age, so long as the music resonates and stays in the mind! It is inspiring that a female artist from decades ago can claim such an honour, but it is also a sign that there is appetite for music from the past. A song like Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) is unique and could only come from Kate Bush! She was thrilled about the song’s success. She took to her personal website and wrote about her surprise and thanks. In fact, there were quite a few updates from Bush. Another good thing about Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)’s new success is that we are hearing more from this icon! Signs that she is thankful to her fans and everyone out there! When the track reaches a billion streams today (17th June) or tomorrow – or, to keep us waiting, Monday -, I know fans around the world will…
CELEBRATE and salute a music queen.