FEATURE:
Oh to Be in Love
How Easy Is it to Spread the Kate Bush Word to the Younger Generations in 2024?
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I have said it a few times…
PHOTO CREDIT: Rex Features
but, as Kate Bush has enjoyed a new resurgence and is being talked about again more, I do wonder how her music will sustain and keep reaching through the generations. There was that moment when Stranger Things brought Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) to the wider audience. A big chart success, it did mean that the younger generations got to hear Kate Bush for the first time. That was one of the shocking things about the situation. Many people, up until that moment in 2022, did not know who Kate Bush was! It might be a surprise to some but, as there is so much focus on modern and new artists, legacy artists might pass people by. It took a popular series on Netflix to bring that one song to the population. It was fairly popular before, though Stranger Things took it to new heights. There was a bit of a ripple and conversation after that. Look at streaming sites and other Kate Bush songs picked up numbers. Other Kate Bush songs have featured in films and T.V. There is definitely more awareness of her in America. I think that it is nice that she is very much still active in terms of her music. She has made updates to her official website and there have been reissues. Her albums being reissued for independent record stores would have attracted new ears. The combined impact of the Stranger Things effect and people covering Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) was a big help. Also, Kate Bush was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame last year.
I do wonder what happens next. There was a lot of buzz and new fans coming Kate Bush’s way through 2022 and 2023. You can only get so much momentum and legacy from streaming sites. Radio stations, as I keep saying, play the hits and do not go deeper. Radio as a way of discovering music is less relevant and popular than it used to be. One big reason why Kate Bush was such a sensation and won legions of fans through the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s was because of radio and its impact. Music television. The print media too. More traditional sources made it easier for her music to reach a lot of people quickly. It is vital that there is much more awareness of Kate Bush among younger listeners. The core fanbase, largely, are over twenty. I think that is a fair assumption. It may be older than that. When it comes to those who listen to her music most and have been fans for a long time, they do the best they can to make sure Kate Bush is known and discussed. I do worry about this sort of brief explosion that might then fade. People a lot younger than me either know Kate Bush through Stranger Things or not at all. That is their reference point. That is not to say they have heard the song or any others. I wonder how many listeners from Generations Y and Z dive deep or listen to multiple Kate Bush songs. Despite healthy video and streaming figures, there is a gap. So many who are not aware of Kate Bush and her importance. How easy is it to keep Kate Bush in the mindset for years to come?!
PHOTO CREDIT: Gered Mankowitz
It is hard for many new artists to gain a foothold in such a competitive market. We have some artists dominating. Really huge names. It is not the case that legacy artists get overlooked. They can pull people in because of new albums, touring and documentaries. Things that mean their name is out there. Expanded editions of albums that mean they can appeal to the existing fanbase and draw in new fans. Kate Bush is not in that position. She is not going to perform live again. We do not know whether she will release another album. In terms of documentaries, pieces about her and anything else, it is very much in her hands. I keep an eye on radio playlists and streaming sites like Spotify. I try and ensure that I do my part to let people know how amazing Kate Bush is. There are articles and magazine features published now and then. Those who already know Kate Bush and her catalogue do not need to be won over. There are so many listeners either very casually connected to Kate Bush or they do now know her at all. That is a worry! It means that, decades from now, the fanbase will become smaller and more narrow in terms of tastes – and the Kate Bush songs listened to. That spark of discovery is so vital. Not just hearing one song from Kate Bush. Going back to the beginning – 1978’s The Kick Inside – and working your way forward. Listening to each album. Reading interviews and watching videos. The feeling that so many people are unaware of a lot of joy and brilliance. It is frustrating that so many people do not know about Kate Bush. Perhaps their parents do not have her albums on vinyl. That sort of sharing culture does not happen the way it does when I was young.
Streaming platforms will not lead people to Kate Bush. It cannot merely be down to fans to try and recruit people. Radio stations do play her music but, if they are songs people have already heard, does this compel them to discover more about Kate Bush?! I am not too sure. What I know is that we have a real issue where there are blank faces. People in their teens, twenties and thirties who have escapes the allure of Kate Bush. These are people that we need to bring in. It is not easy to get an artist like Kate Bush across the generations and keep her in hearts and minds. Even though she is a genius. One of the greatest artists ever. Given how influential she is and how many millions of people she has enriched, I think she is owed more. More diverse and consistent airplay. I suppose TikTok sees fans share videos with her music scoring it. Many people are not on TikTok. We have various threads and fanbases that are not coming together and will probably lose heat as the years pass. Even if Kate Bush does not release more music, it is paramount she is remembered by younger listeners so, when they grow older, they can tell young generations coming through about her. There should be a collective effort. From artists to long-terms fans to those picking up her music now. Such a special artist, it is hard to give Kate Bush the same sort of space as major artists still recording. We can’t really rely on shows like Stranger Things to get Kate Bush’s music to younger music fans. It baffles me there are some who are not aware of Kate Bush. I guess that is the problem with how we experience and discover music today. I am not sure what the answer is. All I do know is the blessed and mighty Kate Bush should be known, loved, shared, listened to and inspiring…
FOR decades to come.