Here's How Much Kate Bush Earned From Her 'Stranger Things' Sync

Photo of Kate BUSH

Photo: Redferns

Kate Bush's resurgence has literally been record-breaking. It's also earned the '80s star millions.

According to Luminate (via CBS News), Bush's Stranger Things sync has racked up $2.3 million in streaming royalties in the month since the show's fourth season premiered, and because she owns the copyrights to her recordings she's likely pocketing at least 80% of that money.

"While we've seen a notable increase in catalog music streams in recent years — with an annual 20[%] growth alone in 2021 — the Kate Bush story has taken the phenomenon to a new level," Rob Jonas, CEO of Luminate, said in a statement to CBS.

Those who have watched the latest season of Stranger Things know just how big of a role Bush's 1985 song "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)" has in the show. The song has topped the UK charts for three weeks and counting, and broke the top 5 on Billboard's Hot 100.

Because it took nearly 40 years for the single to get to No. 1, the feat has broken a few Guinness World Records: Longest time for a track to reach No.1 on the UK’s Official Singles Chart, Oldest female artist to reach No.1 on the UK’s Official Singles Chart, and Longest gap between No.1s on the UK’s Official Singles Chart.

Bush recently sat down for a rare interview to discuss her whirlwind month. “It's just extraordinary. I thought that the track would get some attention, but I just never imagined that it’d be anything like this," she told BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour of the song's success "It’s so exciting that it’s quite shocking really, isn’t it? The whole world has gone mad.”

“The thought of all these really young people hearing the song for the first time and discovering it, well, I think it’s very special,” Bush continued.


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