Gen Z discovers Kate Bush in a big way due to Netflix show

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The only Kate Bush song I had heard was "Don't Give Up", a duet with Peter Gabriel, in a PSA (PIF to those of you in the UK) for a runaway teen hotline.

While music may be an integral part in many (if not all) TV shows, the medium isn’t exactly known for transforming tunes into hits. In fact, it’s relatively uncommon that any track becomes a smash because of its feature in a program on the small screen. It’s even rarer for a song from decades past to be so perfectly placed into a popular show’s storyline that it not only reaches a new audience, but far outperforms its initial chart run and stands out as one of the biggest wins of the year.

While it might not happen with any frequency, that’s exactly what has taken place following the release of season four of Netflix’sNFLX -0.6% behemoth title Stranger Things. Music supervisor Nora Felder, also known for her work on such series as Ray Donovan, Californication, and The OA (among others) inserted the track "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)" by legendary British singer-songwriter Kate Bush into the latest season of the sci-fi spectacle, and in no time, it took off.

Despite the fact that the song was initially released in the mid-‘80s, at which point it became a top 10 hit in her home country and a top 40 title in the U.S., Stranger Things has propelled it to heights that no longer seemed in reach for Bush, if they ever were at all.

Since season four of Stranger Things premiered, "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)" has shot to No. 1 in the U.K. (beating its original peak of No. 3) and No. 3 on the Hot 100 in the U.S., giving Bush her first top 10 smash in the nation.

Now, Felder has earned her fourth Emmy nomination for Outstanding Music Supervision (all for her work on Stranger Things), and she may win her first trophy in about a month. I spoke with Felder about how she wooed Bush and what it’s been like watching the time-tested song become the hit single many argue it always should have been.
Hugh McIntyre: The music featured in Stranger Things has been welcomed so warmly. How does it feel to see the world reacting not only to the program, but specifically to the music used for it?

Nora Felder: It’s been so gratifying to see this season resonate with a diverse demographic of cultures from around the world. It has also been heartwarming to see that the music of Stranger Things has reconnected earlier generations to songs they grew up with during different phases of their lives.

As if that wasn't enough, it has also inspired me to see that the music of Stranger Things was able to introduce younger generations to songs they were not familiar with, but instantly connected to. I have to say, it really doesn’t get much better than this!

McIntyre: How did the idea of using Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" come to you?

Felder: Back when The Duffer Brothers were in the early stages of writing the season four scripts, they were searching for the perfect song to capture Max’s emotional state–her pain, sense of loss, feeling of disconnection from others, and need for strength and support. When I had the idea to use Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill,” I knew it could be very special because of its powerful melodic flow and poignant themes. I felt strongly that it would resonate with Max’s experiences. Before sending the song as an idea, I reached out to one of her reps and pre-vetted the song. I was told that although she was very particular about allowing the use of her music, she was also open. That was good enough for me to move forward. I sent this song to The Duffer Brothers along with some alternate choices, though this was my clear favorite. I was overjoyed that the Duffer Brothers ended up reacting so strongly to Bush's song and felt as deep of a connection to it as I did.

McIntyre: Tell me about the process of getting Kate Bush's approval? How long did it take and what did you have to do?

Felder: Kate Bush is a true artist who is well-known for being very particular about the way her music is used. She wants to make sure her songs fit with a story. My clearance coordinator and I wanted to give her as much context as possible, so we spent a lot of time fleshing through the scene descriptions. We really wanted her to understand The Duffers’ vision and the creative depth behind Max’s story, both of which were so important for showing her that this was the perfect song. I was all in on Bush's song and didn’t focus on any backup plan. So I was committed to doing everything in my power to make her song's approval happen.

We were on the edge of our seats waiting for her feedback. As you might imagine, we were beyond thrilled to finally hear that she not only approved of the usage, but had actually been a huge fan of the show!

McIntyre: What was it like watching "Running Up That Hill" hit the charts and then rise to previously unseen heights because of this placement? How does that make you feel?

Felder: It's just as surreal now as it was then when it started climbing up the charts around the world, finally making its way to No. 1 and then holding there for weeks. It's truly been a historic lightning in a bottle moment that I will never forget and forever be proud of being a huge part of it.

McIntyre: Have you spoken to Kate or heard from her team regarding the incredible success of this feature?

Felder: I’ve spoken with her team and they’re just ecstatic. No one could have imagined this phenomenal outcome. Although I’ve never spoken to Kate, I have read interviews where she is clearly delighted about everything and is also happy that her music is now being introduced to a whole new audience thanks to her song's placement in the show.

McIntyre: Kate Bush is notoriously picky with the use of her music–did you have a backup idea in case she said no?

Felder: For those important moments, I usually do have ideas tucked away that I can draw on as possibilities. This was one of those moments. I also truly felt in my gut that Kate Bush's song was by far the best idea for this moment and for youth at this time in our world. Needless to say, I was incredibly relieved when Kate gave the go ahead for "Running Up That Hill."

Just to be clear, did Nora Felder select "Running up that Hill" because
a) she liked the song and Kate Bush OR
b) She thought the song suited the series OR
c) both?

I think it's kind of neat to see history repeat itself.

Linda Ronstadt is having her Kate Bush moment after streams of her song "Long, Long Time" have majorly spiked after being featured in Sunday's installment of The Last of Us.

The 1979 tune played a pivotal part in the third episode of the HBO acclaimed series, which focused on the surprising love story between post-apocalyptic survivors Bill (Nick Offerman) and Frank (Murray Bartlett).

By Monday, streams of the rock icon's tune on Spotify had increased by 4900 percent. That's similar to how "Running Up That Hill," Bush's 1985 song, catapulted globally after being featured on season 4 of the Netflix hit Stranger Things last May.

Later, Ronstadt's version of the tune is played at the end of the episode, as Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) drive off in Bill's car.

In both instances, the song's lyrics help drive the message of the show, about the ever-driving power of love even during the worst times in life.

he Last of Us director and executive producer Craig Mazin told Variety that his friend and SiriusXM host Seth Rudetsky suggested the song when he was mulling over songs for his two characters to connect over.

"I knew that song needed to hit certain things about longing and aching and endlessly unrequited love," he told the outlet. "I could not find the right song for the life of me. I was trying and trying, and then I texted my friend Seth Rudetsky, who is the host of Sirius XM on Broadway and a savant. I told him, 'Here's all the things I need,' and two seconds later: 'Linda Ronstadt, "Long, Long Time."' I was like, there it is. That's it!"

"Long, Long Time" is featured on Ronstadt's Silk Purse album and was originally written by Gary White. In 1971, the song peaked at No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. The rock icon received a Grammy nomination for the song that same year.

Tragically, Ronstadt hasn't been able to sing in over a decade. She was diagnosed in 2013 with progressive supranuclear palsy, a neurological condition similar to Parkinson's disease that impacts her movements and cognition.

"I sing in my brain," she said on Today in 2022. "It's not quite the same. Sometimes I choose the song and sometimes my brain chooses the song. My brain chooses the worst music, like really bad Christmas music."

"It felt like something was wrong, but I couldn't tell what it was," she said, describing the initial symptoms. "First, I thought it was my headphone mix, then I thought it was the microphone, then I thought some frequencies were just missing from my voice. It got slowly, steadily worse."

The mother of two was initially told it was "nerves," before she was diagnosed by a neurologist.

Filled with sadness, Ronstadt adjusted slowly to the loss of her voice. In time, her mobility declined as well. "There's nothing I can do and I just learned how to live with it," she said.

As for the mainstream rediscovery of "Long, Long Time," Ronstadt has yet to directly comment on its use in The Last of Us but has been re-posting shares of the song on her official Instagram account, including a post from the HBO show.

On Sunday, she even shared a vintage live performance video of her singing the song.

"I think I'm going to love you for a long long time," she wrote with a heart to her fans.

Linda Ronstadt has a simple and earnest message for the folks discovering her music after the latest episode of “The Last of Us”: She hopes you enjoy it.

Ronstadt, who admits she doesn’t “follow social media very much, or the streaming services,” told The Times in an email that she didn’t hear about the role her song played in the series until her manager, John Boylan, called to tell her about it.

“My first reaction was that I was really glad for Gary White, who will get a windfall from this,” said Ronstadt, referring to the “Long Long Time” songwriter.

The song “means a lot,” said Ronstadt. It’s “still one of my favorites.”

Her earliest memory of the song is of White playing it for her in the late 1960s after a Paul Siebel show at the Café Au Go-Go in Greenwich Village, which she attended on an invitation from fellow musician David Bromberg.

“Gary White was playing guitar with Paul,” said Ronstadt. “Afterwards, Gary played me ‘Long Long Time’ and I instantly wanted to record it.”

“That same night I also heard Siebel’s great song ‘Louise,’ which I also recorded,” she added, referring to another track on “Silk Purse.” “Eliot Mazur produced them both in Nashville with musicians from the Area Code 615 band. I sang the vocal live with the track at 10 o’clock in the morning, not an ideal time of day for singing!”