The Long Road To Securing 'Running Up That Hill' For 'Stranger Things' Latest Season
Image Source: Men’s Health
Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” has been inescapable since the release of the fourth season of Netflix’s smash hit Stranger Things. In June, it was the most streamed song in the world and earned three Guinness World Record accolades for its recent successes. With the song topping charts internationally and dominating TikTok feeds, it is impossible to imagine the latest season of Stranger Things without this operatic, synth-filled masterpiece.
However, it was not a given that Netflix would acquire the rights to the song. This is because of the tricky nature of synchronization (or sync) deals. Sync deals, which place music in different forms of media such as films and television, have gained more attention in the past few years thanks to the growth of video streaming services. Record labels and artists have turned their focus to television in the years past due to this boom, but no song or artist has ever seen this type of record-breaking success when it comes to getting a number one record.
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Sync deals are tedious and time-consuming. A lot of hard work goes on behind the scenes with legal gargle and negotiating. Tim Miles, a representative of Warner Brothers Music Group, comments on the process:
“And it took two years to really talk through with Kate and her team what this was going to be. This is probably the longest TV negotiation I have ever seen because they had to get it right. The song is obviously so powerful. They must have had some backups, but I’m sure this was their absolute favorite.”
Image Source: Louder
The excitement for “Running Up That Hill” has led many to explore Bush’s entire expansive catalog. This is the second time in the last few years that attention had been brought to Bush’s other hit “Wuthering Heights,” which gained popularity on TikTok in the summer of 2020. Tom Gallacher, another representative of Warner Bros., was delighted to have discovered Kate’s full body of work:
“So people have been going and exploring the rest, which is great. And we are working with DSPs [Digital Service Providers], the likes of Amazon, Apple and Spotify, to encourage their editorial teams to promote curated playlists spanning Kate’s incredible wider catalog. Kate is always very careful with what she does, and she takes time to look after her catalog and wants to make sure that it is presented in the right away.”
At the end of the day, it seems Bush cannot be happier with how her song and rekindled fame have progressed. In a statement Bush made in June about the fourth season of Stranger Things, she says, “It features the song, ‘Running Up That Hill’ which is being given a whole new lease of life by the young fans who love the show - I love it too!”
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