Kate Bush Facts: Her Rise, Collaborations with Prince and ‘Stranger Things’ Resurgence
Did you know she was discovered by a member of Pink Floyd and collaborated with Prince?
There’s no other musician quite like Kate Bush. The British singer-songwriter has been a heroine to artsy girls everywhere for over 40 years, and her songs like “Wuthering Heights” and “Running Up That Hill” have become enduring anthems thanks to her gorgeous vocals and signature mix of experimentation and catchiness.
Throughout her long career, Bush has been known as an enigma, and she hasn’t released an album since 2011—though in a rare recent interview, the musician revealed, “I’m very keen to start working on a new album . . . I’ve got lots of ideas and I’m really looking forward to getting back into that creative space, it’s been a long time.” While we don’t yet know when this album will be out, we’re excited to hear there may be new music on the horizon.
Just because Bush cultivates an aura of mystery and releases music sparingly doesn’t mean she’s out of the spotlight. Far from it, in fact—when her 1985 song “Running Up That Hill” was used in a 2022 episode of Stranger Things, it became her first-ever U.S. hit, peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 almost 40 years after it first came out.
Bush’s journey has been long and fascinating, and it’s heartening to know that a musician who was for many years considered a cult favorite in the U.S. is now more popular than ever, with a fanbase that spans multiple generations and tastes. Here are some facts you may not have known about the enchantingly creative musical icon.
Kate Bush was discovered by a member of Pink Floyd
Kate Bush was something of a musical prodigy, and was barely into her teen years when she began writing songs. Not long after she taught herself to play piano and write music, she recorded a demo tape, and after many record labels rejected it, a family friend who happened to know Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour passed it on to him and he helped her record a more polished demo, which ultimately led to the talented teen being signed by EMI.
She hadn’t read Wuthering Hits when she wrote her iconic song about it
In 1978, Bush had her first U.K. hit at 19 with “Wuthering Heights,” a song that perfectly showcased her soaring vocals and knack for dreamy imagery. The lyrics, of course, pay tribute to the classic 19th-century Emily Brontë novel, but surprisingly, Bush admitted she hadn’t read the book when she wrote the song, and had only seen the BBC TV movie adaptation.
She directed many of her own music videos
Bush’s artistry could be found not just in her music, but in her visuals. She did much of her choreography, and was known as the first artist to use a wireless headset microphone in concert, so that she could move freely while singing. She even directed many of her most famous music videos, giving her sound an enchantingly cohesive aesthetic.
Kate Bush collaborated with Prince
Kate Bush and Prince shared a mutual admiration, and in 1993 they collaborated on a song, “Why Should I Love You?,” which appeared on her album The Red Shoes, and in 1996, she appeared on a Prince album, Emancipation, with their song “My Computer,” and their duets show that the two musical masters were kindred spirits.
Elton John said she “saved his life”
In 2014, none other than Elton John revealed that the 1986 Kate Bush/Peter Gabriel duet “Don’t Give Up” helped him finally overcome addiction. As he said, “This was one record that saved my life. That record helped me get sober . . . she played a big part in my rebirth. That record helped me so much. I never told her that but it did.’
Kate Bush has inspired rappers, punks and pop stars
The list of artists who’ve been inspired by Bush could fill an entire book. The rapper Big Boi of OutKast cited her as a major influence, and inducted her into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols is known to be a fan, as is Kirk Hammett of Metallica. Divas like Adele have also spoken about how she inspired them. Clearly, Bush’s music has captivated a diverse array of artists.
She called her Stranger Things resurgence ‘extraordinary’
As you already know, Kate Bush came back in a big way when her 1985 song “Running Up That Hill” was used in a 2022 episode of Stranger Things. Bush called the song’s comeback, “just extraordinary . . . quite shocking really, isn’t it?” and said, “The whole world’s gone mad . . . It’s such a great series, I thought that the track would get some attention. But I just never imagined that it would be anything like this.”
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