I was suprised when I first time heard about this in 2022. But when you think about it it's not that suprising.
I don't know why no one here talk about it or maybe I can't find it.

I wanted to talk about this song but in the middle of writing I hit many other things.
This topic is not only about this. That's why is in Lounge.

"Running Up That Hill" reached No. 3 when it was originally released in 1985.
And after 37 years it reached No. 1 in 2022. Thanks to the "Stranger Things" Season 4 but not only.

It's first time in history that something like this happen.
I thought that something like this will be impossible. But there is special phenomena and timing behind it. More about it later.

Is there was any similar cases like this? When after many years song reached No. 1 Chart?
Or was in the chart and after years back again?

I was suprised because series "Stranger Things" isn't anything super big or special.
It is Sci-fi horror or kids with super powers series like many others. For example "Power Rangers (1993)", "Roswell (1999)", "Charmed (1998)", "Dark Angel (2000)", "Heroes (2006)", "Mutant X (2001)", "The 4400 (2004)", "Goosebumps (1995)", "Twin Peaks (1990)" or even movies like "X-Men (2000)" or games like "F.E.A.R. (2004)", "SCP: Containment Breach (2012)".

With those 2 games is funny situation because "Stranger Things" is not inspired by them it looks exactly like those 2 games mixed together. SCP + F.E.A.R. + 80s = Stranger Things

I liked the most just regular parts in this series. I waited until all those monsters gone and there will be showed just regular life.
I think industry missing content like this nowadays. In the past there was series like "The Six Bullerby Children", "Beverly Hills: 90210 (1990)", "Dawson's Creek (1998)", "My So-Called Life (1994)".
Now kids have "Stranger Things" which partially fills this gap.

So I think the big role of success behind it is Netflix which promoted this series so much.
It is very big and powerful platform.
But the biggest part behind it was that since around 2013 something happen and all the world go crazy about nostalgia around 80s. It was pushing more and more. All this hype about Retrofuturism. Cyberpunk. Synthwave. Neons. Synth pop. VHS. Casettes. And 80s nostalgia. It is still pushing forward!

Using this song in "Stranger Things" was a perfect timing. And you see the result.

 

Netflix’s smash hit Stranger Things was the most-streamed program of 2022, according to ratings firm Nielsen. Stranger Things had a 36 percent margin over the second most-streamed title, NCIS.

 

Last Christmas for example. Released in 1984, reached no. 1 in 2023.
Pet Shop Boys' Opportunities was released in 1985 (re-released in 1986), and reached no. 1 of the Billboard Digital Dance Charts in 2021.
Killing in the Name by Rage Against the Machine reached no. 1 in 2009 after being released in 1993.

And there are still many more examples. This isn't that uncommon as the charts reflect only the sales.

 

Last edited: Feb 5, 2024

It wasn't anything super big in the context of originality or the story. As I mention other examples.
It was "big" only because Netflix platform have enormous ranges and promotion posibilites.
And just promote own series on the own platform.
Netflix blew it up and make it famous but this series isn't anything groundbreaking, original or special.

For example. The X-Files. This one in my opinion was something big in the 90s.

 

But our pov always depends a bit on the age we are and the age of the audience the show is aimed at. I suppose Stranger Things is more for teens, whereas the X-files was aimed at adults.
I agree though, the story in Stranger Things is very thin.

 

Stranger Things is fabulous nostalgia. If you were young(ish) in the 80s it's a blast. And the cast is terrific.

 

Well, everything comes from something. The X-Files = mash up of The Twilight Zone, Outer Limits and the monster and pulp mags & shows of the 60s.

Stranger Things = mash up of E.T., The Thing, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and the 80s 'kids go on a scary adventure' sub-genre.

Ultimately, these shows rehash an older demographic's 'youth culture'. Just so happens to be the youth culture of those who are in their early-mid 40s at the moment, because they're the largest group among those who watch TV. Like how indie games used to mimic 8 bit looks, then 16 bit looks and now PS1 and N64 looks.

 

Kate Bush is super talented, a young 2022 TV audience wouldn't have known what hit them

 

She was ahead of it's time.

For me this one is more like 90s but was released in 70s

 

The irony is everyone craps themselves over Hounds of Love and I honestly think it's her weakest album.

 

Producer Andrew Powell said the vocal performance was done in one take, “a complete performance” with no overdubs. “There was no compiling,”

https://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs...now-about-kate-bushs-wuthering-heights-766195

 

What a feeling! 80s Vibes are amazing. And this fenomena is gonna happen more and more. RE-visiting the good music from the past, cos the present is just too repetitive. Which part of the music is just a fashionable marketing thing, and what will persist over time (art)? Are that 75 years of copyright enough on all cases? I share this cover of Placebo.

 

And this shows again that there are two+ opinions possible and all are perfectly true -> Everything depends on multiple factors -> and there are no simple solutions to complex questions.

For me Stranger Things is just fantasy., I'm ~20 years older so the seventies were my time ... I was brought up and educated as a nature scientist. Only facts mattered most of my life. That's why I love science fiction and find fantasy just childish.
But if you don't call me out, I'll admit that I like to read fantasy from time to time though I find myself childish when I do so.

 

Last edited: Feb 6, 2024

True. But it was the only title I could stand back then. Otherwise, her voice gave me headaches.
I really tried to like her singing but it didn't work.

 

The thing about the 80's (in Western Europe) was its variety.
Every couple weeks, there was some fantastic songs and groups coming up.
During the 90's the establishment took back control, wasn't the same.
Salut!

 

Nowadays there is no music.
There is only 808 bass, clap, hi-hat, gibberish rap (bitch, money, pussy, crazy, yeah) and half naked "ladies" with fake boobs, butts, lips, eyebrows, eyelashes, nails and who knows what else.

And what's going on in edm music?
Also not good.

Since Buray Yeter and others, Everything sounds like them. Everything sounds the same.

The worst part is that "producers" nowadays remake older electronic music and make them same repetitive as everything else.
I hate this. Why you can't create something yours instead of ruining good songs?
This is not making covers this is just literally ruining nice songs.
What is the sense of remaking >15 years ELECTRONIC MUSIC tracks.
From nice diversity and variety of electronic music they took a track and make it the same like thousands of others.
But yeah. Easy job, easy money.

Regular covers are great. For example: "No Doubt - It's My Life (2003)" is a cover of "Talk Talk - It's My Life (1984)".
It's completly different style, male vocalist in original and female in cover. Like two different songs. Freshness of synths and modernity.
Or "Tiga - Sunglasses At Night (2001)" is a cover of "Corey Hart - Sunglasses At Night (1984)". Just a fresh version. Tiga just make a version which is modern and didn't sounds like from Terminator soundtrack. You know what I mean? Covers are great, not everyone likes them but I like them and I think they great. But what is happening now is fuckin bullshit! I hate what those fuckers do with older nice songs nowadays!
But yeah it's much easier just take old hit song, put midi into ready preset, they had the whole project template! And just use same drum samples, rack and master settings for every song. Just grab lead and bass midi and put into Nexus, add kick and next hit is ready. Easy money!
I hate those fuckers! Big dildo in your anus bullshit broducers for ruining nice tracks from the past!

For example:
Ruined Kylie Minogue song from early 2000. What the sense of doing it?

Ruined Trance song from 1999 "PPK - Resurrection"

Everything sounds the same. Same kick and bunch of presets. Everything is like from Burak Yeter or Alan Walker. Isn't?

 

Ya ain't wrong. I don't think. I didn't read the post, I kinda skimmed it, so if you are wrong I'll have to edit.

 

You triggered me

My 14 years old daughter listen to Depeche Mode, Clan of Xymox, Diary of dreams, Dead can dance, IAMX ... thanks to me.
And Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath ... thanks to Marvel films

Next step :
Dream Theater, Iron Maiden, Sepultura ...

But frankly i hear some nice recent tunes from her taste.
She seems to avoid poor content better, because she is less flooded by social media than most teenagers.

 

Last edited: Feb 6, 2024