The Billion-Stream Deal: 5 Shocking Ways 'Running Up That Hill' & Stranger Things Changed Music History

Few pop culture moments in recent memory have caused a commercial and artistic explosion quite like the inclusion of Kate Bush's 1985 synth-pop classic, "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)," in Stranger Things Season 4. As of December 2025, over two years after its debut in the pivotal "Dear Billy" episode, the song is no longer just a nostalgic 80s track; it is a global phenomenon that shattered streaming records, earned the famously reclusive artist millions, and gave the show's hero, Max Mayfield, one of the most iconic, emotionally resonant scenes in television history. This is the definitive, updated story of the song that saved Max's life and fundamentally changed the music industry's relationship with synch licensing.

The track's dramatic resurgence, which began in May 2022, was not a fluke but a perfect storm of brilliant music supervision, powerful character development, and a new generation’s discovery of a masterpiece. The impact was immediate and long-lasting, turning Kate Bush into a chart-topping artist for the first time in nearly four decades and cementing the song as the definitive anthem of Stranger Things.

Kate Bush: A Reclusive Icon's Profile and The Album That Defined Her Comeback

The story of "Running Up That Hill" is inseparable from the artist who created it, Catherine "Kate" Bush. Born on July 30, 1958, she is an English singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer known for her eclectic, theatrical, and highly artistic musical style. Bush is one of the most influential female artists in music history, yet she remains famously private and reclusive, having performed only one concert tour in her entire career back in 1979.

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Her fifth studio album, Hounds of Love, released in 1985 by EMI Records, is the source of the hit. The album is renowned for its innovative use of synthesizers and complex song structures. While the song initially reached No. 3 in the UK and No. 30 in the US upon its original release, its new life in the 2020s has dwarfed its original success.

In a rare update, Bush has recently been caught up in "archive work" but has expressed that she is "very keen to start working on a new album" and has "lots of ideas" she wants to pursue, suggesting that the renewed attention may have sparked a new creative chapter for the 66-year-old musician.

The Perfect Synch: How The Song's Original Meaning Aligned with Max Mayfield's Trauma

The emotional weight of the song in Stranger Things Season 4, Episode 4, "Dear Billy," is what catapulted it to global fame. Music Supervisor Nora Felder and Music Editor Lena Glikson were tasked by The Duffer Brothers to find a track that could literally save the life of Max Mayfield (played by Sadie Sink) as she falls under the curse of the villain Vecna.

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Felder chose the track because it perfectly resonated with Max’s emotional pain and the feeling of being isolated and hunted. Kate Bush, a fan of the Netflix show, personally granted the rare permission for the song’s use, a crucial step given her strict control over her catalogue.

The song's original meaning, as explained by Kate Bush herself, is about a man and a woman who want to "make a deal with God" to swap places so they can truly understand each other’s perspectives and resolve their differences. The key lyric—"And if I only could, I'd make a deal with God, and I'd get him to swap our places"—is a stunning parallel to Max's situation. Max is battling her own trauma, grief over her stepbrother Billy Hargrove, and the supernatural threat of Vecna, who preys on emotional wounds. The music becomes her lifeline, her "deal with God," a powerful psychological anchor that allows her to break free from Vecna's grasp and run back to her friends.

The Record-Shattering Impact: 1.5 Billion Streams and Millions in Royalties

The commercial success of "Running Up That Hill" is arguably the most staggering aspect of its revival. It is a powerful case study in the value of music synchronization in the modern streaming era, proving that a 37-year-old song can become the biggest track in the world. The statistics are nothing short of historic:

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• The Billion-Stream Club: The song officially surpassed the 1 billion streams mark on Spotify, a milestone Kate Bush publicly celebrated. As of the latest data, the song is well over 1.52 billion streams on the platform, making it her most-streamed track by a massive margin.
• Chart Records Broken: The song reached No. 1 in eight countries, including the UK, giving Bush her first UK chart-topper since her debut single "Wuthering Heights" in 1978. It also broke the Guinness World Record for the longest time taken for a song to reach No. 1 on the UK Official Singles Chart (36 years and 310 days).
• US Top 10 Debut: It soared to No. 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100, marking Kate Bush’s first-ever US Top 10 hit, a feat that eluded the song in 1985.
• The Royalty Windfall: Because Kate Bush owns the copyright to her music—a luxury few artists, like Taylor Swift, enjoy—she earned the vast majority of the song's royalties. Reports indicate she earned approximately £1.9 million (around USD$2.3 million) in royalties within the first few months alone. This immense earning potential highlights the financial power of artist ownership in the streaming landscape.
• Streaming Boost: The song's streams initially skyrocketed by over 9,000% immediately following the *Stranger Things* Season 4 premiere.

The song's continued presence in the music charts and streaming lists, even two years later, demonstrates the lasting cultural impact of the Max Mayfield storyline and the perfect synergy between a timeless song and a critically acclaimed television series.

The Legacy: A New Generation and The Future of Synch Licensing

The success of "Running Up That Hill" serves as a powerful blueprint for the future of music licensing. It proved that a high-profile "synch" (synchronization) placement can not only revive a classic but turn it into a modern megahit, exposing the artistry of the Hounds of Love era to a completely new, younger audience who may have previously only known artists like The Weeknd or Harry Styles.

The track's revival created a cultural moment where the original music video was viewed millions of times, and the song became a massive trend on platforms like TikTok. This cross-platform success has made music supervisors like Nora Felder and The Duffer Brothers even more influential figures in the music industry.

With the song confirmed to return in *Stranger Things* Season 5, the final chapter of the series is set to once again leverage the emotional power of Max's anthem. The story of "Running Up That Hill" is a testament to the enduring power of great art: a deal with God that resulted in a billion-stream miracle.