Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights.
Fans of Netflix's Stranger Things have been waiting years for the science fiction show to conclude, and the series is quickly approaching its end. The first installment of episodes premiered on November 26, and the last stories will be told before 2026 rolls around.
Stranger Things will leave behind an incredible legacy, one which includes helping to push science fiction back into mainstream consciousness, turning actors like David Harbour and Millie Bobby Brown into superstars, and playing a major role in Netflix changing the entertainment industry for good.
The show is also regarded as important in the music industry, as its soundtracks have performed incredibly well and received multiple prestigious honors, even turning decades-old tunes into hits -- some for the first time, some for another run. The most famous instance took place years ago, when Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)" became a smash in the United States decades after its initial release, thanks to a sync in Stranger Things. As the series nears its finale, Bush sees her career-defining single return to a bevy of Billboard charts - and almost find its way back to No. 1.
The return of Stranger Things seems to have had a positive effect on "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)," as sales more than doubled from one week to the next around the same time that the program mounted its highly anticipated comeback. Luminate reports that in the most recent tracking frame, which is reflected on the current Billboard tallies, Bush's smash sold just under 1,200 copies. That is up 108% from the period prior, when it sold a little less than 600 digital units throughout the U.S.
Purchases are largely to thank for "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)" becoming a smash again on the Billboard rankings. Bush almost reconquers the Alternative Digital Song Sales list, where her hit performs the best at the moment. Only "End of Beginning" by musician Djo -- real name Joe Keery, who is one of the stars of Stranger Things -- beats "Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)." "End of Beginning" reappears on the Alternative Digital Song Sales tally at No. 1, blocking Bush from scoring a lucky thirteenth frame running the show.
"Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)" surges into the top 10 on three other Billboard lists that it appeared on last week. In addition to the Alternative Digital Song Sales chart, the cut breaks back into the upper register on the Hot Rock Songs tally, where it comes in at No. 7, and both the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs and Hot Alternative Songs rosters, as "Running Up That Hill (ADeal with God)" inches to No. 8.
A more than 100% increase in purchases helps "Running Up That Hill (ADeal with God)" return to half a dozen Billboard-published lists, and not only in the United States. The tune breaks back onto both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S., but performs significantly better on U.S.-based rosters.
"Running Up That Hill (ADeal with God)" finds its way to all of the following American charts this week:
At the moment, "Running Up That Hill (ADeal with God)" appears on 10 Billboard charts. In the past, when Stranger Things first returned the tune to public consciousness, the single reached No. 1 on each and every roster on which it currently lands.
Bush's classic has thus far spent the most time on the Alternative Digital Song Sales chart, as it is up to 47 terms as one of the bestselling alternative tunes in the nation. The hit has racked up at least 20 weeks on each and every list.