Kate Bush’s 1985 hit single Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) has been named the UK’s Official Song of the Summer 2022.
According to the Official Charts Company, the track – which topped the charts this year following an appearance on series four of Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things’ – beats hits from Harry Styles, LF SYSTEM and Beyoncé for the title.
Based on streaming and sales data from around 9,000 UK physical and digital outlets, the single has shifted more than 762,000 chart units over the summer period – from the first week of June to the last week of August.
Having topped the charts in June, Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) broke several records in the process, including the longest time taken for a single to reach No. 1 on the countdown at 37 years.
More than three decades on, it’s earned the most streams of any song this summer at 86.6 million, and the most digital downloads with over 42,000.
Elsewhere, the longest-running No. 1 single of the year so far, Harry Styles’ As It Was, comes in second, with LF SYSTEM’s Afraid To Feel finishing in third place.
In a statement on her website, the pop legend reflected on the success of the track, writing: “The Duffer Brothers have created four extraordinary series of Stranger Things in which the child actors have grown into young adults. In this latest series the characters are facing many of the same challenges that exist in reality right now. I believe the Duffer Brothers have touched people’s hearts in a special way, at a time that’s incredibly difficult for everyone, especially younger people.
“By featuring Running Up That Hill in such a positive light – as a talisman for Max (one of the main female characters) – the song has been brought into the emotional arena of her story. Fear, conflict and the power of love are all around her and her friends.
“I salute the Duffer Brothers for their courage – taking this new series into a much more adult and darker place. I want to thank them so much for bringing the song into so many people’s lives.
“I’m overwhelmed by the scale of affection and support the song is receiving and it’s all happening really fast, as if it’s being driven along by a kind of elemental force.
“I have to admit I feel really moved by it all,” she concluded. “Thank you so very much for making the song a No 1 in such an unexpected way.”
Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) is available now on CD single.
