We know how popular the resurgence of Running Up That Hill was just two years ago when a similar effect took place for a song that featured heavily in the fourth season of the Netflix series Stranger Things. It propelled the song to the top of the charts for the first time and gave Kate Bush only her second ever UK #1 single.

 

Fast forward two years and we are seeing Sophie Ellis-Bextor enjoy revival success with her signature single Murder On The Dancefloor, originally from 2001, and not only impacting UK charts but also the Billboard Hot 100 too. It has never been a UK #1 single though, unlike the previous example, but will its impact and overall success be measured more favourably over time than any other song in recent history to get a revival?

I dunno, I'm not seeing anything that even puts it on the same conversation as "Running Up That Hill", just a far bigger splash in general and could even be argued that it was a catalyst to changing OCC chart rules. "Murder On The Dancefloor" doesn't even look like it's the biggest 2000s throwback to come back in January 2024, "Unwritten" has a pretty substantial lead over it on global Spotify now and could wind up sticking the landing better by the end of the year.

still think the impact of Running up that Hill was bigger

I think it's a close one. Kate Bush probably edges it just because it did actually go to #1 and because of the controversy surrounding the reset.

I don't think Sophie's catalogue has benefitted from it at all. So perhaps not although impact is difficult to define.

Aside from when I actually watched Saltburn, I haven't heard Murder on the Dancefloor anywhere, but Running up That Hill was all over the place. Far more significant impact for Kate.

The song was performed at the BAFTA awards this week and will likely also have a performance at the Brit Awards in a couple of weeks time, it’s definitely got the exposure and it does feel more like it is going to have a longer lasting legacy in terms of longevity in the modern listener’s memory. You’d also have to argue it’s much more likely to appeal to new younger audiences who didn’t know about it 20+ years ago.

 

 

Also a recent performance on American talk show host Jimmy Fallon’s show last week;

 

It has never been a UK #1 single though, unlike the previous example, but will its impact and overall success be measured more favourably over time than any other song in recent history to get a revival?

 

For me it was (Is This the Way to) Amarillo, which sold over 1 million copies in 2005.

Definitely Kate Bush, that song was everywhere - although probably helped with Stranger Things being much bigger than Saltburn. It performed much better internationally too.

Aside from when I actually watched Saltburn, I haven't heard Murder on the Dancefloor anywhere, but Running up That Hill was all over the place. Far more significant impact for Kate.

 

I definitely have! Literally everywhere. I even overheard people talking about the song and its use in Saltburn on the tube when it was starting to blow up in the new year.

 

Having said that, I do feel 'Running...'s impact was quite a bit greater.

I think Kate does edge it but Sophie has taken full advantage of it more which I think she was right to do.

Sophie's taken more advantage of it and performed at BAFTA, tv shows

of course Kate Bush didn't do anything like that

but that doesn't mean the impact what smaller, rather the other way around

Here's an interesting question, I remember how huge 'Murder On the Dancefloor' was the first time around but is it fair to say it's been even bigger this time?

Running Up That Hill was definitely bigger, didn't it manage close to a million streams a day on Spotify? That's enormous for something that wasn't a huge comeback single by a hyped artist and is close to double what Sophie achieved (albeit Sophie's achievement is still brilliant)

 

 

As for the newer question - yep I do think MOTD will have had a bigger impact this time around than back when it was first released. I love that it will have cemented itself as an all time classic. In fact, my favourite thing about both successes is that RUTH and MOTD are both just brilliant songs that never quite originally had the sales they deserved

Here's an interesting question, I remember how huge 'Murder On the Dancefloor' was the first time around but is it fair to say it's been even bigger this time?

Definitely feels like the emphasis is on the song this time rather than Sophie, with the album benefitting loads first time around. Great for MOTD although it is a shame none of her other tracks/albums have seen a noticeable benefit/viral surge.

Definitely feels like the emphasis is on the song this time rather than Sophie, with the album benefitting loads first time around. Great for MOTD although it is a shame none of her other tracks/albums have seen a noticeable benefit/viral surge.

 

I was watching some of her more obscure videos on YouTube (Catch You, Me and My Imagination, I Won’t Change You) and was reading the comments. Great to see a lot of people discover them for the first time and loving them.

I think Kate having a bigger overall presence and chart tenure and numerous critically acclaimed albums over a longer period of time from 1978 and throughout the 80s gives her a gravitas and more enduring legacy that Sophie doesn't have. Sophie really only had a 2 year era from Spiller's guest vocals (she wasn't even credited on that) to MOTD and a few follow up hits between 2000 to 2002. That's nothing in legacy terms.

 

It's probably too soon to ask how Sophie can follow up on this. Maybe it will spur a resurgence.

Kate Bush also impacted the US billboard chart, it improved on its original #30 peak going to #3.

 

Kate's was definitely bigger and more impactful Sophie has just been very smart in jumping on the bandwagon and taking advantage of it which Kate was simply not interested in doing.

 

Both still amazing achievements though.

Sophie entered the US chart too (she'd never charted with anything there before but got to #51 now).

 

That said, I'm not sure by what possible metric you could say that the Sophie revival has been more impactful than Kate's, obviously both very impressive but the latter is clearly leagues ahead.

Kate Bush also impacted the US billboard chart, it improved on its original #30 peak going to #3.

 

That was huge. Kate Bush always seemed to underperform in the US as she was seen as too eccentric for that market (not touring wouldn't have helped either) RUTH did really well on radio too there this time.