Known as a song that would save you from Vecna, Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)”, first released in 1985, became a hit this past summer. Surging to the top of the charts, the song was Number 1 on Billboard’s Top TV Songs chart in June.
However, that was not the only old song that resurfaced this summer. This prompts the question: Why is old music suddenly becoming popular again?
Old music has a certain nostalgic feel to it. Senior Allyson Lineburg articulated why she enjoys listening to music of a different generation. “I listen to the ‘80s when I want to relax or calm down because it puts me in a happy mood,” she explained. “I also really like the vibe of ‘Stranger Things’ because it gives you an idea on what that era looked like”. The music of the ’80s and ’90s has a special grip on current pop culture because of how much it interests today’s teenagers.
Not only are songs gaining popularity due to their emotional hold and unfamiliar, upbeat rhythms, they are also being promoted through social media platforms.
The latest season of Netflix show “Stranger Things” is set in the 1980s, and uses “Running Up That Hill” in its most climactic scene. Being one of the most streamed series on Netflix, with over one billion hours of viewing, its large audience consists mainly of teens.
Khushi Mehta is a senior who enjoyed the new season of “Stranger Things”. “Whenever I hear that song [‘Running Up That Hill’] I immediately think of ‘Stranger Things’”, she said. “I hadn’t really heard the song before the new season came out, and it was new to me, which is why I think I’ll always associate it with that show”. Music can go beyond just shows, they create associations and influences for the listeners.
Today’s shows and movies have substantial effects on the popularity of certain songs. Even those who typically do not stay up-to-date with shows can still view clips of such media via platforms like TikTok.
TikTok reaches a large audience in over a hundred countries, over a broad range of ages, and is one of the most popular social media apps in the United States alone. Anything popular nowadays is posted about on TikTok.
Many users rely on the platform to provide ideas for new trends, and as Mehta explains, social media has a bigger impact than many people believe. “ [‘Running Up That Hill’]’s popularity on social media, especially TikTok, also encouraged me to listen to it because I was already starting to hear it everywhere”.
For the basic TikTok user, their For You Page’s were swarmed with edits of characters from “Stranger Things”, with the sounds of the ’80s roaring in the background. Many trends were created as well: memes about the main characters, a list of songs that could save them from Vecna, and even dressing up in vintage apparel.
TikTok’s hold on its community goes beyond just sitting and scrolling through thousands of videos per day. It influences people to begin or follow trends and bring to life characters from television and movies. And this past summer, that is exactly what happened.
By idolizing the ‘80s, the music was resurrected. Subsequently, viewers across the globe began feeling as if they were ‘born in the wrong generation’.
Now the question is: What does this mean for today’s music industry?
