MovieChat Forums > Kate Bush Discussion > Never broke America

Never broke America

posted 6 years ago by NotoriousRio (12927)
31 replies | jump to latest

Probably the brightest UK pop star never to break America (her only top 40 single in the US was Running up that hill reaching no.30) which was odd as Kate often made pop videos for the MTV generation and had active singles and albums whilst the second British invasion was going on.

I'm sure if she had toured the US, she'd soon pick up fans but unfortunately Kate didn’t tour for 35 years after her first stab at touring in the late seventies.

MTV can't have aired her videos enough, which is a shame - Americans of my generation don't know what they missed!

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[–] Indiscipline (708) 6 years ago

Yeah, I know "Running Up That Hill" and the duet on the Peter Gabriel album. I've been meaning to dig deeper.

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[–] NotoriousRio (12927) 6 years ago

Games Without Frontiers? She also did a beautiful duet with him called Don't Give Up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjEq-r2agqc

The Whole Story is a good place to start if you’re unfamiliar with her, it’s a best of album up to and including tracks from the Hounds of Love LP.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHvAQ15I0mA&list=PLr3kKIg1TWmqhp0AYgb080eJ0-Lg5yZeH

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[–] Satan2016 (23540) 2 years ago

MTV is shit! Much/CITY in Canada played her videos regularly. Better FM stations play her music too.

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[–] BourbonKing (5649) 2 years ago

I never saw her in the same vein as Madonna, Lauper, Benatar, or even Amy Grant who all made an impact on 80s American pop music, but that's fine with me. Kate's music is more reflective and cerebral and not geared for dancing or dance club culture which was a big component of 80s pop music

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[–] Cognoscente (2471) a year ago

Even Enya fared better in the States.

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[–] BourbonKing (5649) 6 months ago

Enya actively promoted her music via touring internationally. Kate didn't.

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[–] NotoriousRio (12927) 2 years ago

Ha! I posted this four years ago, strange things happened and Kate had a global worldwide hit! 👑

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[–] sslssg (28267) 2 years ago

Strange things indeed.

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[–] NotoriousRio (12927) 2 years ago

Metallica had a hit too thanks to Stranger Things, I’m sure plenty of 80’s artists will now have their fingers crossed waiting for season 5.

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[–] sslssg (28267) 2 years ago

I thought it was strange (pun not intended) that the song was still so unknown. Placebo's cover was used in a few of the 00s tv shows. I think it was in the OC, and I also remember it in the Vampire Diaries, as well as at least one other, and I think it charted at that time.

I do think it's great when older songs get a resurgence from a movie or tv show.

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[–] NotoriousRio (12927) 2 years ago

I think it was an odd choice too considering it was only a minor hit in the States, and I doubt the Duffer brothers were that much aware of Kate Bush when growing up, they were born in 1984.

Great use of the song in the show though.

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[–] Boricanator (1375) 2 years ago

There is a rumor that Winona Ryder suggested including “Running up that hill” in the show. She was a fan of the song when she was young.

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[–] NotoriousRio (12927) 2 years ago

One more reason to love Winona!

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[–] AndyKing1967 (34249) 2 years ago

Where’ve you been? We’ve missed ya!

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[–] NotoriousRio (12927) 2 years ago

I never left, I've been stuck in an infinite loop all this time!

DON'T POST HERE: https://moviechat.org/nm2239845/Eric-Adams/61fd6a7b1d65325dbadbc985/Echo

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[–] AndyKing1967 (34249) 2 years ago

We were worried.

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[–] NotoriousRio (12927) 2 years ago

Don't do it!

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[–] AndyKing1967 (34249) 2 years ago

You missed ‘Towel Day’.

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[–] NotoriousRio (12927) 2 years ago

Is that a Douglas Adams thing?

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[–] AndyKing1967 (34249) 2 years ago

It is, lol.

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[–] NotoriousRio (12927) 2 years ago

I was listening to this the other day:
https://youtu.be/hTXOW_jJdKE

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[–] AndyKing1967 (34249) 2 years ago

I have the 7”, lol.

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[–] NotoriousRio (12927) 2 years ago

LOL

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[–] lordbishop34 (1442) 2 years ago

I talked to my wife about this, we were like we dont remember the song from the 80s at all. I watched the old video of it thinking it would jog a memory but it didn't.

However the song she did with Peter Gabriel I do remember, but she never registered as anything than just a female singer he used for the song.

So I kind if of questioned the character knowing and obsessing's over that song.

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[–] NotoriousRio (12927) 2 years ago

It got to number 30 in 1985, so a kid like Max into her pop music would have known it I guess, but to give a comparison, it would be like a British show using Escape Club songs in their 80’s drama. Escape Club had a major US number one in the 80’s but failed to hit the top 40 in their homeland. (UK)

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[–] Sparky (2344) 2 years ago

I always liked "This Woman's Work"

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[–] NotoriousRio (12927) 2 years ago

If she ever releases a new Greatest Hits compilation, that would be the perfect title.

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[–] Mustang (5254) a year ago

She was probably too British and artsy for America. She seems to be making up for it now anyway.

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[–] Anotherday (7222) 9 months ago

I don't think we missed much. The music is fine, but I listened to some of it after I kept seeing her face on moviechat (I only watched season 1 of stranger things so I didn't realize running up that hill was made popular by the series). Honestly, I don't care for what I heard as it doesn't resonate with me. It just comes off as bland. Others here will disagree as they love her stuff. There's nothing wrong with them liking it. She's just didn't have music I care for. It's certainly better that the pop crap we got after 95.

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[–] quartz (379) 6 months ago

that's because it was an uphill struggle for her

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