"I have to admit I feel really moved by it all. Thank you so very much for making the song a No. 1 in such an unexpected way."
For a few lucky tracks, a hit movie or TV series can bring the resurgence of a decades-old song. Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” is breaking records and has re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 after being featured in Netflix’s “Stranger Things.” As of now, the track stands at No. 8 which is 22 spots higher than it had originally peaked back in 1985.
“Running Up That Hill” has become an integral part of season four of “Stranger Things” and its usage has re-introduced the fever-pop track to a whole new generation. However, this isn’t the first time a popular movie or TV show brought about the revival of an older song.
Here are some songs that have made it back onto the Billboard top 100 after being reintroduced to the general public after TV or movie usage.
The Beatles, Twist and Shout — Ferris Bueller’s Day Off / Back to School
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The Beatles cover of “Twist and Shout” reached No. 2 in the Hot 100 upon its release in 1964 and re-entered the charts after it was revived in two separate movies in 1986 — “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “Back to School.” Its dual feature landed the track back onto the charts where it hit No. 23.
Ben E. King, Stand by Me — Stand by Me
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“Stand by Me” was Ben E. King’s 1961 R&B stable peaked at No. 4 the same year as its release and returned to the top 10 in 1986 and reached No. 9 after the Rob Reiner-directed adaptation of Stephen King’s “The Body”, which became “Stand by Me” in cinemas — borrowing once again from Ben E. King for its title.
Louis Armstrong, What a Wonderful World — Good Morning, Vietnam
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Upon its original release, Louis Armstrong’s now classic ballad was not an immediate hit. It never reached the Hot 100 back in 1967, but made the charts for the first time in 1987 at No. 32 after being featured in Robin William’s “Good Morning, Vietnam.”
The Contours, Do You Love Me — Dirty Dancing
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The Contour’s “Do You Love Me” originally topped charts at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 upon its release in 1962. The song was again popularized after being featured on “Dirty Dancing” in 1987 and charted again at No. 11 upon the film’s debut.
The Righteous Brothers, Unchained Melody — Ghost
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This one ranked in the Hot 100 for the second time after being featured in Patrick Swayze and Demi Moore’s “Ghost” in 1990. “Unchained Melody” first hit the Hot 100 at No. 4 back in 1965. The song was re-released in two separate versions, the original which topped charts at No. 13 and a re-recorded version that hit No.19.
Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody — Wayne’s World / Bohemian Rhapsody
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Although “Bohemian Rhapsody” is now regarded as Queen’s signature hit song, at the time of its release in 1975, the track peaked at No. 9 on the Hot 100. After being featured in an iconic scene in “Wayne’s World,” the song found its resurgence and hit No, 2 on the charts in 1992.
The track once again found its way to the charts in 2018, re-charting at No. 33 thanks to its use in the Freddie Mercury biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody”.
N.W.A, Straight Outta Compton — Straight Outta Compton
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N.W.A’s “Straight Outta Compton” never hit the Hot 100, and its lyrics were far too explicit for radio stations to play upon its release in 1988. The song later hit charts at No. 38 thanks to the success of the band’s biopic of the same name back in 2015.
Nirvana, “Something in the Way” — The Batman
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Nirvana’s “Something in the Way” was never featured as a single, and therefore never hit Billboard’s Hot 100 list. The track later made it onto the charts earlier this year after being featured in the most recent adaptation of “The Batman” with Robert Pattinson and peaked at No. 46.
Kate Bush, “Running Up That Hill” — Stranger Things
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Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” returned to the Hot 100 at No. 8 after its heavy feature in this season of Netflix’s “Stranger Things.” After being featured in “Stranger Things,” the ’80s track has shot up to No.1 in the U.K. and Australia for the first time as well as entered the U.S. Top 5, per Billboard. “I have to admit I feel really moved by it all,” she wrote in a statement on her website. “Thank you so very much for making the song a No. 1 in such an unexpected way.”
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