“I have to admit, it all really got to me. Thank you so much for making the song a No. 1 in such an unexpected way.”
For a few lucky tunes, 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 re-entering the Billboard Hot 100 after being featured on Netflix’s ‘Stranger Things’. Currently, the track sits at No. 8, 22 points higher than it originally peaked in 1985.
“Running Up That Hill” became an integral part of “Stranger Things” season four, and its use reintroduced the fever-pop track to a whole new generation. However, this isn’t the first time a popular movie or TV show has revived an older song.
Here are some songs that returned to the Billboard top 100 after being reintroduced to mainstream audiences after use in television or film.
The Beatles, Twist and Shout – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off / Back to School
The Beatles’ cover of “Twist and Shout” reached No. 2 on the Hot 100 when it was released in 1964 and re-entered the charts after being revived in two separate films in 1986 – “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “Back to School.” Its dual feature brought the track back to the charts where it reached #23.
Ben E. King, Stand by Me — Stand by Me
“Stand by Me” was Ben E. King’s 1961 R&B stable that peaked at No. 4 the same year it was released and returned to the top 10 in 1986 and hit No. 9 after the adaptation directed by Rob Reiner of Stephen King’s “The Body”. ‘, which became ‘Stand by Me’ in theaters – once again borrowing from Ben E. King for its title.
Louis Armstrong, What a Wonderful World – Hello, Vietnam
When originally released, Louis Armstrong’s now-classic ballad was not an immediate hit. It never reached the Hot 100 in 1967, but first made the charts in 1987 at No. 32 after being featured in Robin William’s “Good Morning, Vietnam.”
Outlines, Do You Love Me — Dirty Dancing
“Do You Love Me” by The Contour originally topped the charts at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 when it was released in 1962. The song was popularized again after being featured on “Dirty Dancing” in 1987 and again ranked at No. 11 on the film’s debut.
The Righteous Brothers, Unchained Melody – Ghost
This one charted on 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 in 1965 The song was re-released in two separate versions, the original which topped the charts at No. 13 and a re-recorded version which reached No. 19.
Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody — Wayne’s World / Bohemian Rhapsody
Although “Bohemian Rhapsody” is now considered Queen’s 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 from “Wayne’s World “, the song found its resurgence and reached number two on the charts in 1992.
The track regained its place on the charts again in 2018, once again charting at No. 33 thanks to its use in the Freddie Mercury biopic “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
NWA, straight out of Compton — straight out of Compton
NWA’s “Straight Outta Compton” never reached the Hot 100, and its lyrics were far too explicit for radio stations to play when it was released in 1988. The song later hit the charts at No. 38 thanks to to the success of the group’s biopic of the same name in 2015.
Nirvana, “Something in the Way” – The Batman
Nirvana’s “Something in the Way” was never featured as a single and therefore never made Billboard’s Hot 100 list. The track then hit the charts earlier this year after being featured in the latest adaptation of “The Batman” starring Robert Pattinson and peaked at No. 46.
Kate Bush, “Running Up That Hill” – Stranger Things
Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” returned to the Hot 100 at No. 8 after its feature in this season of Netflix’s “Stranger Things.” After being featured in “Stranger Things”, the 80s track soared to number one in the UK and Australia for the first time and entered the US Top 5, per Billboard. “I have to admit that all of this really touches me,” she wrote in a statement posted on her website. “Thank you so much for making the song a No. 1 in such an unexpected way.”
