Kate Bush might have run her U.K. chart race to perfection, with a little push from Stranger Things.
The English icon’s 1985 hit “Running Up That Hill” returned to the U.K. singles chart last Friday (June 3) at No. 8, fired up by its inclusion in the Netflix series.
Now, based on sales and streaming activity from the first 48 hours in the chart week, “Running” sprints to No. 2, and is chasing Harry Styles’ long-standing leader “As It Was” for the crown.
If “Running” wins the tussle, Bush will have a second career No. 1 following her debut “Wuthering Heights,” which topped the chart in 1978.
Should Styles hold on, his Harry’s House hit will have logged 10 consecutive weeks at the summit.
“Running Up That Hill” peaked at No. 3 following its releases in 1985, and had a resurgence in 2012 thanks to a new cut that featured during the closing ceremony of the London Olympic Games. The Games powered the song to a No. 8 return.
Another legendary British act could stage a return to the top tier, for altogether different reasons. Sex Pistols‘ vinyl re-issue of “God Save The Queen” could launch the track into the Top 5 for the first time in 43 years. Timed to coincide with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations, “God Save The Queen” is at No. 5 on the First Look chart, which ranks singles from the weekend’s music consumption across the U.K.
Another act riding a high thanks to the Queen’s special anniversary is Sam Ryder, who performed his Eurovision entry “Space Man” at the Platinum Party at the Palace. The track, which finished No. 2 at Eurovision behind the popular winning song “Stefania” by Kalush Orchestra, could return to the U.K. Top 10 at No. 9.
This week’s highest new entry could belong to Post Malone, with “I Like You (A Happier Song).” Lifted from Posty’s new album Twelve Carat Toothache, “I Like You” starts at No. 19 on the chart blast.
The Official U.K. Singles Chart is presented late Friday.
