Kate Bush’s Official Top 20 Most Downloaded Songs Revealed

They’re the live shows no Kate Bush fan thought would ever happen, and few even dared to dream about. Since she announced her run of Before The Dawn shows in March 2014, Kate Bush fever has swept the nation, with tickets for the 22 nights becoming the most sought-after event of the year. Kate began her sell-out gigs this Tuesday, an emotional moment for fans of the famously private star.

As fans are enthralled by her relatively hit-free setlist and show-stopping performance and Kate enjoys renewed success on the Official Albums Chart, we take a look at Kate’s hugest tracks to see which classic songs you’ve been downloading.

Will her early hits still have sales power in the digital age, or have Kate’s more modern releases overtaken the songs that made Kate a star?

1: Wuthering Heights (1978)

It’s only fitting that the song that started our love affair with Kate should come out on top. Kate’s debut single was based on the classic novel by Emily Bronte, a violent tale of unrequited love, jealousy and quite a lot of death.

Legend has it that Kate hadn’t even read the book when she wrote the song, but, unlike us in our English Literature exam, she got away with it. Kate was just 19 when she topped the Official Singles Chart with Wuthering Heights; it would stay firmly at the top for four weeks.

PEAK POSITION: 1

CHART FACT: Wuthering Heights knocked off none other than Abba’s Take A Chance On Me to claim the Official Singles Chart throne.

2: Running Up That Hill (1985)

The lead single from Kate’s fifth studio album, Hounds Of Love was her highest chart peak since Wuthering Heights, and gave her a fifth Top 10. Its parent album gave Kate her second Number 1 on the Official Albums Chart, spending three weeks at the top, knocking off Madonna’s Like A Virgin.

PEAK POSITION: Number 3. Interestingly, Kate has not charted higher than Number 3 since.

CHART FACT: A remix of Running Up That Hill was arranged for the 2012 Olympics closing ceremony, complete with new vocals. Upon release, this remix charted at Number 6, and is Kate’s most recent hit to date.

3: This Woman’s Work (1989)

Specially composed for John Hughes movie She’s Having A Baby, this haunting ballad gave Kate her 17th Top 40 hit. Thanks to its use in numerous TV programmes and movies since its original release, This Woman’s Work finds itself as Kate’s third most popular download. The song was included on Kate’s seventh Top 10 album The Sensual World.

PEAK POSITION: Number 25

CHART FACT: This Woman’s Work was covered by US R&B singer Maxwell, but landed just outside the Top 40 in the UK.

4: Don’t Give Up (1986)

Kate’s duet with former Genesis frontman Peter Gabriel was a sixth Top 10 hit for Kate, and Peter’s third solo Top 10. It's been said Dolly Parton was originally approached to record the song with Peter, but when she declined, it was Kate’s opportunity to make the song her own.

Peter and Kate went back a long way – Kate had provided backing vocals for Peter’s self-titled 1980 album. Lots of artists have covered the song, including Sinead O’Connor, Alicia Keys and Bono, but only Peter & Kate’s version has made the Top 40.

PEAK POSITION: Number 9

CHART FACT: Only one more Top 10 followed for Peter, 1993’s Steam. Don’t Give Up was Kate’s last Top 10 hit for 18 years, when King Of The Mountain broke the drought in 2005.

5: Babooshka (1980)

One of Kate’s catchiest and most famous songs is this tale of jealousy, betrayal and deception. Returning Kate to the Top 5, Babooshka tells the story of a wife who tests her husband’s loyalty by pretending to be a younger woman, the Babooshka of the title.

In Russian, ‘babushka’ actually means ‘grandma’, but Kate didn’t know that at the time. As the Official Singles Chart is about music and not Russian vocab, it didn't matter a jot! Babooshka was her biggest hit from Never For Ever, her third album and first chart-topper.

PEAK POSITION: Number 5

CHART FACT: Babooshka was Kate’s last Top 10 hit for five years.

6: The Man With The Child In His Eyes (1978)

Released as Kate’s second single, The Man With The Child In His Eyes was actually written when she was 13. It reached Number 6.

7: Cloudbusting (1985)

Landing in seventh place, Running Up That Hill’s follow-up reached Number 20, but was given another chance at chart success thanks to a very famous sample.

Leeds’ electronic group Utah Saints borrowed from Cloudbusting for their second single Something Good, which reached Number 4 in 1992 and, when remixed in 2008, hit the Top 10 again – hitting Number 8.

8: Hounds Of Love (1985)

The title track to Kate’s hit album peaked at Number 18 on its original release, but when covered by Futureheads in 2005 finally found its way into the Top 10, landing at Number 8.

9. King Of The Mountain (2005)

Kate’s big comeback in 2005 finally returned her to the Top 10 after an 18-year gap. The lead single from Aerial, King Of The Mountain was Kate’s first chart hit since And So Is Love reached Number 26 back in 1994. King Of The Mountain reached Number 4.

10: Army Dreamers (1980)

The third and final single from Kate’s Number 1 album Never For Ever, Army Dreamers tells the tale of a mother mourning the loss of her son at war. It peaked at Number 16.

Take a look at Kate’s official most downloaded songs from 11–20.

© 2014 The Official Charts Company. All rights reserved.