Kate Bush’s debut single Wuthering Heights made history in 1978 as the first UK No. 1 song written and performed by a female artist. At just 19 years old, Bush captivated audiences with a haunting, theatrical ballad inspired not by Emily Brontë’s novel itself, but by a BBC TV adaptation she stumbled upon as a teen. “There was a hand coming through the window, blood, glass—I didn’t know what was going on,” she recalled. The eerie image stuck with her and eventually led her to read the novel for context.
Growing up in a musical family in Kent, Bush began writing songs early. Her big break came when Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour heard a demo and helped her record new tracks, leading to a deal with EMI at 16. Before releasing her first album The Kick Inside, she used her label advance to study interpretive dance with mime legend Lindsay Kemp, whose teachings would shape her uniquely expressive performance style.
Bush insisted Wuthering Heights be her first single, despite EMI preferring a rockier track. She filmed two music videos—one in a studio and another in the open air—where she danced in a flowing red dress, portraying the ghostly spirit of Catherine Earnshaw. The song’s high-pitched vocals and theatrical flair made it unforgettable, and it shot to the top of charts in the UK, Ireland, Australia, and beyond.
The single’s success catapulted Bush into stardom. Her debut album sold over a million copies, and she went on to win an Ivor Novello Award for her follow-up single, The Man with the Child in His Eyes. Her 1979 tour, The Tour of Life, pushed the boundaries of live performance with dance, mime, and theatrical storytelling.
Bush’s influence has endured through decades of experimentation and reinvention. In 2022, her 1985 hit Running Up That Hill went viral thanks to Stranger Things, bringing her back to the top of the charts and introducing her to a new generation. All of it traces back to that one ghostly moment on TV—proof that inspiration can come from anywhere.
Source: BBC