There are too few artists in the world of pop who can match Kate Bush , who in addition to being the goddess of ’80s art pop, is inimitable in her construction, delivery, and musical integrity.
Of course, she could also be called a mad genius of the world of pop, or the angel from the musical heavens of the 20th century who single-handedly influenced all the women who came after her in the world of pop and rock: all the modern pop personalities bordering on cheeky, daring and experimental musicianship have this woman to thank; Madonna , Björk , Tori Amos , Lorde , Florence Welch , and Lady GagaThe world will be forever indebted to Kate Bush , who, without exaggeration, is the female equivalent of a David Bowie or a Peter Gabriel : a chameleon who constantly evolved her sound and challenged the mainstream music status quo by stepping out of her comfort zone. and producing the kind of music she wanted. Plus, she was edgy, beautiful, weird and bold, and most of all, she never made the kind of music that MTV and the radio stations were used to playing.
Catherine “Kate” Bush was born on July 30, 1958 in Bexleyheath, Kent, in the southwest of England. Raised in a family where the arts were pervasive, she began playing the piano on her own at age 11, and two years later she wrote her first songs.
8. Baboons
We start the list with this gem: Babooshka , taken from Kate Bush ‘s third album , Never for Ever , which was released on September 7, 1980, after the only tour of her career in the spring of 1979. The album was a great success, driven by this issue that tells the story of a woman who, consumed by paranoia, decides to test her husband by posing as a young woman looking for an adventure, and ends up destroying their relationship. The song ends with a sample of broken glass performed with a very innovative instrument for the time, the Fairlight CMI synthesizer.
7. Breathing
Breathing is a five-and-a-half minute slice of bravery that closes the Never for Ever album. The narrator is a fetus in the womb, very aware of what is happening outside and scared by the radioactive fallout, and the nuclear threat, which implies that the song is set during the cold war, as Bush herself said that she was inspired on Pink Floyd ‘s The Wall towrite it. Needless to say, on the song Bush is in top form, with a penetrating piano ballad that showcases her style perfectly. The artist later donated the track to a Greenpeace charity album.
6. The Man With The Child In His Eyes
The Man With The Child In His Eyes is the second single of Kate Bush ‘s career , and was written by Bush when she was just 13 years old. Amazing, right? The theme is written about the relationship between a young woman and an older man and shows the wonderful talent of Bush at such a young age. Bush’s then-boyfriend, Steve Blacknell, was quick to realize the song was about him, saying after hearing the song: “I realized right then and there that I was in love with a genius.” Hard to argue.
5. Cloudbusting
The second single from the 1985 Hounds of Love album, Cloudbusting , describes the complicity between the Austrian psychoanalyst and scientist Wilheim Reich (1897-1957) and his son Peter, told from the latter’s point of view. Reich was also an inventor and claimed to have created a “cloudchaser” that could produce rain, but he was stopped by his various experiments and ultimately died of a heart attack in prison. The beautiful video was directed by filmmaker Julian Doyle and styled by Terry Gilliam and Kate Bush. The singer played Reich’s son, while Canadian actor Donald Sutherland played the hunted scientist.
4. Hounds of Love
We come to the title track of the iconic Hounds of Love album: the first few notes of this song set you up perfectly for what will be an incredible LP. The song arrives with a simple power that makes it one of the best pop songs ever written, as Bush’s voice manages to go from the most beautiful to the most guttural in a flash of pop power, and in proof of his constant evolution.
3. This Woman’s Work
This Woman’s Work is a symphony of powerful emotions and intense notions, all punctuated by Bush’s impeccable voice. Her first notes, in particular, are captivatingly beautiful and completely seducing, but it also highlights the strength of this Brit as an interpreter. As a fun fact, the song was originally composed for the American film Ella she ella’s Having a Baby in 1988 and was later released on Bush’s 1989 album The Sensual World. Director John Hughes used the song expertly during the film’s dramatic climax, when Jake ( Kevin Bacon ) learns that the lives of his wife, Kristy ( Elizabeth McGovern ).), and her unborn child are in danger. It’s the same sentiment that Bush adopts for the song’s lyrics. It’s a mark of praise for her impeccable skills as a songwriter, able to find empathy in almost every situation.
2. Wuthering Heights
The song was heavily inspired by the 1967 adaptation of Emily Brontë ‘s novel Wuthering Heights , made for the BBC: while London was at its punk climax, Kate Bush was creating this track that would become her first single and definitely her favorite. one of the most iconic of his career.
1. Running Up That Hill
Carried away by the sensual choreography in its video, the song Running Up That Hill is Kate Bush ‘s biggest hit of the 1980s and proof of her genius as an artist: it’s a pop masterpiece.