Recently, songs from the 80s and 90s by Kate Bush, Depeche Mode, The Cramps, or Nirvana have enjoyed a comeback thanks to their appearances in films and series such as The Batman and Stranger Things. The opportunity to look at 5 good songs that have given themselves a new lease of life.
Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) (1985) by Kate Bush
In May 2022, English singer and eccentric 80s icon Kate Bush was climbing the charts decades after her heyday. A few days after Season 4 of Stranger Things aired on Netflix on May 27, one of the flamboyant and visionary artist’s hits had a second life. Present in the first episode of the new season of the fantastic series, the indestructible dreamlike and epic art pop-new wave title Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God), released in 1985, was in fact at the top of the most listened to titles on iTunes in the United States and in Spotify’s top 200. The song, which was already a hit in the 80s reaching the top of the charts in the UK plays an important role in the show as it is linked to the story of Max. In addition to Kate Bush, the series Stranger Things has also brought to light the group Metallica and the new wave singer Limahl.
Something in the Way (1991) by Nirvana
In March 2022, the very dark The Batman by Matt Reeves conquered the public as well as the critics, rising to number 1 at the box office with 1.8 million entries made in France in less than a month. His influence was quickly felt outside the dark rooms, especially musically. Its soundtrack has thus broken listening records, even if the song that we hear several times in these new adventures of The Dark Knight is more than thirty years old. Indeed, these are the haunting and fascinating notes of Something in the Way by Nirvana, a track present on the album Nevermind (1991) which illustrates the images of Robert Pattinson plagued by his demons. The title, which was not released as a single, has experienced, since the release of the film in cinemas, March 2, 2022, a resurgence of enthusiasm. According to Spotify, the number of plays increased by 1200% a week after the appearance of the feature film in theaters. The grunge star band’s song was also among the most searched tracks on Shazam at the same time. As for the cult album Nevermind, which celebrated its thirtieth anniversary in May 2022, it rose to the top of Amazon’s best-selling CDs and vinyls.
Mad World (2001) by Gary Jules and Michael Andrews
This song by the British pop-rock group Tears For Fears, released in 1982, is of rare power, and it can take on a political or romantic meaning depending on the personality or mood of its listener. She evokes the madness of the world, incommunicability, the meaning of existence or even depression, which explains why she has known several lives. But she really became a hit after illustrating the fascinating and strange images of the cult film Donnie Darko (2001) with Jake Gyllenhaal. It was then a refined version signed Gary Jules and Michael Andrews. This successful rereading even rose to the top of the British charts before appearing in the soundtrack of many series. The Tears For Fears song has since been performed by many other artists, including Indochine.
The End (1967) by The Doors
The Doors poignant song, The End (1967), originally written by singer Jim Morrison following his breakup with girlfriend, Mary Werbelow, became even more iconic after its use. brilliant, in a monumental film. Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now (1979) opens with the famous song that accompanies a hazy, spectral scene of a napalm bombing in the jungle. The tortured psychedelic accents of the track and the heartbreaking voice of Jim Morrison transcribe, musically, the horrors of war and provide an astounding feeling of dread.
Where Is My Mind? (1988) Pixies
The effective rock track Where Is My Mind? (1988) by the Pixies marked the end of David Fincher’s film Fight Club (starring Brad Pitt, Jared Leto and Edward Norton) released theatrically in 1999, reigniting the interest of the public more than a decade after its release public for this title. The raging hit, initially inspired by the group’s singer’s scuba diving experiences, was notably taken up by Nada Surf, Placebo, Weezer and even MIA but neither version achieves the wry charm of the original.
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