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Kate Bush


Born: 1958
Location: Bexleyheath, UK
Genre: Art Pop, Baroque Pop
Years Active: 1978 -
Real Name: Catherine Bush
Meaning of the Name:
A.K.A.: KT Bush
Way of Working: Singular vision

Essential Releases

Kate Bush - Never For Ever

Never For Ever (1980)

Her third album. More experimental and electronic.

Kate Bush - The Dreaming

The Dreaming (1982)

Challenging experimental work.

Kate Bush - Hounds of Love

Hounds of Love (1985)

An album of two distinct halves: One side pop, the other experimental.


Kate Bush is a shrill-voiced, one of a kind performer who took full creative control of her music and never let go. She's the first female solo artist to top the UK singles chart with a song she wrote herself: 'Wuthering Heights' in 1978. She achieved this when she was only 19, but her quest to make the perfect record didn't stop there.

She was also a producer. While initially working with others, for her imaginative fourth LP, The Dreaming (1982), she took sole control of production duties, a position she retained for the rest of her career, persisting doggedly when poor sales led to the realistic prospect of her being dropped by EMI.

Bouncing back with aplomb, Bush released Hounds of Love in 1985 to both critical and commercial success after relocating to her parents estate in Kent. The record features artistic explorations that have become her hallmark, embracing literary themes from Alfred, Lord Tennyson's poem Idylls of the King (1859), and the body swap trope on 'Running Up That Hill', a song about a man and woman changing places due to a God given request.

The title track of Hounds of Love features an unseen force chasing a woman, and is based on the 1957 horror film Night of the Demon. Though here the woman is running away from "love", away from the common expectations of marriage prevalent at the time.

Unafraid and unashamed of her muse, Bush was free to go where she saw fit. She challenged existing norms with her art pop, but more importantly proved that women were capable of controlling their own careers behind the boards. As such, she inspired a generation of singers, including Björk, St. Vincent, and Florence Welch, to not only write, but produce and manage their own careers in the music business.


Skills

*This is a work in progress. Values are subjective.

Emotional Impact

i Does it connect with the heart? What does it make you feel and how much of it?
70

Mental Impact

i Does it connect with the head? Social issues, interesting observations, clever lyrics, similies etc.
70

Originality

i Are they unique? Did they break new ground, use new techniques or create new genres.
90

Artistry

i Using creativity and imagination to present themselves in a unique way. Example, Wu-Tang Clan as Shaolin and Marvel characters etc.
100

Authenticity

i Do they really mean what they say? Is it autobiographical, personal?
40

Live

i Stage presence, working the crowd, performance. Miming, forgetting lyrics reduce this.
40

Production

i Studio techniques. More important for electronic music including hip hop.
80

Musicianship

i Their ability to play individually and as a group. Technical skills. DJing. Freestyling for hip hop.
70

Singing

i Technical attributes.
85

Songwriting

i Storytelling. Cohesive themes. Is the song about something? Stan by Eminem is an example of excellent songwriting.
95

Danceability

i Does it make you move? Do you tap your foot, nod your head or move your whole body?
55

Fun

i Is listening to it a good time? Are the lyrics funny? Depressing themes lowers value.
75

Consistency

i Have they put out good music across their careers. Two good albums and 5 band ones will reduce this value.
75

Range

i Fast, slow, ballads, party jams. Do they go beyond their own genre?
65

Cool

i Laid-back, icy detachment, unflustered.
40

Charisma

i Factors include appearance, force of personality. Elvis making people faint etc.
60

Commercial & Critical Success

Awards >>>

  • BRIT Award WINNER! 1987: Best British Female Solo Artist

Certifications >>>

  • The Kick Inside: Platinum in the UK, Australia & Canada
  • Lionheart: Platinum in the UK, Australia & Canada
  • Never for Ever: Platinum in Canada; Gold in the UK, France & Germany
  • The Dreaming: Silver in the UK
  • Hounds of Love: Platinum in the UK & Canada; Gold in France
  • The Sensual World: Platinum in the UK; Gold in Canada, France & the US
  • The Red Shoes: Platinum in the UK; Gold in Canada
  • Aerial: Platinum in UK & Canada; Gold in France
  • 50 Words for Snow: Gold in the UK

Charts >>>

  • The Kick Inside: Number 1 in Holland; Number 3 in Australia & the UK
  • Lionheart: Number 6 in UK
  • Never for Ever: Number 1 in the UK & France
  • The Dreaming: Number 3 in the UK
  • Hounds of Love: Number 1 in the UK & Holland; Number 2 in Germany
  • The Sensual World: Number 2 in the UK
  • The Red Shoes: Number 2 in the UK
  • Aerial: Number 3 in the UK & Germany
  • 50 Words for Snow: Number 5 in the UK

Critics >>>

  • Apple Music: Hounds of Love - Best Albums: 50th
  • NME: Hounds of Love - Best Albums of 1985: 10th
  • NME: Hounds of Love - 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: 48th
  • Rolling Stone: Hounds of Love - 500 Greatest Albums of All Time: 68th
  • Pitchfork: Hounds of Love - Best Albums of the 80s: 4th
  • Slant: Hounds of Love - Best Albums of the 80s: 10th
  • Slant: The Sensual World - Best Albums of the 80s: 55th

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