COVER vs ORIGINAL: ‘Running Up That Hill’

The song, “Running Up That Hill”, was originally recorded by Kate Bush in 1985

“Running Up That Hill” was written and produced by Kate Bush for her fifth studio album, “Hounds Of Love”. The track was released as the lead single in August 1985 and reached No.3 in the UK and No.30 in America as well as being a top ten hit across most of the rest of the world, becoming her highest charting and most successful single of the 1980’s.

Kate re-issued the song in 2012 for the London Olympic Games using the backing track of the original version together with freshly recorded vocals which was featured as part of the closing ceremony. It was released as a single in August and peaked at No.6, becoming her first top ten hit in seven years and the second time the song had made the UK top ten, twenty seven years after the original.

“Running Up That Hill” has been covered by a handful of acts in the years since, most notably by British band Placebo in 2003 for their “Covers” album. They released it as a single and took it to No.44 in the UK. In 2019, American singer Meg Myers covered the song as a one-off release, taking it to the top of the Alternative Airplay chart and No.4 on the US Rock chart.

But which version is the best? KATE’s original, her 2012 ‘remix’ or MEG MYERS’ cover?